2026 is the 250th anniversary of the United States, and to celebrate this, the National Archives is teaming up with 
Boeing for a special tribute to the nation’s long and storied history. On January 20, 2026, the National Archives announced that it would transport 18th-century documents across the nation on a Boeing 737 named the « Freedom Plane » from March to August.
The Freedom Plane will travel to eight cities during its five-month tour, carrying important documents related to the foundation of the United States in the late 1700s. The documents will be placed on display at various museums around the country to bring these pieces of history closer to the rest of the country, and also promote patriotism during the US’s 250th anniversary.
The Freedom Plane National Tour In 2026
The National Archives and Records Administration will be partnering with the National Archives Foundation to operate a traveling exhibit displaying historical US documents. The « Freedom Plane National Tour » will travel from Washington DC to eight different US cities via air. The documents will first be shown on March 6, 2026, and the tour will end on August 16, 2026.
The Boeing 737 will carry an engraved copy of the Declaration of Independence, dating back to 1823, the 1774 Articles of Association, the Oaths of Allegiance signed by George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Aaron Burr in 1778, the 1783 Treaty of Paris, a 1787 printed copy of a draft of the United States Constitution with handwritten notes, and the 1787 voting records on the Constitution. This will be the first time that these documents will travel together,
The Freedom Plane National Tour is inspired by the 1976 Freedom Train, which had toured all 48 states in the contiguous United States for the nation’s 200th anniversary and carried memorabilia related to the US’s history, as well as culture. In total, the bicentennial Freedom Train carried over 500 artifacts and exhibits to display and took 21 months to complete.
The Operation Of The Freedom Plane National Tour
The National Archives will be using a Boeing 737-700 for the Freedom Plane National Tour. Specifically, the tour will be flown by N836BA, a 25-year-old Boeing 737-700 BBJ. As per planespotters.net, the aircraft, line number 569, took its first flight on May 11, 2000. The aircraft was originally registered as N1003W and was later delivered to NetJets in 2001, registered as N156QS.
After four and a half years flying for NetJets, the aircraft was repurchased by Boeing and subsequently reregistered at N836BA in 2006. The aircraft has since been used in the company’s executive flight operations division, operated by Boeing subsidiary Red Barn Operations under the « RDN » ICAO code and the « Red Barn » callsign.
Boeing is not only providing the aircraft for these operations, but the Red Barn Operations crews will also operate these flights. It’s unclear whether N836BA will receive any interior modifications for its mission, although it’s likely that any changes would be minor given the short-term nature of this assignment. On the outside, N836BA will retain its current design, but will include new text and logos promoting it as the Freedom Plane. Once the tour is over, these will likely be removed.
What Aircraft Does Boeing Own & Operate?
The US manufacturer maintains a fleet of 25 aircraft for a diverse range of purposes.
Where To Catch The Freedom Plane National Tour
N836BA will begin its tour on March 6. It will initially visit Kansas City, where the documents will be on display at the National WWI Museum and Memorial until March 22. It will then travel to Atlanta, where the documents will be on display at the Atlanta History Center from March 27 to April 12. The documents will be on display at the University of Southern California Fisher Museum of Art in Los Angeles from April 17 to May 3, and will then be displayed at the Houston Museum of Natural Science from May 8 to May 25.
The documents will be flown to Denver to be displayed at the History Colorado Center from May 28 to June 14. Their next destination will be the HistoryMiami Museum from June 20 to July 5, and they will then be transported to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn from July 9 to July 28. Finally, the documents will travel to Seattle for display at the Museum of History & Industry from July 30 to August 16, after which they will return home to Washington DC.