West Wing Project

Artist rendering of the proposed West Wing exhibit.

NPS image

Location

The redesigned exhibit will be located in the West Wing of Independence Hall, on Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets. Entrance is through a security screening area on Chestnut Street, just west of 5th Street.

Project Overview

The project includes the design, fabrication, and installation of a new exhibit to present original artifacts from the founding era of the nation. Artifacts include:

• 1776 broadside Declaration of Independence. Printed by John Dunlap, this Declaration of Independence was read to the public on the south side of Independence Hall on July 8, 1776.
• Draft of the Articles of Confederation. Owned and worked on by Elbridge Gerry, this draft shows Gerry's notes in the margins about the arguments and compromises while forming a federation of independent states.
• Final version of the US Constitution. Owned by George Washington, this print of the Constitution was made in early September of 1787 and contains an edit made by Washington.
• The Syng Inkstand. The silver inkstand believed to have been used to sign the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution.

The redesigned exhibit will include interactive technology to engage visitors in the artifacts’ histories and provide opportunites to interact with the founding documents in new ways. In addition, Independence National Historical Park is working on an augmented reality experience to provide visitors with historic scenes from both Independence Hall and Independence Square.

This project was made possible in part by a grant from the National Park Foundation.

Project Timeline

The park began the design phase of the project in 2023 and anticipates opening the exhibit to the public in 2026.