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Virginia has earned the nickname “Mother of Presidents” for a reason. More U.S. presidents were born in Virginia than in any other state:

🇺🇸 George Washington (1st): Westmoreland County (1732).
🇺🇸 Thomas Jefferson (3rd): Albemarle County (1743).
🇺🇸 James Madison (4th): King George County (1751).
🇺🇸 James Monroe (5th): Westmoreland County (1758).
🇺🇸 William Henry Harrison (9th): Charles City County (1773).
🇺🇸 John Tyler (10th): Charles City County (1790).
🇺🇸 Zachary Taylor (12th): Orange County (1784).
🇺🇸 Woodrow Wilson (28th): Staunton (1856)

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Virginia’s role in shaping the nation’s leadership and history continues to inspire new generations to explore the people and ideas that built the United States.
#IMLS250

American democracy has deep roots in Virginia. Jamestown, founded in 1607, was the first permanent English settlement in North America! Then, in 1619, VA hosted the first representative legislative assembly in the New World.
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As #Freedom250 traces the path to independence, we arrive in Virginia.
At Yorktown Battlefield, British forces surrendered to General George Washington—bringing the Revolutionary War to its decisive conclusion.
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Located in downtown Bangor, the Maine Discovery Museum invites people of all ages to learn by doing—through hands-on exhibits, science-forward programs, and partnerships that extend far beyond its three floors of exhibit space. While many visitors know the museum as a destination for children, its impact reaches across Maine, connecting families, libraries, schools, and communities through learning experiences that make exploration accessible, relevant, and joyful.

Throughout the museum, exploration brings generations together. Adults often find themselves learning alongside children—building, experimenting, and problem-solving as a shared experience. Whether through interactive science exhibits or collaborative activities like designing a Mars habitat, the museum creates moments where curiosity bridges age gaps. Toddlers, elementary-aged children, and older youth all find opportunities to explore topics that match their changing interests and abilities.

Located in downtown Bangor, the Maine Discovery Museum invites people of all ages to learn by doing—through hands-on exhibits, science-forward programs, and partnerships that extend far beyond its three floors of exhibit space. While many visitors know the museum as a destination for children, its impact reaches across Maine, connecting families, libraries, schools, and communities through learning experiences that make exploration accessible, relevant, and joyful.

Throughout the museum, exploration brings generations together. Adults often find themselves learning alongside children—building, experimenting, and problem-solving as a shared experience. Whether through interactive science exhibits or collaborative activities like designing a Mars habitat, the museum creates moments where curiosity bridges age gaps. Toddlers, elementary-aged children, and older youth all find opportunities to explore topics that match their changing interests and abilities.

Located in downtown Bangor, the Maine Discovery Museum invites people of all ages to learn by doing—through hands-on exhibits, science-forward programs, and partnerships that extend far beyond its three floors of exhibit space. While many visitors know the museum as a destination for children, its impact reaches across Maine, connecting families, libraries, schools, and communities through learning experiences that make exploration accessible, relevant, and joyful.

Throughout the museum, exploration brings generations together. Adults often find themselves learning alongside children—building, experimenting, and problem-solving as a shared experience. Whether through interactive science exhibits or collaborative activities like designing a Mars habitat, the museum creates moments where curiosity bridges age gaps. Toddlers, elementary-aged children, and older youth all find opportunities to explore topics that match their changing interests and abilities.

Located in downtown Bangor, the Maine Discovery Museum invites people of all ages to learn by doing—through hands-on exhibits, science-forward programs, and partnerships that extend far beyond its three floors of exhibit space. While many visitors know the museum as a destination for children, its impact reaches across Maine, connecting families, libraries, schools, and communities through learning experiences that make exploration accessible, relevant, and joyful.

Throughout the museum, exploration brings generations together. Adults often find themselves learning alongside children—building, experimenting, and problem-solving as a shared experience. Whether through interactive science exhibits or collaborative activities like designing a Mars habitat, the museum creates moments where curiosity bridges age gaps. Toddlers, elementary-aged children, and older youth all find opportunities to explore topics that match their changing interests and abilities.

Did you know that the first American in space was from New Hampshire? Alan Shepard literally took our nation to new heights in 1961!
#IMLS250

@potus has made celebrating America’s 250th birthday a priority for this Administration, and @freedom250 and @us_imls are helping bring our Nation’s history directly to communities across the country. 🇺🇸

Great to bring the Freedom Truck to the Peach State and celebrate America’s story with the great people of Georgia! #Freedom250https://freedom250.org/freedom-truck

Preserving a remarkable legacy of craftsmanship and community, @CanterburyShakers in New Hampshire is cataloging more than 40,000 historic artifacts from one of the country’s most complete Shaker communities. This work, supported by an #IMLSgrant, is opening new doors for researchers and visitors alike.
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A constitutional milestone! 📜 New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on June 21, 1788, officially putting the Constitution into effect.
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Through #Freedom250, we remember the bold actions that stirred resistance across New Hampshire.

Before independence was declared, patriots seized gunpowder at Fort Constitution, fueling the determination that would carry into the battles ahead.

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A leading voice of resistance from Massachusetts, Samuel Adams played a pivotal role in rallying support for American independence. His efforts helped spark movements like the Boston Tea Party, uniting colonists against British rule. His legacy lives on in the enduring spirit of civic engagement and protest.
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The Longfellow House in Cambridge, Massachusetts has ties to multiple American heroes. It served as an early headquarters for George Washington during the American Revolution, then became the home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of America’s most influential poets, best known for The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, which helped shape our early national identity and literary culture.

This image of the Longfellow House was made available by Digital Commonwealth, a project of #IMLSgrant recipient @BPLBoston that provides free digitization services, digital preservation, and online access to cultural heritage materials from Massachusetts institutions, bringing together collections from hundreds of libraries, museums, historical societies, and archives across the state.
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Play ball! ⚾ Massachusetts is home to @FenwayPark, opened in 1912 and proudly holding the title of the oldest stadium in @MLB.
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