For most of us, planning for this Fourth of July still seems like a long way away. But the work to get ready for celebrations for July 4, 2026 — three years from now – is already starting.
The 2026 event, when the nation celebrates its 250th birthday — known as the semiquincentennial — is sure to be a massive celebration in cities all across the original 13 colonies and beyond. In D.C., the centerpiece of celebrations is sure to be along the National Mall.
“It’s only three years away, we always joke, and there’s so much to do to get the National Mall ready,” said Catherine Townsend, President and CEO of the Trust for the National Mall, the nonprofit group that works with the National Park Service.
There are three areas slated for improvement, starting with Constitution Gardens, a 36-acre parcel that runs along Constitution Avenue, west of 17th Street N.W.
“It was a gift to the nation during the bicentennial in 1976,” said Townsend. Included in the garden is the Signers Memorial, an island memorial encircled by a small pond honoring the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately, she says it’s an “environmental mess” right now.
“We have to completely rip it up and put it back in, in a much more environmentally-friendly and sustainable program,” said Townsend. “The lake is not really a true lake, so we’re going to make it a true ecology, better landscaping, better flowering landscapes, and better water resource management and better trees.”
The other big project aims to redo the Sylvan Theater, which sits just south of the Washington Monument.
“It was built over 100 years ago as an original theater,” before getting refurbished in the 1970s, said Townsend. “But over time, it just doesn’t have a good sound system, the structure is not as strong as it used to be.”
The end goal is to have seating for two stages, including one that’s covered, along with public bathrooms and concession stands nearby.
Anyone who has played tourist along the National Mall, darting in and out of Smithsonian Museums, is also very familiar with the gravel paths crisscrossing between 3rd Street and 14th Street. Some of those paths are about to get paved.
“The goal is to turn those into permanent pathways so they’re not loose and make them much more easier for ADA compliance,” Townsend said.
But that’s not the only benefit of ditching some of the gravel.
“There’s grates along those panels that collect rain water, and there’s cisterns underneath those panels that collect and provide about a quarter of the water needed to water the grass,” said Townsend. “Those little gravel get stuck inside the grates and the Park Service team spends a lot of money and a lot of time siphoning out those little rocks.”
The reason the planning is already underway is because the construction process, including permitting and approvals, takes time. A major fundraising effort is about to launch to help pay for the work.
“We’re hoping to really take this up a notch over the next three years and ask people to give back to the National Mall,” said Townsend. “We hope the public will play an active role in supporting The Trust and our efforts to help the Park Service really help restore, but also enrich, this incredible national treasure.”
