AURORA | Here’s the word that leads an inventory of unique cultural and historical events near and far, throughout the summer: “Sesquisemiquincentennial.”
Say it out loud: “sess-kwee-semi-kwin-sent-ennial.”
That’s the Latin word for what Aurora and the nation will be celebrating as the nation’s sesquisemiquincentennial — or 250th — birthday nears.
The City of Aurora will mark major U.S. and Colorado anniversaries with a yearlong series of exhibitions, public art and cultural programs highlighting local history and community voices.
The United States will observe the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, while Colorado celebrates its 150 years of statehood.
That would be Colorado’s sesquicentennial. Got it?
Aurora officials say the dual milestones provide a rare opportunity to reflect on the nation’s and state’s histories through the lens of a diverse city often called “The World in A City.”
Aurora’s Library and Cultural Services Department, which include the Aurora History Museum and the city’s Art in Public Places Program, will lead the multiple 150/250 commemoration throughout the year. Events include museum exhibits, public artwork and regional partnerships.
“At the heart of this effort is the people of Aurora,” Ginger White Brunetti, the city’s director of Library and Cultural Services said in a statement. “From multilingual wishes woven into meaningful public art to exhibitions that honor sacrifice and celebrate cultural heritage, these initiatives reflect who we are as a community and assert that every story has a place in our city’s history.”
One of the first programs will open this week at the Aurora History Museum. The exhibit, “The Local Cost of Freedom: Aurora’s Fallen in the Sesquisemiquincentennial Story,” runs through July 11 and highlights Aurora service members who died in military conflicts.
The exhibit places the stories of local fallen troops within the broader narrative of American and Colorado history, linking national milestones to sacrifices made by families in the community. Museum officials say the display will feature artifacts and personal stories intended to create space for reflection and remembrance.
Another centerpiece of the commemoration will be a new public art installation called “Constellations of Time,” created by artist Christine Nguyen. The public art work will be installed in June at Mission Viejo Park.
The installation will include hand-painted stainless-steel sculptures of animals such as hare, wolf, lynx, “great dog,” eagle and buffalo. The Animals will be alongside a sunflower, which the artist says symbolizes the sun. Inspired by Colorado wildlife and related constellations, the work is intended as a contemplative space encouraging visitors to pause and reflect, according to city spokesperson Abraham Morales.
City officials said the project will incorporate messages from Aurora residents who were invited to submit “wishes to the universe” in their native languages. Those wishes will be embedded in the artwork as a permanent record of the city’s cultural diversity.
The history museum will also open “A Mosaic of Cultures: Aurora’s Filipino Community” April 21. The exhibition, running through April 17, 2027, is the fifth installment in a decade-long series examining cultural groups that have shaped the city.
The display will explore the history, traditions and contributions of Filipino Americans in Aurora, including their role in the city’s economy and cultural life, Morales said in a statement.
Aurora’s commemoration will also involve partnerships with several regional institutions, including the Museum of Boulder, the Golden History Museum and the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, among others. Those collaborations will include a traveling exhibition highlighting Black history in Aurora and across Colorado scheduled for July through November 2026.
Additional events include a September ceremony at Aurora Reservoir to unveil interpretive signage at the Senac Site Local Historic Landmark. The project is being developed in partnership with the Northern Arapaho Tribe and the Cheyenne and Southern Tribal Historic Preservation Office to recognize the region’s Indigenous history.
City officials are also pursuing recognition for Aurora as an American World War II Heritage City through the U.S. National Park Service.
Together, the initiatives are intended to highlight the role of Aurora’s cultural institutions in preserving local history while encouraging residents to reflect on the past and imagine the city’s future, according to Morales.
Major historical documents coming to Denver as part of 250th anniversary celebration
Some of the United States’ most important historical documents began a first-of-its kind journey last week as part of the country’s 250th anniversary commemoration.
Typically housed in highly controlled vaults under the watch of preservation experts at the National Archives, documents such as the 1783 Treaty of Paris that formally ended the Revolutionary War and the 1774 Articles of Association that urged colonists to boycott British goods are rarely moved.
But those documents, signed by George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and other American revolutionary leaders, will be making their way across the country and put on display for free at local museums, including one in Denver.
“It’s tangible history, and tangible history inspires,” said Jim Byron, senior adviser to the acting archivist of the United States. “These documents have not traveled, and they’ve certainly not traveled collectively, ever. They are here in vaults.”
The Boeing 737 “Freedom Plane” transporting the documents is just one of many events and activities planned across the country to mark America’s upcoming 250th anniversary celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. A congressionally chartered commission, America 250, and a separate White House-led initiative, called Freedom 250, are both coordinating events, an overlap that has faced some criticism in Washington.
Among the planned activities are a fleet of mobile museums driving across the country, a story collection initiative and a Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump has even announced plans for a “ Patriot Games “ sporting event featuring high school athletes and a UFC mixed-martial arts fight at the White House.
The Freedom Plane’s first stop was in Kansas City, Missouri, where the documents were transferred to the National WWI Museum and Memorial. The records include a rare original engraving of the Declaration of Independence printed in 1823 from a copperplate of the original; the Oaths of Allegiance signed in 1778 by George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and other officers of the Continental Army; and a rare draft copy of the U.S. Constitution that includes handwritten notes by the delegates.
The plane will bring the documents to Denver for viewing from May 28 through June 14 at the History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway in Denver.
The event is free.
Other planned stops will be in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston, Miami and the Detroit suburb of Dearborn and Seattle.
“The reality that these documents are leaving D.C. and coming to the heartland is fantastic,” said Matt Naylor, president and CEO of the National World War I Museum and Memorial, where they will be on display for a little over two weeks starting Friday. “There’s a lot of excitement about that and a lot of talk in and around the city about what that means.”
Naylor said the early response has been overwhelming. Local schools have already booked visits for more than 5,000 schoolchildren.
“That’s indicating that there’s a lot of enthusiasm for this,” he said.
The “Freedom Plane” tour was inspired in part by the “American Freedom Train” that toured 48 states in 1975 and 1976 as part of the country’s bicentennial celebration. It carried various pieces of American history, including the original Louisiana Purchase documents, Judy Garland’s dress from The Wizard of Oz and Jesse Owens’ gold medals from the 1936 Olympic Games.
— The Associated Press contributed to this story.