Trump buries call to restore Independence Hall in Smithsonian executive order
Trump called for "sufficient funding, as available" to get Independence Park ready for celebrations in 2026, but also plans more cuts to the Interior Department and the National Park System.
Buried at the bottom of a recent executive order issued by President Donald Trump that focused on the Smithsonian were three words more relevant to Philadelphia: “restoring Independence Hall.”
Ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026, the Trump administration is calling for the Department of the Interior to provide funding “to improve the infrastructure of Independence National Historical Park” by July 4, 2026.
The executive order doesn’t lay out any further details about how much money would be spent, other than describing the need to “provide sufficient funding, as available.” A spokesperson for Interior Department Secretary Doug Burgum did not respond to a request for comment. An Independence Park spokesperson directed inquires to the National Park Service.
In a statement issued Friday, the park service said it is “preparing accordingly to make improvements to the area and highlight the history of the nation. Work is progressing on more than $85 million in infrastructure projects that will help us welcome millions of visitors each year.”
The executive order, which focused more on the Smithsonian, also criticized the Biden administration for sponsoring diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training of park employees. Trump also called out a February 2023 training of park rangers that reportedly pushed for a more progressive reading of history including enslaved people, women, and Indigenous people.
The Old City park, established in 1948, includes the Liberty Bell, Congress Hall, and Independence Hall, where the Founding Fathers signed and adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. All told, the park includes 46 historic buildings spread across 54 acres of land in the heart of the city.
U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D., Pa.), whose district now includes Old City, called Trump’s executive order a “political stunt” that doesn’t help the city prepare for 2026.
“If he’s serious about investing in Independence Hall ahead of the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence, he should support my efforts to secure the critical funding we need, and stop cutting staff from a site that’s already under-resourced,” Boyle told The Inquirer.
In addition to a $27 million annual budget that has been stagnant for years, the park was hit with cuts by the Trump administration in February, where two probationary employees were terminated and at least 30 positions have gone unfilled. The National Park Service laid off at least 1,000 employees in February, and White House documents obtained by the Washington Post show plans for the Interior Department to “shed nearly 1 in 4 workers it had when Trump took office.”
David Fitzpatrick, local treasurer of AFGE Local 2058 and secretary-treasurer of AFGE Council 270, told The Inquirer in February planned cuts to the National Park Service in Philadelphia could impact the city’s ability to handle crowds planning to celebrate the 250th anniversary and attend other large events in 2026, including the FIFA World Cup and MLB All-Star Game.
“I don’t know what they’re going to do,” Fitzpatrick said.
Despite the challenges and cuts, the park is on track to be ready for the city’s Semiquincentennial celebration in 2026, according to Jonathan Burton, the director of development for the Independence Historical Trust, the park’s philanthropic partner. That includes the restoration of the First Bank of the United States, a redesigned exhibit in the west wing of Independence Hall, the competition of the Bicentennial Bell garden project, and updates to the park’s inefficient heating and cooling system.
“The hiring freeze is the biggest issue facing the park,” Burton said. “They could hire 51 people today, if there was no hiring freeze, 30 of which would help maintain and enhance the park.”