The USC Fisher Museum of Art has welcomed the "National Archives’ Freedom Plane National Tour," a traveling exhibition featuring foundational American documents. Arriving via a specially branded Boeing 737 at Van Nuys Airport, the collection includes rare items such as a 1823 Stone engraving of the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris, and a secret printing of the Constitution. USC is the only university selected as a stop on this eight-city tour, which commemorates the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.
This event highlights the role of university museums as vital hubs for civic engagement and historical education. By hosting these high-security national treasures, the USC Fisher Museum—the oldest art museum in Los Angeles—underscores its mission to provide public access to culturally significant artifacts. The collaboration between the National Archives Foundation, Boeing, and USC demonstrates a large-scale effort to bring provenance-heavy historical objects directly to local communities outside of Washington, D.C.