A rare piece of history that dates back to the founding of America will be on display at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art just in time for Independence Day.
Declaration: Birth of America features one of only 25 known existing copies of the original printed Declaration of Independence.
The temporary exhibit at the Bentonville museum includes other documents from the American Revolution. It begins Saturday through Sept. 17.
5NEWS got a first look at some of the documents, which have been loaned from an unnamed, private collection.
Curatorial Director David Houston said the exhibit fits with Crystal Bridge’s mission of using American art to illuminate American History.
“It was an incredible opportunity to be able to show these authentic founding documents in which very few copies exist here at Crystal Bridges museum,” Houston said. “And it fits perfectly with our inaugural year of celebrating the American spirit.”
Other items on display include the Treaty of Paris and the first map that refers to the United States of America, along with the country’s official seal.
Crystal Bridges opened November. Since then, it has seen more than 100,000 visitors.