The Freedom Plane, a Boeing 737 carrying a collection of founding documents, has taken to the skies to celebrate a quarter-millennium of U.S. independence and will make stops in eight museums across the country, including History Colorado.

“History Colorado is deeply honored to be one of only eight cultural institutions across the country selected by the National Archives to host these foundational and aspirational documents that embody our nation and connect us as Americans,” said Dawn DiPrince, History Colorado president and CEO.

Inspired by the Freedom Train from the U.S. bicentennial celebration in 1976, the tour kicked off in March and will run through August, with a two-week stay at the Denver-based museum.

The founding documents on the Freedom Plane include an original engraving of the Declaration of Independence, oaths of allegiance signed by George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr during the Revolutionary War, and a copy of the Treaty of Paris, which formally recognized the U.S. as an independent nation.

“These remarkable documents have never before traveled together outside of Washington, D.C.,” DiPrince said.

The Freedom Plane touched down on the tarmac at Denver International Airport on Tuesday and will be open to the public from Thursday through June 14 as part of the America 250 – Colorado 150 commemoration, officials said.

The exhibit is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to take an up-close look at documents that laid the foundation for the nation we live in today, DiPrince said.

“Freedom Plane offers a tangible opportunity to reflect on what it means to be American,” she said. “These documents embody the revolutionary idea that we are a nation bound together by shared ideals.”

Tickets to the Freedom Plane National Tour are free, though timed-entry tickets must be reserved in advance at historycolorado.org. Admission to the rest of the History Colorado Center, located at 1200 Broadway in Denver, is $20.