After 15 stops, and tens of thousands of visitors, the Maine Historical Society’s rare copy of the Declaration of Independence will finish its tour of Maine’s 16 counties at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. The Dunlap Broadside will be on view Oct. 30–31.

The Dunlap Broadside is one of just 26 surviving copies of the Declaration printed in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, and sent out to announce American independence. Since July, approximately 17,000 people have come to see it at libraries, museums, schools, and community spaces across the state.

Ending at Bowdoin brings the tour back to where the Maine Historical Society started. The Society was founded in 1822, and its earliest history is tied to the college. The final stop gives Bowdoin students and Brunswick-area residents a chance to see the document up close, in a setting devoted to learning and culture.

The tour has included public and student viewings, readings, and community programming in each county. It is part of the Maine Historical Society’s effort to help communities across the state take part in America’s 250th anniversary in ways which are locally meaningful, thought-provoking, and engaging.

At Bowdoin Museum of Art, visitors can also view @ 250 on exhibit at the museum, which explores the nation’s history through a series of exceptional artworks created since 1776.

Location: Bowdoin College Museum of Art, 245 Maine Street, Brunswick Dates and hours: Oct. 30, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Oct. 31, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission: Free. Timed tickets are available, and walk-ins are welcome. Reserve your spot at mainehistory.org.

Founded in 1822, the Maine Historical Society collects, preserves, and shares the history of Maine and its people through its museum, research library, and Maine Memory Network. Learn more at mainehistory.org.