By Allie Smith
Herald Intern
The Freedom truck, a mobile museum of American history, recently visited Foundry Church in Winter Springs to celebrate the 250th birthday of American independence.
This Freedom Truck is one of a fleet of six mobile museums traveling across the United States in 2026. As part of the Great Education and Resource Expo, the truck featured a mobile museum which included an AI-powered George Washington portrait, a digital copy of the Declaration of Independence to sign and exhibits on the journey of American independence.
Mayor of Winter Springs Kevin McCann attended the event, he said moving forward with the next 250 years we need to stay united.
“It is only working together that we will continue to move forward and write the history of the next 250 years,” McCann said. “We have to maintain our values.”
Matt Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Council and founder and Chancellor of Covenant Journey Academy, said he found the design on the inside to be incredible.
“You wonder how they got all that information in there of America’s 250 years,” Staver said. “They are incredible interactive designs.”
The interior of the American 250 truck had a number of educational interactive designs, photos of historical figures coming to life and talking about their place in American history.
“You can push a particular area for a particular founder, John Adams or some of the women like Betsy Ross,” Staver said. “Those photographs then come to life, and a person begins to talk about who they are and why they’re important in American history, so it’s great for all ages.”
Commissioner Matthew McMillan of Longwood attended the event, and said while America 250 is celebrating 1776, it was a process to secure our independence.
“This is my view of America 250,” McMillan said. “We’re celebrating here in 2026, but you have to remember, we didn’t secure our independence until 1783.”
McMillan said the process was a long struggle, and not just a single victory.
“It’s about establishing the principle and working towards them,” McMillan said. “There’s a lot of struggles in between. That's the way it is now, and it's kind of the way it’s always been.”
