WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 24, 2025)—In preparation for the nation’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is pleased to announce a special funding opportunity to support the design and creation of statues of important American historical figures for the planned National Garden of American Heroes.
First proposed by President Trump in 2020, the National Garden of American Heroes sculpture garden will feature life-size statues of 250 great individuals from America’s past who have contributed to our cultural, scientific, economic, and political heritage. The National Garden, which will be constructed for the 2026 semiquincentennial and located at a site to be determined, will create a public space where Americans can gather to learn about and honor American heroes.
NEH’s new National Garden of American Heroes: Statues grant program responds to the January 29, 2025 Presidential Executive Order 13978, “Celebrating America’s Birthday,” which names the National Endowment for the Humanities and sister agency, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), as key partners in the implementation of the National Garden.
NEH and NEA have jointly committed a total of $34 million to the creation of the National Garden of American Heroes. Of this $34 million, the two cultural agencies will devote $30 million in FY 2025 to enable the creation of statues in marble, granite, bronze, copper, or brass depicting historical figures tied to the accomplishments of the United States. This new grant program is part of NEH’s larger A More Perfect Union initiative focused on exploring America’s story and celebrating its 250 years of cultural heritage.
“NEH is pleased to collaborate with NEA to bring to fruition the vision of a National Garden of American Heroes,” said Acting NEH Chairman Michael McDonald. “The garden will provide the public with an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how the lives and accomplishments of these individuals have shaped our history and culture.”
The National Garden of American Heroes: Statues funding opportunity offers awards of up to $200,000 per statue for the design and creation of up to three statues per recipient of famous American statesmen, visionaries, and innovators for inclusion in the National Garden. The proposed designs must represent historical figures identified by Executive Order 13978, which includes individuals such as John Adams, Clara Barton, Orville and Wilbur Wright, Douglas MacArthur, Martin Luther King Jr., and Christa McAuliffe.
Applicants should submit a two-dimensional or three-dimensional graphic representation of the preliminary concepts for up to three statues of selected individuals, accompanied by a description of the proposed project and workplan. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. The deadline for applications to NEH’s new National Garden of American Heroes: Statues grant program is July 1, 2025. Consult the NEH website and program guidelines for additional information on the funding opportunity and how to apply. Interested applicants may direct questions to statues@neh.gov.
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): The National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at: www.neh.gov.
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