AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – As the nation marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, one city’s contribution to that history remains easy to overlook.

In Augusta, local patriots and one of the youngest signers of the Declaration helped push the American Revolution forward — from a frontier colony set up as a buffer between South Carolina and Spanish-controlled Florida.

An unlikely signer from humble beginnings

Wedged between medical buildings on the edge of downtown Augusta sits Meadow Garden — the home of George Walton, one of Georgia’s signers of the Declaration of Independence.

“We were not an afterthought in the Revolution. We were a very important part of that Revolution,” said Ransom Schwarzer, director of Meadow Garden and a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Walton’s path to that moment was anything but privileged. Schwarzer said Walton’s father died around the time of his birth, and by age seven he was fully orphaned.

“He didn’t have a fortune. He didn’t have that university education like Thomas Jefferson,” Schwarzer said. “He’s having to pull himself up and make his own way. He had to be incredibly determined.”

That determination carried Walton into politics and eventually into history. He became one of the youngest men to sign the Declaration of Independence.

“George is very distinct in coming from such humble backgrounds and making his own way at such a young age,” Schwarzer said. “He decided he was going to make a different life for himself.”

The battle to take Augusta back

Five years after the Declaration was signed, the British still controlled Georgia. Their troops were stationed at St. Paul’s Church in Augusta. Augusta patriots devised a plan to retake the city.

A marker along Reynolds Street downtown commemorates the Maham Tower — the key to how they did it.

“They actually build a tower — an earthen tower shored up with wood — haul their cannons onto the top of that tower, fire down into that fort, devastating it,” Schwarzer said. “And after a few days, the British will surrender and Augusta will be back in Patriot hands.”

That surrender came in June 1781 — months before the British formally surrendered at Yorktown.

Augusta’s place in the larger story

More battles were fought in South Carolina than in any other colony. What happened across Georgia and the Carolinas helped determine how the war ended and what the new country would look like.

George Walton is buried beneath the Signers’ Monument in downtown Augusta. Meadow Garden is hosting free America250 events this weekend, open to the public.

“We have a lot of possibilities now,” Schwarzer said. “Take what we have, make the best of it, and keep moving.”

The U.S. celebrates 250 years since signing the Declaration of Independence July 4. D.C. will be packed with America250 events and celebrations.

This summer many of D.C.’s top museums are showing new exhibits that explore American history. There’s an activity for everyone to enjoy this summer, from a new view of the Lincoln Memorial to new exhibits at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

Most Smithsonian museums are open daily, including on July 4, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Air and Space Museum 

The Air and Space Museum is nearing the end of the multi-year renovations that began in 2018 just in time for America 250. On July 1 the museum unveils five new exhibits:  

If you’re interested in learning more about the history behind space technology and how the U.S. has used air and space tech in the past, you should check out RTX Living in the Space Age Hall and the Jay I. Kislak World War II In The Air exhibits.

If interactive exhibits are more your speed, the TEXTRON How Things Fly exhibit will feature nearly 50 interactive works. The Flight and the Arts Center is a great choice for art and space lovers alike, and the U.S National Science Foundation Discovering Our Universe explores the tools that move what we know on space forward.

Admission is free, but you must get a timed ticket.

Smithsonian Castle: American Aspirations Exhibition  

Although “the pursuit of happiness” is among the most well-known cornerstones of the Declaration of Independence, this exhibit at the Smithsonian Castle challenges viewers to consider the other ideals America aspires to, including liberty, new horizons, fairness, democracy and hope. Through a collection of some of America’s most notable objects, from Harriet Tubman’s Hymnal to Thomas Edison’s lightbulb, the exhibit explores how America has sought to live up to its ideals through its history.  

This exhibit will be open through Sept. 7 before the castle again closes for renovations. Admission is free.

Lincoln Memorial Undercroft

What better way to celebrate America 250 than to explore the hidden foundations of one of its most iconic monuments? The Lincoln Memorial’s undercroft opened June 25, featuring 15,000 sq feet of structural framework and exhibits that trace the history of President Lincoln and the memorial. Viewers can learn about the construction of the building, its place in American history and its impact in the civil rights movement as they walk through the caverns of concrete columns. 

It’s free to visit, but every visitor age 2 and up needs a timed-entry ticket. You can reserve tickets in advance on recreation.gov or by calling 877‑444‑6777. Note, there’s a $1 service fee for every reservation. You can also pick up same-day tickets on the National Mall.

The Undercroft exhibit will be closed on July 4, but open the rest of the holiday weekend.

Arts and Industries Building: Voices and Votes 

The Arts and Industries Building houses an exhibit based off an exhibition currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. This new exhibit explores American democracy and asks visitors to engage in deeper questions about what democracy in America means. It includes photos, videos, items and interactive displays. Admission is free.

MLK Library: District Vibes/American Pride: How DC Changed American Culture  

If you’re looking for a D.C. twist to America 250, look no further than D.C. Public Libraries! With art, artifacts and programming throughout the summer, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library will show how D.C. and American history are intertwined. Admission is free.

Other DCPL libraries will offer events on this theme and other America 250 events, too.

D.C. libraries will be closed on July 3 and 4.

Building Museum: THE PLAYGROUND 

The National Building Museum’s historic Great Hall will see a fun-filled transformation this summer as they collaborate with New York-based design firm, Snarkitecture, for the third time. This collab will transform the Great Hall into an interactive playground. The playground aims to show America’s story through relationships and memories made by community.

“The Playground” brings outdoor activities indoors, giving museumgoers the rare opportunity to be a part of the art. The exhibit will open July 3 and run through Aug. 30. The events schedule includes evening hours for adults to enjoy, and special activities for kids.

To visit The Playground, book museum admission between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15.95-$18.95 (infants under 2 can visit for free).

National Gallery of Art: Dear America 

The National Gallery of Art’s latest exhibit is a love letter to America, exploring what it means to be an American through 100 different works. The multimedia exhibit features drawings, photographs and prints in which artists asked, “What does it mean to be American?” It includes works by Roy Lichtenstein, Carrie Mae Weems and Tonita Peña. Admission is free, and the museum is set to be open on July 4.

National Museum of Women in the Arts: Celebrate Women Artists Throughout America 250 

The National Museum of Women in the Arts is celebrating women who shaped American history and art.

Exhibits include “Ms. Americana,” which features 10 paintings from American women artists. They also will feature an exhibit on Pueblo pottery from the North American Southwest called “Burnished: Pueblo Pottery at NMWA” and another on quilts in the Second Great Migration called “Routed West: Twentieth Century African American Quilts in California.”

Tickets are $16 for adults or $13 for D.C. residents and those 65+. People under 21, visitors with disabilities and SNAP/EBY holders can go for free. There are also free community days, including on Sunday, July 5. Make sure to book those tickets in advance.

From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage 

This summer, the National Museum of Natural History unveils its new exhibit focused on connections between people, places and the natural world. The exhibit will feature items from all 50 states, D.C. and the five inhabited U.S. territories. This exhibit opens on June 18, but patrons can visit until 2029. Admission is free.  

American History Museum: In Pursuit 

The National Museum of American History is displaying a new exhibit, highlighting 250 items spanning from the 1700s to the present day that reflect the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. The exhibit is on all three floors of the museum with pieces that aim to highlight how Americans have pursued the promise signed in 1776. The exhibit will last until the end of the year. Admission is free.

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US-based robotics company Apptronik has opened a newly expanded robot training centre in Austin, Texas, and launched Apollo 2, its latest humanoid robot, as part of efforts to advance real-world robot deployment.

Developed in collaboration with Google DeepMind, the Austin facility provides space for large-scale data collection and training of humanoid robots. This development is part of Apptronik’s strategy to move robots beyond pilot projects and into commercial production.

Apollo 2, made public at the opening of the facility, is available in both bipedal and wheeled-base designs.

According to Apptronik, this modularity enables data collection and training of robots in a range of environments, including logistics, manufacturing, and retail.

By deploying operational fleets of Apollo 2 robots at the Austin site and at customer and partner locations globally, the company is increasing the diversity and volume of data used to train robotics models.

The data collected is intended to support the advancement of Gemini Robotics, the foundational AI models for robotics being developed by Google DeepMind.

Through a mixture of teleoperation and autonomous operation, Apollo 2 robots gather data across customer sites, including at Apptronik’s research partner Google DeepMind, and at customers such as Mercedes-Benz and GXO.

Apptronik CEO and co-founder Jeff Cardenas said: “What we’re building is a continuous learning loop with the Google DeepMind Robotics team: robots working, collecting data, and improving with every cycle, in real environments, on real tasks.

“Robot Park enables the data collection that is fuel for that, and Apollo 2 is the machine that makes it possible. That’s how you move from early prototypes to real, deployable humanoid robots.”

Apptronik’s approach combines teleoperation, autonomous execution, and high-fidelity physics simulations. This allows its robots to learn from varied experiences and adapt as advances are made in the field of embodied AI.

Apptronik chief commercial officer Barry Phillips said: “By developing Apollo as a modular platform, we’re able to deploy the same core humanoid technology across different configurations, including wheeled robots that align with current industrial safety standards, and bipedal robots for maximum adaptability.

“This approach helps us build better robots for customers today while laying the groundwork for broad adoption of humanoid systems in the future.”

The company has stated that data and experience from Apollo 2 will inform the development of its next-generation humanoid robot, Apollo 3.

The Austin facility anchors a growing network of Apptronik Robot Parks at partner and customer sites worldwide, with plans for expansion into additional cities.

Earlier this year, Apptronik raised $520m in a Series A–X round, backed by existing investors such as B Capital, Google, Mercedes-Benz and PEAK6, alongside new participants including AT&T Ventures, John Deere and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). Prior to this, in March 2025, Apptronik completed its Series A funding round, securing $403m.

“Apptronik opens robot training hub in Austin, Texas and debuts Apollo 2” was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand.