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As Pennsylvania transforms itself to host America’s 250th birthday in 2026, residents across the commonwealth are taking note of which parts of the state seem to be the focus of the makeover.
So far, officials have announced a mascot for the semiquincentennial, launched a tourism campaign that dubs Pennsylvania “the Great American Getaway,” and redesigned the state license plate — and more changes are expected as the date nears.
But the rollout has heavily featured landmarks and colors associated with Philadelphia, a trend that’s true of the new license plate, which is supposed to be available beginning next spring.
Its design trades the blue and yellow of the current one for a patriotic palette of red, white, and blue. It will also feature the Liberty Bell behind the plate number and include the phrase “Let Freedom Ring” in bold red at the bottom.
In a statement to PA Local, a spokesperson for Gov. Josh Shapiro said the administration aims to emphasize Pennsylvania’s status as the “birthplace of American democracy.”
“The new designs complement the new Pennsylvania tourism brand, celebrate the best of what the Commonwealth has to offer, and show the country why Pennsylvania is the Great American Getaway and the birthplace of American freedom,” the spokesperson wrote.
Some local officials, such as Jerad Bachaer, president and CEO of VisitPITTSBURGH, vocally support this vision.
“The plate recognizes and celebrates the rich history found across our state,” he told PA Local.
“From Philadelphia and Harrisburg to Pittsburgh and Erie, all our destinations offer unique history and heritage waiting to be explored. As the new plate hits the road, we hope it will garner increased recognition for Pennsylvania as a must-visit tourism destination,” Bachar said.
Christine Temple, director of communications for the city of Erie’s tourism agency, said the organization understands Pennsylvania’s license plates have to evolve, and that they respect the Shapiro administration’s design choices.
“We appreciate the effort put into any state tourism-related project,” Temple said.
Other Pennsylvanians haven’t been as enthusiastic about the makeover — especially in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh City Paper News Editor Colin Williams wrote in an impassioned opinion piece that the license plate “sucks,” arguing the Liberty Bell in particular is a generic symbol and that the plate itself amounts to a “boring” act of “Pittsburgh erasure.”
“While the Liberty Bell might hearken back to the birth of democracy, the Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg, as just one example, is a much more powerful statewide symbol of the hard work of preserving said democracy,” he wrote, referring to the Civil War.
“If the goal here is to show off Pa. as the ‘Great American Getaway,’” he continued, “we should be encouraging people to get deeper into the Commonwealth than Market St. in Center City.”
Unsurprisingly, the reception in Philadelphia has been much warmer. Kyle Pagan of Philly-centric sports blog Crossing Broad wrote, “Finally, a license plate we can be proud of,” in an ecstatic post that drew praise from Shapiro.
Pagan argued, half-jokingly, that Pittsburgh should be thankful for all the Philly symbolism on the license plate: “They wouldn’t even be a city if it wasn’t for us. This country wouldn’t be a country if it wasn’t for us.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Ruland also praised the design while poking fun at Pittsburgh: “This is the most Philly thing Pennsylvania could have done. And frankly, we’re here for it. Because if you’re going to slap something on your car, it might as well have a bit of that unmistakable Philly flair. Sorry, Pittsburgh. Better luck next time.”
On social media, Pittsburghers have responded with the same level of snark: “Had the bell been made in Pittsburgh, perhaps it wouldn’t have broke!” wrote one Reddit commenter.
Some observers have called for unity over regionalism. In response to a PennLive poll asking what should replace the bell, people suggested orange construction cones, Yuengling beer, Punxsutawney Phil, and pierogies.
Regardless of where you stand — or live — all this bickering makes it clear that we truly do take democracy seriously here.
