What does independence mean to you? Visit the Museum of the American Revolution over Fourth of July Week, Saturday, June 29 – Thursday, July 4, 2024.
You will explore the many possible answers to this question with a jam-packed lineup of fun and thought-provoking offerings. Catch a live theatrical performance about real historical figures, create patriotic crafts with the whole family, take a walking tour of the neighborhood where American independence was born, and much more.
During your Fourth of July Week visit, don’t miss two new artifacts on display in the Museum’s core galleries. Once it was adopted, printings of the Declaration of Independence quickly spread throughout the newly declared United States. Just in time for the holiday, see a rare broadside printing of the Declaration of Independence published in Exeter, New Hampshire,between July 15-19, 1776. Plus, as British troops marched back to Boston following the battles at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, they exchanged fire with militiamen along the way. Check out a new-on-view window shutter that was pierced by a British musket ball that day, on loan from the Arlington Historical Society.
Fourth of July Week Highlights Include:
- Neighborhood Walking Tours and Guided Gallery Tours | Offered Daily
Join a Museum educator on a new outdoor walking tour of Old City inspired by our current special exhibit, Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington’s Tent, to learn more about life in Philadelphia from the Revolutionary War all the way through to the 20th century. A variety of outdoor walking tours and guided gallery tours are offered daily over Fourth of July Week and require the purchase of an additional ticket at the front desk or online.
- Witness to Revolution Special Exhibition |Daily from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Museum’s current special exhibit Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington’s Tent greatly expands the story told in the Museum’s award-winning Washington’s War Tent film and brings to life the stories of those who saved George Washington’s tent from being lost over time. Explore Witness to Revolution over Fourth of July Week to hear a pop-up talk about the people of African descent who assisted with Washington’s tent before and after the Revolutionary War.
- USCIS Naturalization Ceremony | June 28 at 10 a.m.
Welcome dozens of new American citizens from across the globe during a naturalization ceremony hosted by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Museum’s Liberty Hall.
- Red, White, & Blue To-Do | July 2 from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Old City’s Red, White, & Blue To-Do will bring together museums, historic sites, and local businesses in America’s most historic square mile to honor our nation’s founding. Throughout the day, the Museum will have festive activities on the outdoor plaza and will remain open for extended hours, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- “Meet Joseph Plumb Martin” | July 1, 3, and 4 at 1:15 p.m. & 3:15 p.m.
Experience the Museum’s first-person theatrical performance portraying Continental Army soldier Joseph Plumb Martin, one of the thousands of teenaged soldiers in General George Washington’s army, who wanted to prove he was “as warm a patriot as the best of them.” In June 1776, he left Milford, Conn. and joined the Continental Army in New York City. This performance is appropriate for all audiences.
- “Meet Elizabeth Freeman” | July 2, 5, 6, and 7 at 1:15 & 3:15 p.m.
Watch a 30-minute first-person theatrical performance portraying the life and experiences of Elizabeth Freeman, also known as Mumbet, a Massachusetts woman who sued for her freedom from enslavement and won. This performance is appropriate for all audiences.
- Revolution Place Discovery Center | Daily from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The Museum’s family-friendly discovery center, Revolution Place, will be open daily throughout the summer. Guests can explore the Museum’s lively, diverse Old City neighborhood during the 1700s through hands-on exploration in four key recreated historical environments, including a military encampment, a tavern, a home, and an 18th-century meeting house. Head down to Revolution Place to design and take home your own flag, inspired by Revolutionary-era symbols, shapes, and colors.