Flag Day & Father's Day Weekend 2024 at the Museum

On June 14, 1777, Congress passed the first Flag Act, adopting the 13-star flag as the official flag of the new United States. Join the Museum from Flag Day, June 14, through Father's Day, June 16, to learn about flags of “all kinds of colours” from the Revolutionary era with activities and in-gallery talks for the whole family.

Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington's Tent
Onsite (Patriots Gallery) | Daily, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Our newest special exhibition greatly expands the story told in the Museum’s award-winning Washington's War Tent film and brings to life the stories of individuals from all walks of life who saved George Washington’s tent from being lost over the generations and who ultimately fashioned this relic into a symbol of the fragile American republic. At a 10-minute, in-gallery talk, join a Museum educator to learn more about the flags featured in the exhibit as well as a painted, silk banner that celebrated the Marquis de Lafayette's return to America in 1824.

Revolution Place
Onsite (lower level) | Daily, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Explore Revolution Place, the Museum’s family-friendly discovery center, which brings to life Old City’s lively, diverse neighborhood during the1700s and invites visitors to learn through hands-on exploration. Kids of all ages can immerse themselves in four historical environments – a military encampment, a tavern, a parlor, and an 18th-century meeting house – to experience the places where the American Revolution took root. Don't miss a chance to create your own flag with your own colors and symbols to take home with you.

Meet the Revolution: Sydney Marenburg
Onsite | Daily
Join costumed living historian Sydney Marenburg for conversations on the intersections of economics, class, gender, and race in the United States. Sydney has conducted original research into industrial soap production in the 18th century, as well as the position of servants and immigrants to the American colonies.

On Display: True Colours Flag Project
Onsite (Oneida Nation Atrium) | Daily
The Museum’s handsewn, replica “suit of colours” will be back on display for Flag Day. Learn more about the process of recreating — and the history behind — these huge flags flown by 18th-century ships at sea during the Revolutionary War. Sponsorship for the project was provided by The Color Guard of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution.

In-Gallery Talks: Liberty and Forster Flags
Onsite (Core Galleries) | Daily
Enjoy a 10-minute pop-up talk to learn more about the Liberty flag and the Forster flag on display at the Museum. The Liberty flag, on loan from the Schenectady Historical Society, is the only surviving example from the Revolutionary War and is believed to have been carried by a New York regiment in 1776 and 1777. The Forster flag, on loan from Brian and Barbara Hendelson, may be one of the earliest American flags to have been altered after the Declaration of Independence; it is clear that the British Union was removed from it and the white fabric has been reworked to create stripes.  

Rebecca Flower Young Discovery Cart
Onsite 
Flagmaker Rebecca Flower Young advertised “all kinds of colours” for the Revolutionary cause from her shop here in Philadelphia. Meet a Museum educator to view replica objects and learn more about Young’s work as a military contractor making flags and drum cases for the Continental Army.

Handheld Washington Standard Giveaway
Onsite
Visitors to the Museum on Flag Day will receive a handheld version of General George Washington's Standard, the headquarters flag in the Museum's collection that is said to have marked his presence throughout the Revolutionary War.