Memorial Day Weekend 2024 at the Museum

Join the Museum over Memorial Day Weekend from May 25-27 to pay tribute to the men and women who lost their lives in service to their country during the Revolutionary War and celebrate the freedoms they fought to secure for future generations.

Veterans, military, and Blue Star Families enjoy free admission throughout Memorial Day Weekend courtesy of Comcast NBCUniversal.

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, learn more about how George Washington was memorialized following his death in 1799.

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 your chance to make a memorial ribbon based on those given to surviving veterans of the Battle of Bunker Hill at a 50-year commemoration in 1825.

Coloring a Revolutionary Thank You
Onsite (Robert A. M. Stern Rotunda) | Daily
Thank a service member this Memorial Day Weekend with a personalized postcard. Color a picture based on Washington's Standard, the flag that marked his presence on the battlefield, and add a special message of gratitude. The Museum will mail the messages to the American Legion.

Guided Gallery Tours & Neighborhood Walking Tours
Onsite | Options Vary Daily
Additional Ticket Required for Tours
Explore the Museum and its historic neighborhood with an expert guide! Tours include 90-minute outdoor walking tours that explore iconic sites in the Museum’s historic Old City neighborhood, hour-long tours of our core galleries, hour-long early-access guided tours for a private experience, and audio tours. 

Meet the Revolution: Daniel Sieh
Onsite | May 25-26
As part of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, visitors will meet living historian Daniel Sieh, who helped explore the lives of Asians in the United States in the 18th century. Through documents, activities, and objects, Daniel will unpack how global trade connected the lives of Asian sailors, soldiers, traders, and enslaved people as they navigated American society as strangers from a distant land.

“Meet Joseph Plumb Martin” Performances
Onsite (Alan B. Miller Theater) | Daily, 1:15 p.m. & 3:15 p.m.
Experience the Museum’s first-person theatrical performance portraying Continental Army soldier Joseph Plumb Martin, performed by Christopher Roché and written by Ryan Schwartz. Martin was one of the thousands of teenaged soldiers in General George Washington's army. He 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. Martin went on to write Memoir of a Revolutionary Soldier, which was published in 1830 and is one of the best-known Revolutionary War memoirs depicting the life of an ordinary soldier.

Stories on Deck: Life at Sea
Onsite (Core Galleries) | Daily
All hands on deck on the Museum’s replica sloop! Join a Museum educator for stories about what life was like at sea during the Revolutionary War for the Continental Navy, privateers, and prisoners of war, and learn about the different types of Revolutionary-era ships.

10-Minute, In-Gallery Talk: Veterans Wall
Onsite (Core Galleries) | Daily
Join a Museum educator in the final gallery of the core exhibition to come face-to-face with America’s Revolutionary generation through their photographs. Many veterans suffered after the war, as the new nation was slow to recognize its war heroes. The last known Revolutionary War veterans died shortly after the Civil War, yet still many had their photograph taken.

Gallery Guide: Remembering Fallen Revolutionaries
Onsite | Daily
The Museum tells the stories of many of our nation’s first fallen soldiers and honors those whose names we don’t know. The Museum’s artifacts and exhibits explore these stories, including the sword of fallen Revolutionary General Hugh Mercer and the gravestone of Maryland Captain Michael Cresap, among many others. Pick up or download this gallery guide to find these highlights and more around the Museum.