Mother's Day Weekend 2024 at the Museum

Celebrate inspiring, trailblazing women this Mother’s Day weekend at the Museum and learn about the diverse women who played vital roles on the home front and on the battlefield during the Revolutionary War. Join the Museum to explore the stories of the women from all walks of life who have played a role in the unlikely travels of George Washington's headquarters tent, the women who legally voted in Revolutionary-era New Jersey, camp followers, and more.

Plus, pick up a free carnation on Sunday, May 12, courtesy of the Museum to wish a happy Mother’s Day to the revolutionary mother figure in your life.

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 women such as Selina Gray, Martha Washington, and Hannah Archer Till, who had to balance the demands of motherhood with the demands and realities of wartime life. 

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 the 1700s 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 try your hand at scherenschnitte – German paper-cutting craft – to make and take home a Mother’s Day card.

First-Person Performance: Meet Elizabeth Freeman
Onsite (Alan B. Miller Theater) | May 11, 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. The performance stars Katelyn E. Appiah-Kubi as Elizabeth Freeman and was written by Teresa Miller.

Discovery Cart: Camp Followers
Onsite | Daily
During the Revolutionary War, women and children traveled with both the British and Revolutionary armies. Whether part of a soldier’s family or not, they served vital roles, including as laundresses and food vendors. Meet a Museum educator to view replica objects and learn more about these “forgotten revolutionaries.”

10-Minute Talks: Newly Discovered Eyewitness Sketch
Onsite (outside Alan B. Miller Theater) | Daily, 11:15 a.m. & Upon Request
Join a Museum educator to learn more about a newly discovered eyewitness sketch, drawn by Pierre Eugène du Simitière (1737-1784), a Swiss artist and collector who lived in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War, that shows soldiers and camp followers of the Continental Army’s North Carolina Brigade marching through Philadelphia on Aug. 25, 1777, on their way to join the rest of General George Washington’s army stationed south of Philadelphia. These troops would go on to fight at the battles of Brandywine (Sept. 11, 1777) and Germantown (Oct. 4, 1777). The inclusion of two female camp followers, including one holding an infant, shown riding in a wagon exemplifies a direct defiance of known regulations at the time about how women following the army could use wagons. The sketch was donated to the Museum in 2023.

Find a Perfect Mother’s Day Gift
Onsite & Online | Daily
Find one-of-a-kind gifts at the Museum Shop onsite or online. From a mug bearing Abigail Adams’s call to “Remember the Ladies” and Martha Washington's cacao tea to a 13 original states bracelet and so much more, the Museum Shop has something for everyone.

Gallery Guide: Celebrating Revolutionary Women
Onsite & Online | Daily
Pick up or download a gallery guide to lead you through the personal stories of the diverse women of the Revolutionary era featured in the Museum's galleries. Learn about remarkable women such as Phillis Wheatley, Baroness Frederika von Riedesel, Tyonajanegen (Two Kettles Together), and more.