Thanksgiving Weekend 2025 at the Museum

Join us at the Museum over Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 28-30, to explore our new special exhibition and to learn about the diverse roles of Native Americans during the American Revolution to close out Native American Heritage Month with talks and activities for the whole family. Don't forget to find all the history buffs in your life the perfect gift this holiday season at the Museum Shop!

Please note that the Museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27.

The Declaration's Journey
Onsite (Patriots Gallery) | Daily
The Declaration's Journey, presented by Griffin Catalyst, explores the history and global impact of the Declaration of Independence from 1776 to today and showcases how it has become one of the most influential political documents in modern history.

10-Minute Talk: Objects of Reflection
Onsite (Patriots Gallery) | Daily, 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
What did the Declaration of Independence mean in 1776 and in 1963? Join an educator to learn more about two objects in The Declaration's Journey.

10-Minute Talk: Akiatonharonkwen, Louis Cook
Onsite (Join or Die: An American Army Takes Shape, 1775) | Daily, 12:30 p.m.
Join a museum educator to hear more about the life of Akiatonharónkwen, also commonly known as Louis Cook, who was one of the highest-ranking Native American officers in the Continental forces during the Revolutionary War.

Native Americans in the Revolution Discovery Cart
Onsite (Oneida Nation Atrium) | Daily, 1:30 p.m.
Join a Museum educator at a discovery cart featuring replica artifacts and documents to learn about Tyonajanegen (Two Kettles Together), an Oneida woman who participated in the Battle of Oriskany during the Saratoga Campaign.

Unpack a Sea Chest
Onsite (Privateer Ship) | Daily, 2:30 p.m.
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 roles needed to operate a Revolutionary-era ships.

Meet Elizabeth Freeman
Onsite (Alan B. Miller Theater) | Nov. 30, 1:15 and 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.

Revolution Place
Onsite (First Floor) | Daily
The Museum’s family discovery center, Revolution Place, brings to life the Museum’s lively, diverse Old City neighborhood during the late 1770s and invites visitors to learn through hands-on exploration of a soldiers’ encampment, a tavern, a parlor, and even a privy! A variety of replica objects, dress-up clothes, and digital interactives await visitors young and old. 

Oneida Nation Gallery
Onsite (Oneida Nation Theater) | Daily
In the Museum’s core exhibition, visitors can explore an immersive multimedia gallery about the Oneida Indian Nation’s debate over whether or not to break away from the Six Nations Confederacy to support the Revolutionary cause. Listen as recreated figures representing Oneida men and women discuss the difficult choices they faced.

Gallery Guide: The Marketplace of Revolution
Onsite | Daily
In colonial and revolutionary America, what you bought — and who you bought it from — told people a lot about you. Throughout the war and in the years that followed, money and the marketplace were everyone’s concern: buying things became part of what it meant to be American. This holiday shopping season, use our Marketplace of Revolution gallery guide to look for artifacts related to the “consumer revolution,” new shopping habits, and wish lists! 

Illuminations Craft
Online
In December of 1781, Charles Willson Peale made headlines in Philadelphia when he filled his windows with transparent images of George Washington and his recent triumph at the Battle of Yorktown. Lit from behind by candlelight, the illuminations were an early edition of the lit window displays so many of us enjoy this time of year. Using outlines from objects in the Museum’s galleries and tracing paper, you can create your own illuminations to hang in your window this holiday season.

Holiday Shopping
Onsite & Online
It’s the season of giving! Let us help you find the perfect gift for your friends and family this holiday season. From gift memberships to unique gift options for all ages in the Museum Shop, the Museum has the perfect selection of meaningful gifts for the history buffs in your life.