Thanksgiving Weekend at the Museum

Join us at the Museum over Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 25-27, to explore the compelling stories about the diverse people and complex events of the American Revolution for the whole family. To spread holiday cheer, we encourage visitors to bring new, unwrapped toys for donation to Toys for Tots throughout the weekend. Plus, don't forget to find all the history buffs in your life the perfect gift this holiday season!

Please note that the Museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24.

Revolution Place
Onsite | Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Explore the Museum’s family-friendly discovery center, Revolution Place, which will transform into the winter of 1778! Walk into frost-covered windows, logs piled by the fire, and 18th-century coats and cloaks as you learn about what Philadelphia would have been like in the snowy winter months and how they celebrated the winter holidays.

Oneida Nation Gallery
Onsite | Daily
November marks Native American Heritage Month. 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! 

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.

In-Gallery Talks: Brawl at Harvard Yard
Onsite (Join or Die gallery) | Daily at 12:30 p.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Join a Museum educator at a tableau depicting a fight between American soldiers that was broken up by George Washington, who restored order in the camp. The scene was described by Israel Trask, who was 11 years old at the time of the brawl, in his pension application.

Discovery Cart: Protest in Early America
Onsite | Daily
Join a Museum educator at a discovery cart with replica handling objects to learn how early Americans used boycotts, printed propaganda, violence, and public demonstrations to advocate for various causes, and to consider the similarities and differences between the 18th century through to today.

Wall of Thanks
Onsite (Rotunda) | Daily
What are you thankful for this year? Add a note of gratitude to the “Wall of Thanks” in the Museum’s rotunda.

Toys for Tots Donation
Onsite | Daily
We encourage visitors to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots, which will distribute the toys to the families of children in the Philadelphia region experiencing poverty and financial hardship this holiday season.