Revolutionize Your Summer Vacation at the Museum of the American Revolution

Extended Hours, Family-Friendly Activities, and Special Events for All Ages

Philadelphia has been the hottest historic destination ever since the Founders sweated it out over the Declaration of Independence in July 1776 (things got heated!). 

Heat up your summer plans with a visit to Philadelphia – the Headquarters of the American Revolution – and enjoy extended hours, family-friendly activities, and ways to save at the Museum of the American Revolution. And don’t miss the Museum’s special weekend-long events in celebration of Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.

Be sure to plan your Revolutionary itinerary at www.AmRevHQ.org, which highlights the numerous local and regional sites where history was made, including battlefields, burial grounds, historic houses, and more. Share your photos on social media using #BeTheRevolution and tag the Museum on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @AmRevMuseum.

From June 15 – Sept. 1, the Museum will offer extended summertime hours from 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. (after Labor Day, Museum hours will return to 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.). The Museum’s Cross Keys Café is open daily from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and will offer summer menu items, including BBQ Chicken Flatbread, Potato Salad, Lemon Basil Cheesecake, Raspberry Peach Cobbler, and made-to-order iced coffee beverages.

Family-Friendly Activities:

• In the Museum’s first-floor Patriots Gallery, sew a stitch on a flag, practice rolling cartridges, try on Revolutionary-inspired clothing, and decode secret messages. Daily from 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. from Flag Day Weekend (June 14) through July 14; included with regular Museum admission
• In the Museum’s family-friendly discovery center Revolution Place, explore 18th-century Philadelphia through immersive environments, interactive touchscreens, reproduction objects, and special daily programs like Smelladelphia or Storytime. Daily from Noon – 5 p.m. from June 14 – Sept. 2; included with regular Museum admission
• Enjoy the Sounds of the Revolution with live performances, workshops and demonstrations of different musical styles, from traditional fife & drum to jazz and African drumming, on the Museum’s outdoor plaza. Saturdays from July 20 – August 17, free

Special Events:

Highlights of the Museum’s special events this summer include the following:

• During Memorial Day Weekend from Saturday, May 25 – Monday, May 27, the Museum will honor America’s first fallen soldiers with special programming and activities including 10-minute talks and walking tours. Veterans and active/retired military will receive free admission courtesy of Comcast NBCUniversal.
• In honor of Flag Day, the Museum will display “A New Constellation: A Collection of Historic 13-Star Flags,” from Friday, June 14 – Sunday, July 14. Each of the flags, which range in date from approximately 1800-1910, features a 13-star arrangement in various configurations, representing the 13 colonies that declared independence from Great Britain during the Revolutionary War. 
• From Saturday, June 29 – Sunday, July 7, the Museum will celebrate Independence Day by asking visitors and passersby to declare how they will #BeTheRevolution by adding a personalized ribbon to a giant flag installation on the Museum’s outdoor plaza. Inside the Museum, guests can learn about the many declarations of independence across the world that were inspired by the United States.”
• During Labor Day Weekend, kids 12 and under will receive free admission to the Museum from Saturday, Aug. 31 – Monday, Sept. 2 and can participate in special programs about 18th-century canine culture, in honor of National Dog Day. 

History After Hours

The Museum’s monthly History After Hours series will continue throughout the summer with extended evening hours from 5 – 8 p.m., special themed programs, happy hour food and drink specials, and full access to the Museum’s exhibits. $10 admission (includes exhibit access). Upcoming events include:

• Tuesday, May 21: Seafarers and Stargazers
• Tuesday, June 18: Pride on Paper
• Tuesday, July 23: Bros and Foes
• Tuesday, August 20: Revolutionary Staycation

Meet the Revolution: 

This summer, explore the voices, viewpoints, and experiences of the diverse people of the Revolutionary era. Inside the Museum and on the outdoor plaza, costumed historical interpreters will make history come alive through theatrical performances, dynamic storytelling, and hands-on demonstrations. 

• From June 18-23, coinciding with Juneteenth, which commemorates the abolition of slavery in the U.S., historical interpreter Nastassia Parker will portray Ona Judge on the Museum’s outdoor plaza and inside the Museum. Judge was enslaved by George and Martha Washington and eventually escaped from their household. Parker will interpret Judge’s story through informal programs and a theatrical program called Freedom on the Horizon, which will be delivered periodically throughout her residency.
• From July 7-13, historical interpreter Cheney McKnight will join the Museum for costumed living history programs about African American culture in early America. McKnight will offer talks on African American women’s headwraps and spiritual practices, a family workshop of African adornments, storytelling, and demonstrations of African American foodways and medicine.
• From August 5-16, interpreter Joel Cook will portray a formerly enslaved man about to embark on a new life at sea. Visitors can meet Cook at the privateer ship in the Museum’s galleries to learn the ropes along with him and discuss the new opportunities the war offered African Americans.
• On Saturdays at 2 p.m. in the Museum’s Revolution Place discovery center, visitors can meet Joseph Plumb Martin, a young Continental Army veteran, as he concludes his war service, remembers the past seven years, and thinks about his future in a 30-minute performance by a Museum Educator.

Guided Tours:

• One-hour Early Access Guided Tours offer guests an exclusive opportunity to experience a guided tour through the Museum’s exhibits before they open to the public. Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9 – 10 a.m., $50 non-members, $35 members
• One-hour Family Highlights Tours engage all ages in a guided tour of the Museum’s exhibits. Sundays from 11 a.m. – Noon., $12 per person in addition to regular admission
• Audio Tours offer guests insight into the Museum’s core exhibition, narrated by the Museum’s President and CEO Dr. R. Scott Stephenson. $5 for general public, $3 for members, in addition to regular Museum admission
• One-hour Hamilton Walking Tours explore the Museum’s historic Old City neighborhood back when Alexander Hamilton called the city home. Saturdays, 4 – 5 p.m., $31 for general public, $12 for members.

Additional tours are listed at www.amrevmuseum.org/visit/guided-tours.

Ways to Save:

• With the Museum’s Family Four Pack, get two adult tickets and two youth tickets for $55 (savings of $13) from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Available for purchase at the front desk.
• Get discounted admission to the Museum using the Philadelphia CityPASS, the Philadelphia Sightseeing Pass, or Philadelphia Pass to visit the city’s top attractions.
• Purchase a discounted joint ticket to the Museum and the National Constitution Center to experience the whole story of our nation’s founding. Available online here or the front desk.

About Museum of the American Revolution
The Museum of the American Revolution explores the dramatic, surprising story of the American Revolution through its unmatched collection of Revolutionary-era weapons, personal items, documents, and works of art. Immersive galleries, powerful theater experiences, and interactive digital elements bring to life the diverse array of people that created a new nation against incredible odds. Visitors gain a deeper appreciation for how this nation came to be and feel inspired to consider their role in the ongoing promise of the American Revolution. Located just steps away from Independence Hall, the Museum serves as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context, and encouraging exploration. The Museum is a private, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. For more information, visit www.AmRevMuseum.org or call 877.740.1776.