About Museum of the American Revolution
The Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia presents the story of the American Revolution as a broad struggle over independence, government, liberty, and the meaning of citizenship. Its galleries follow the transformation of Britain's North American colonies through the Revolutionary War and into the creation of the United States, using original artifacts, immersive environments, films, maps, and interactive exhibits. The museum also places the familiar stories of Patriot leaders alongside the experiences of Loyalists, Native peoples, enslaved and free African Americans, women, and ordinary soldiers and civilians.
One of the museum's signature objects is George Washington's Revolutionary War headquarters tent, preserved and presented in a dedicated theater experience. Other galleries examine subjects such as the road to independence, the military campaigns of the war, the experiences of people whose choices and loyalties differed during the conflict, and the difficult process of creating a new nation after victory. The museum opened in 2017 in Philadelphia's Old City, only a short walk from Independence Hall and other major Revolutionary-era landmarks.
For visitors interested in American history, the museum works especially well as an interpretive starting point for exploring Revolutionary Philadelphia. Its combination of original objects and modern storytelling gives context to the nearby places where the Declaration of Independence, wartime politics, and the founding of the United States unfolded.
