Philadelphia is one of America's oldest cities, founded by William Penn in 1682. The city was a meeting place for America's Founding Fathers, and the city played a key role in the American Revolution. The City of Brotherly Love is the place where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed. It is also the home of numerous historical attractions from the American Revolution and Colonial Period, including Independence Hall, Betsy Ross House, The Liberty Bell and Congress Hall, just to name a few.
New museum opens in town
The Museum of the American Revolution, located at 101 South Third Street, opened April 19, 2017.
The museum is open every day except major holidays from 9:30 am to 5 pm. The three-story, 118,000 square foot building, designed by architect Robert A. M. Stern, includes a museum shop, cafe, educational spaces, an outdoor plaza and a multi-use theater.
The opening day commenced on the 242nd anniversary of "the shot heard 'round the world" on April 19, 1775, where a shot was fired across the North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. This event signaled the start of The American Revolution.
Noteworthy exhibits and collections
- The Road to Independence
- The Darkest Hour
- A Revolutionary War
- A New Nation
- A full scale replica of Boston's Liberty Tree
- A replica of an Oneida Indian Council House
- George Washington's Tent
- Hessian Headgear
- "The March to Valley Forge," a well known painting by William B.T. Trego
- "Poems on Various Subjects," a 1773 volume by Phillis Wheatley, the first female black poet in America.
Exhibits are arranged in sequential order from the beginning of the conflict in the 1760s until the final days of the war.
Visitors can also get an idea of the diversity of revolution-era Americans with displays of Native American and African-American artifacts from this important era in American history.
Dr. R. Scott Stephenson, the Museum's Director of Collections and Exhibitions, collaborated with a group of experts and historians to curate and develop the exhibits.
Many renowned historians including Dr. Phillip C. Mead, Richard Beeman, Vincent Brown, Thomas Chavez Pauline Maier, Gary Nash, and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich contributed to the museum.
Now that the hype and chaos concerning the NFL draft has ended, tourists can flock to Philadelphia to check out its newest museum and discover the role Philadelphia played in the founding of America.
