Museum of the American Revolution, Part 2

During my trip to Philadelphia, PA in late May and early June, I visited the Museum of the American Revolution. This post is the second of two parts about the museum. In my last post, I described the museum’s history, exterior, temporary exhibit, and the tent that started the movement. Today’s post will focus on the permanent exhibit and practical advice for visiting the museum.

The Core Exhibition on the second floor was divided into four sections clearly labeled on the paper map provided at the front desk and on the digital map appearing on museum website: Becoming Revolutionaries, The Darkest Hour, A Revolutionary War, and A New Nation. Each section was stuffed with artifacts, informational signage, and interactive experiences that could become overwhelming. Fortunately, the exhibits included exits into the Oneida Nation Atrium, so visitors can step back into the light or use the bathroom at any time. The single, chronological pathway through the exhibit allows visitors to feel like they have seen everything without wandering or becoming lost.

Becoming Revolutionaries opened with a short video, “Prologue: Tearing Down the King”, before progressing to a room on British colonial rule. The music in the room was the patriotic song “Rule, Britannica!”, which famously contains the ironic line “Britons never will be slaves.” In the next gallery, a large video and collection of artifacts remind the visitor about the “Price of Victory” after the French and Indian War. Immediately after is a replica of the Liberty Tree that once stood in Boston. My group wanted to attend a talk slated to be held under the Liberty Tree as listed on museum signage, but the speaker never materialized. Our other disappointment in this section was the exclusion of Samuel Prescott and William Dawes on a timeline found in “The War Begins 1775”, which only featured overrated and unreliable Paul Revere. Mostly making up for these oversights were an explanation on designing the “Chain of States” insignia and a short film that covered varying opinions about entering the revolution.

The Darkest Hour began with the section “New York 1776”, which included a diorama featuring clothing from the time, such as middle class women, British officers, and an American prisoner of war. As mentioned in my last post, the high quality and lifelike mannequins with accurate costumes were a great improvement from what I have seen in almost any other museum. These mannequins featured the classic “Redcoat” outfit of British soldiers, the mismatched uniforms of American soldiers, daily clothing of camp followers, antiquated uniforms of Hessian mercenaries, and traditional clothing of Iroquois people. One clever interactive featured a three-sided image divided into a top, middle and bottom section, which displayed the distinct uniform of three different men in the Continent Army: a frontiersman, a Virginian, and a New Englander.

A trio of audio-visual presentations in The Darkest Hour gave clear explanation of the war. Oneida Nation Theater describes the conflict between leaders of Iroquois Confederacy as some tribes decided to side with the United States, others with Great Britain, and others to remain neutral. “The War in 7 Minutes” is a quiet timeline summarizing important battles and political actions. “Battle of Brandywine Theater” allows visitors to experience a somewhat Hollywood version of a late 18^th century battle with flashing lights and floor movement. Visitors who did not wish to experience a battle could easily move along to the next section.

A Revolutionary War featured part of a life-sized replica of a Privateer Ship, which was among the most fun interactives in the museum. This was a nice break before the final section, which included the end of the war and the beginning of the United States as an independent country. A sobering section called “When Women Lost the Vote” explained that women who owned land were actually permitted to vote in some areas, such as the state of New Jersey, until laws took that privilege away. Poorer and enslaved women never had these rights. Right before the exit was a wall called “Revolution Generation in Photographs”. Portraits on this wall included former First Lady Dolley Madison, former President John Quincy Adams, first Maine novelist Sarah “Sally” Sayward Barrell Keating Wood of York, ME (which I visited back in 2022), George Washington Parke Custis who preserved the Washington tent, and four generations of men all named Josiah Quincy.

This was by far the most extensive museum on the American Revolutionary War that I have ever visited and is most likely the most through museum on the subject. I spent about seven total hours in this museum and saw everything I wanted. However, an average visitor would be happy with a two to three hour visit. Even so, you might want to stay longer to get your money’s worth. The museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You will need to park in a parking garage near the building, and parking is expensive. My preferred parking spot is AutoPark at Independence Mall underneath the visitor center, which costs $28 for 12 hours. Tickets to the museum cost $23 for adults online and $25 at the desk in person. Other ticket options include $19 for seniors, teachers, active duty military, and students; $13 for youth ages 6 to 17; and $0 for youth 5 and under. A family of four with two adults and two youths can buy a package for $59, which is like getting the second kid in for free. Tickets are valid for two consecutive days.

The museum is physically accessible to all and had more seating than most museums, although a few more benches would have been appreciated. I had some difficulty seeing in some rooms due to the low lighting conditions, possibly to add atmosphere or protect artifacts. As an added bonus, the website is professionally designed, super easy to navigate, and contained all the information I could ever need. I was especially pleased that the video carousel on the homepage had a pause button. Besides a few hiccups, this was among the best paid large museum experiences I had in the past few years. If you are visiting Philadelphia, this is a must-see.

Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 9/10

Accessibility: 8/10