- October 17-18, 2026
- Museum of the American Revolution
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View the Daily Schedule
Living history interpretation on the Museum plaza is free and open to the public.
Visit the Museum Oct. 17-18 to experience a living history event that will immerse you in the fall of 1776. Enjoy walking tours, dramatic vignettes, and hands-on activities as you meet the diverse residents of Philadelphia, the headquarters of the Revolution. Haggle over goods at the market while you gather news of the day. Visit artisans demonstrating their crafts, and consider what the war means for them. Listen in as neighbors debate politics and loyalties — and maybe join in! As tensions rise while the British march south from New York, decide whether you will enlist with the Philadelphia Associators to support Washington’s Army, maintain your loyalty to the King, or play both sides.
From 1-3 p.m. on Oct. 17, author Tom Hand will conduct a book signing in the Museum's rotunda that is included with Museum admission. An American Triumph and America Victorious will be available for purchase in the Museum Shop.
On Oct. 18 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., the Museum will participate in Halloween in the Historic District and provide a special Halloween costume contest for children ages 16 and under. Participants should sign up at the Museum’s front desk and at 3 p.m., superlatives and prizes will be given out in our family-friendly Revolution Place discovery center for lucky winners.
Supported by:
Philadelphia City Fund’s 2026 Milestone Grant Fund, supported by PECO
Revolutionary Philadelphia: 1776 Guided Tour
$10 with Museum admission
Make the most of your visit to Revolutionary Philadelphia with a 60-minute guided experience that will immerse you in 1776, the year of independence. Join a Museum educator to explore the year's triumphs and trials through the context provided in our galleries. Then head outside to interact with living history interpreters, and experience what 1776 was like for the diverse people of the Revolutionary capital.
To book this tour, please select admission tickets for the day of your visit and select the guided tour as an add-on before checkout.
In the Neighborhood
"Free and Independent": A Reading of the 1776 Pennsylvania Bill of Rights
Carpenters' Hall | Oct. 17 from noon-12:30 p.m.
Delegates from Philadelphia and from Pennsylvania’s 10 colonial counties met in Carpenters’ Hall in June 1776 to declare independence from Great Britain and authorize the writing of the new state’s first constitution. Adopted that September, the 1776 Pennsylvania constitution was radically democratic for its day. It included a Bill of Rights 15 years before similar rights were acknowledged in the U.S. Constitution. Stop by Carpenters’ Hall for a free public reading of the 1776 Pennsylvania Bill of Rights, read by three Pennsylvania judges: Hon. Wendi D. Barish, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas; Hon. Paula Patrick, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas; and Hon. Jordan Yeager, Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. Temple University legal historian Julie Randolph will set the stage.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Firstival: First U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (1775)
Arch Street Meeting House | Oct. 17 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Join the Arch Street Meeting House and the Philadelphia Historic District 250th Committee to celebrate its First U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (1775) Firstival. The event is part of the citywide 52 Weeks of Philly Firsts celebration, a yearlong initiative highlighting Philadelphia’s pioneering spirit and 250 years of firsts in freedom, innovation, and fun. The Philadelphia Historic District 250th Committee created the 52 Weeks of Firsts for the 2026 Semiquincentennial year, taking place across the City of Philadelphia in over a dozen neighborhoods.
This event is free and open to the public.