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About the Center

About the Center

Welcome to the place where the U.S. Constitution is celebrated, debated, and illuminated. Step inside and be inspired by what it means to be American.

Who We Are

The National Constitution Center is the first and only nonprofit, nonpartisan institution devoted to the most powerful vision of freedom ever expressed: the U.S. Constitution. Located on Independence Mall in Historic Philadelphia, the birthplace of American freedom, the Center illuminates constitutional ideals and inspires active citizenship through a state-of-the-art museum experience, including hundreds of interactive exhibits, films and rare artifacts; must-see feature exhibitions; the internationally acclaimed, 360-degree theatrical production Freedom Rising; and the iconic Signers' Hall, where visitors can sign the Constitution alongside 42 life-size, bronze statues of the Founding Fathers.

As America's forum for constitutional dialogue, the Center engages diverse, distinguished leaders of government, public policy, journalism and scholarship in timely public discussions and debates.

The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, the national hub for constitutional education, which offers cutting-edge civic learning resources both onsite and online.

Our Vision

We envision a more perfect union where “We the People” know our Constitution, celebrate our freedoms, embrace our role as citizens, and inspire the world.

Our Mission

We seek to illuminate constitutional ideals and inspire acts of citizenship.

fun facts

  • President Ronald Reagan signed the Constitution Heritage Act of 1988 on September 16, 1988, to establish the National Constitution Center within or in close proximity to Independence National Historical Park.

  • The National Constitution Center is the first-ever museum dedicated to the U.S. Constitution.

  • Over one million archaeological artifacts were unearthed on the site of the National Constitution Center from 2000 to 2003, making it the richest find of Colonial artifacts in an urban area in America.

  • A permanent memorial to the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia was first proposed around the Constitution’s centennial celebration in 1887.

  • The Center is made of American materials including 85,000 square feet of Indiana limestone, 2.6 million pounds of steel, and a half-million cubic feet of concrete.

  • The limestone used to build the Center is from the same quarry as the Empire State Building’s materials.

  • The Center’s address, 525 Arch Street, was specifically chosen; May 25 is the date the Constitutional Convention began in Philadelphia in 1787.

  • The groundbreaking ceremony for the National Constitution Center was held on September 17, 2000—exactly 213 years after the Constitution was signed in Philadelphia.

  • Over one million archaeological artifacts were unearthed on the site of the National Constitution Center from 2000 to 2003, making it the richest find of Colonial artifacts in an urban area in America.

  • The American flag in the Center’s Grand Hall Overlook was hung here by Muhammad Ali in a special Flag Day ceremony on June 14, 2003.

  • If you completed every element in the Center’s main exhibition, it would take you almost three full work days to get through it.

  • The Constitution is written on glass panels above the Center’s main exhibition, and there are empty panels for any future amendments.

  • The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and the Center is the best place to celebrate Constitution Day on that date.

  • The U.S. Constitution is the oldest and shortest written constitution of any national government in the world.

  • There are 4,543 words in the original, unamended Constitution, including the signatures.

  • Over 11,000 amendments have been introduced in Congress, but only 33 have gone to the states to be ratified, and 27 have actually become amendments to the Constitution.

  • It took 18 months and 50 artists—including sculptors, designers, and mold makers—to produce the 42 life-size, bronze statues of the Founders in Signers’ Hall.

  • In the Center’s Signers’ Hall, Gouverneur Morris is slightly hunched over in order to make George Washington stand out as the tallest man in the room

  • The Constitutional Convention began on May 25, 1787, and lasted until the day the finished document was signed on September 17, 1787.

  • The Center hosted the 2008 Democratic presidential primary debate between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

  • The dimensions of the Center’s Signers’ Hall are the same as the room where the Constitution was signed in Independence Hall just two blocks away.

  • In September 2006, the Center helped launch Constitution High School, a history and civics-themed Philadelphia School District magnet school.

frequently asked questions

more faqs

What is the National Constitution Center?

The National Constitution Center is an interactive museum, a national town hall, and a civic education headquarters. It is the first and only nonprofit, nonpartisan institution devoted to the most powerful vision of freedom ever expressed: the U.S. Constitution.

What’s included with admission?

General admission includes:

  • A timed ticket to Freedom Rising, an inspiring, 17-minute theatrical presentation that runs every 30 minutes until an hour before the museum closes
  • Admission to The Story of We the People, a dynamic, interactive exhibition
  • Admission to the iconic Signers’ Hall, where you can sign the Constitution alongside 42 life-size, bronze statues of the Founding Fathers
  • Access to engaging, educational daily museum programs

Where is the U.S. Constitution? Is it at the National Constitution Center?

The National Constitution Center owns a rare, original copy of the first public printing of the Constitution. This printing was published in a newspaper, The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser, on September 19, 1787—two days after the Constitution was signed. The original signed, handwritten Constitution is at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

more faqs

  • "This jewel of America brings the message of our Constitution, a timeless document which continues to change and transform our world, to the nation."

    President George H.W. Bush

  • "An inspiring place."

    Bono

  • "A spacious, spirited museum"

    The New York Times

  • "It works so well, in fact, that the National Constitution Center should be replicated in other cities, to be experienced by as many citizens as possible."

    The Wall Street Journal

  • "Since opening in 2003, [the National Constitution Center] has put forward a vision of constitutional history both left and right have embraced."

    The New York Times

  • "I love that every time I leave the building I feel even more patriotic and blessed for the sacrifices others have made for us."

    Jennifer A., Visitor From New Jersey

  • "Before visiting, I never realized the reach of the Constitution and how it affects our daily lives."

    Visitor From Canoga Park, California

  • "My visit reminded me that liberty is always worth fighting for."

    Visitor From New Zealand

  • "The National Constitution Center reminds us that freedom is both precious and messy."

    Visitor From Stevens Point, Wisconsin

  • "I am just in awe. There are educational things that get in your head. But the things like Freedom Rising get in your heart."

    Visitor From West Chester, Pennsylvania

  • "I found [Freedom Rising] so moving I wanted to weep at the end of it. I want to encourage people to come here."

    Former First Lady Laura Bush

  • “[Freedom Rising] gets patriotic juices flowing with scenes of immigrants, women getting the vote, and African-Americans fighting for equality."

    U.S. News & World Report

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