Joseph J. Ellis, the Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author of Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation and His Excellency: George Washington, joins the Center to discuss his latest book, First Family: Abigail and John Adams.
Bill of Rights Celebration Thursday, December 15, 2011, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Event Admission: FREE with museum admission Visitors can celebrate the anniversary of the Bill of Rights with a fast-paced interactive game show and a special tour of Signers' Hall.
Web Program: Constitution Hall Pass: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - A Legacy of Service
Monday, January 9 – Friday, January 13, 2012 and Monday, January 16, 2012
Live chat with National Constitution Center staff from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
Monday, January 16, 2012, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Event Admission: FREE with museum admission
In honor of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., the National Constitution Center will participate in the city-wide celebration on Monday, January 16, 2012. From 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., visitors of all ages can enjoy musical and dramatic performances and special craft activities.
Bruce Bartlett, author of the forthcoming book The Benefit and The Burden: Tax Reform-Why We Need It and What It Will Take, joins Rich Lowrie, co-author of the 9-9-9 plan, and Professor Rosanne Altshuler of the Rutgers economics department for an Election 2012 program exploring the tax reform debate.
Don't miss these 6 special events including access to the feature exhibition, From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen.
ART. WRITE. NOW
Thursday, February 16 – Wednesday, March 14, 2012 FREE with museum admission
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards’ traveling exhibition ART. WRITE .NOW showcases work by top teen talent from around the nation.
Commemorate the official opening of From Asbury Park to the Promised Land with a public ribbon-cutting ceremony and programming that celebrates the American sprit!
The PA House Democratic Policy Committee's public hearing on the pending closings of southeast Pennsylvania’s oil refineries is from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the National Constitution Center’s F.M. Kirby Auditorium, 525 Arch St. Philadelphia. The focus of the hearing is how the closings’ of oil refineries in this region will effect jobs and the community.
Contest: “Best of Springsteen” Ballot Box
Thursday, March 1 – Friday, June 22, 2012
Throughout the spring, National Constitution Center guests are invited to vote for their favorite Springsteen song as part of the “Best of Springsteen” Ballot Box contest. The songs will be included in a Fourth of July “Best of Springsteen” countdown broadcast on Philadelphia radio station WXPN 88.5 FM.
"Hungry Heart" Food Drive. In partnership with CBS 3 and Philabundance, the Delaware Valley’s largest hunger relief organization, the National Constitution Center will collect non-perishable food items as part of the Bruce Springsteen-inspired “Hungry Heart” Food Drive.
The Judiciary Committee of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives holds a public hearing at the National Constitution Center on March 1, 2012. The hearing will take place at 1:30 pm in the Kirby Auditorium.The hearing concerns two bills, House Bills 1815 and 1816, that would replace elections of judicial candidates with a merit selection system for judges.
Documentary Screening: The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town. This 90-minute film combines never-before-seen footage of Springsteen and the E Street Band shot between 1976 and 1978, including home rehearsals and studio sessions, as well as new interviews.
Get a sneak preview of a pivotal, upcoming Supreme Court case during our annual moot court as former Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal and D.C. attorney Charles Rothfeld debate the constitutionality of the health care reform law championed by President Obama.
Mighty Max: An Evening with Max Weinberg at the National Museum of Jewish American History
Join legendary drummer Max Weinberg as he shares his personal experiences from playing his first Bar Mitzvah at age seven, to performing with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, The Max Weinberg 7 on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and the newly-formed Max Weinberg Big Band.
Special pre-sale offer: NCC Members: $18 on-sale March 5 Non-Members: $25 on-sale March 5 Become a member today to take advantage of the pre-sale and discount offers!
Spring Break: Freedom of Expression
Monday, April 2, 2012 – Sunday, April 15, 2012
Event Admission: FREE with museum admission
During spring break, children and their families can explore how our constitutional right to freedom of expression has allowed artists and musicians, like Bruce Springsteen, to inspire social change through words and music.
In the midst of the 2012 presidential race, former Governors Ed Rendell and Christine Todd Whitman offer contrasting perspectives and firsthand knowledge of the election’s key players and issues, from immigration to the economy.
On the anniversary of Fort Sumter, the battle that sparked the Civil War, Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust and eminent Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer explore the enormous human toll of the war on 19th-century America.
Web Event: Constitution Hall Pass: Dollars and Sense: Tax Day
Available online beginning Monday, April 16, 2012
Live chat with National Constitution Center staff Monday, April 16 and Tuesday, April 17, 2012 from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST Constitution Hall Pass is back – just in time for Income Tax Day! Join the National Constitution Center as we explore what the Constitution says about how the American government manages its money.
Income Tax Day Programming
Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Event Admission: FREE with museum admission. Visitors to the Center on Income Tax Day can take a special tour of the Center’s main exhibition, The Story of We the People, to discover how the Stamp Act, the Whiskey Rebellion, and the 16th Amendment all connect to the history of taxation in America
Presidential campaign staffers are working around the clock to turn online supporters into voters. Will candidates who don’t show up on this digital playing field be left in the dust?
Web Event: Constitution Hall Pass: Everything’s Gone Green: The Story of Earth Day
Available online beginning Thursday, April 19, 2012
Live chat with National Constitution Center staff Thursday, April 19 and Friday, April 20, 2012 from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST In this exciting new episode of the Center’s popular webcast series Constitution Hall Pass, find out about the history of the environmental movement in the United States and the origins of the holiday we know as Earth Day.
Philadelphia Springsteen Memories Roadshow charity-event at McFadden's Citizens Bank Park on Saturday, April 21, 2012 6.30PM McFadden’s, Citizens Bank Park
1 Citizens Bank Way, Philadelphia, PA (215) 952-0300
Free Admission, Charitable Donations requested/encouraged.
One Day University. FDR and the Path to WWll: What We Know Now That We Didn't Know Then.
America's involvement in World War II had been predetermined as early as May of 1940 when FDR circumvented an isolationist Congress by making a secret deal with Winston Churchill and the British. Lecture by Professor Richard M. Pious, Columbia University. Saturday April 21, from 10am - Noon
Earth Day Celebration
Sunday, April 22, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Monday, April 23, 2012, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Event Admission: FREE with museum admission. During the National Constitution Center’s Earth Day celebration, visitors can find out how they can play a part in helping their local communities “go green” – a key part of being an active citizen!
Glory Days: Throwback to the ‘80s Party
Thursday, April 26, 2012, 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Event Admission: $35 for non-members, $30 for members; includes access to From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen as well as drinks and light fare
University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann and Harvard Professor Dennis F. Thompson discuss how government leaders can overcome bipartisan divisions to move the country forward. NBC's Andrea Mitchell moderates.
As part of Equality Forum’s annual summit in Philadelphia, the National Constitution Center will host two compelling, back-to-back conversations that explore the pressing legal and political issues at stake for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans in the 2012 election.
One Day University: Bruce Springsteen’s American Vision
Program Admission: $89; includes access to the Center’s main exhibition, The Story of We the People
Reservations required. Dr. Louis Masur, author of Runaway Dream: Born to Run and Bruce Springsteen's American Vision and professor at Trinity College in Hartford, CT, will deliver a rousing lecture that places the music of Bruce Springsteen in a broader cultural context.
In this must-see event, held in conjunction with the launch of TIME’s new book The Constitution: The Essential User’s Guide, TIME Managing Editor Richard Stengel addresses his controversial cover story “One Document, Under Siege” and explores why the Constitution still matters so deeply to us.
Bestselling author Robert Draper provides a revealing, riveting portrait of the House of Representatives elected in the history-making 2010 midterm elections and the tumultuous legislative session that followed.
Documentary Screening: Who Do I Think I Am? A Portrait of a Journey
Event Admission: $20 for non-members, $15 for members; includes access to From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen.Reservations required at 215.409.6700
A legendary musician and dramatic stage performer in his own right, Clarence Clemons was an integral and beloved member of the E Street Band. The Center will pay homage to the late Clemons during a special screening of Who Do I Think I Am? A Portrait of a Journey.
Memorial Day Weekend Celebration
Saturday, May 26 – Monday, May 28, 2011, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Program times vary; check the visitor guide upon arrival for daily show times
Event Admission: FREE with museum admission
This Memorial Day weekend, the National Constitution Center will celebrate the people and events of our nation’s past.
Honor those who gave their lives for our country with these engaging Memorial Day lessons.
Use the Center’s 9/11: A Nation Remembers Classroom Activity to examine how people react after tragedy and create memorials to honor the fallen.
Listen to the stories of veterans as they recount their experiences serving our country with the Art of the American Soldier activity.
Learn more at www.constitutioncenter.org/education
Citizenship Counts, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire pride in America, partners with the National Constitution Center to host a naturalization ceremony conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
On Wednesday, June 6, First Lady Michelle Obama will speak to supporters and volunteers at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Tickets required for this event.
As the nation awaits the Supreme Court’s soon-to-be-announced decision on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, the National Constitution Center’s Peter Jennings Project and The Constitutional Sources Project (ConSource) present a timely program to illuminate the impact of this pivotal ruling.
National Lemonade Days 2012 Kick-Off marks the 9th Annual National Lemonade Days – a meaningful fundraiser that allows people of all ages and all walks of life to make a difference in the battle against childhood cancer. LEGO Friends and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation are collaborating to build the world’s largest lemonade stand made entirely of LEGO bricks.
National Constitution Center’s Front Lawn Children eight and under will receive FREE admission to the Center with a donation to Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
2012 marks the 9th Annual National Lemonade Days – a meaningful fundraiser that allows people of all ages and all walks of life to make a difference in the battle against childhood cancer. LEGO Friends and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation are collaborating to build the world’s largest lemonade stand made entirely of LEGO bricks.
Living News
Weekdays through June 15, 2012: 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays from June 30 through July 22:
11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays
12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. on Sundays
Program Admission: FREE with museum admission.
As part of an ongoing partnership with the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, the National Constitution Center will co-host Practically Speaking at the U.S. Capitol.
There are very few politicians that have risen to national prominence as quickly as Marco Rubio. At age forty-one there is great interest in and speculation about his political future. Will he be tapped by Mitt Romney to be his running mate? Will he run for President in 2016?
Born to Cuban immigrants, Rubio speaks on the national stage about the challenges we face and the possibility of a better future based on a return to founding principles.
The 5th Annual Philadelphia Independent Film Festival at the National Constitution Center
June 20 - 24, 2012
For Tickets Call 267-228-0333 Or Click Here For Ticket Information
Business & Bruce Networking Lunch with the Philadelphia Business Journal. Make quality business connections, enjoy a relaxed lunch and tour the must-see exhibition From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen at this fun networking event.
An Evening with Ed Rendell hosted by Chris Stigall. In partnership with Talk Radio 1210 WPHT and the National Constitution Center present An Evening with Ed Rendell, Hosted by Chris Stigall. In an up close and personal conversation, Chris Stigall goes one-on-one with Gov. Ed Rendell, the author of “A Nation of Wusses: How America’s Leaders Lost the Guts to Make Us Great.”
Guests looking to start the July 4th weekend early won’t want to miss the Center’s “Independence Day” party, held on the Center’s picturesque outdoor terrace.
The Center will celebrate Independence Day with plenty of patriotic fanfare and fun. Throughout the holiday weekend, visitors can enjoy educational programs, craft activities, live musical performances, and more.
Join the National Constitution Center every Thursday night for a summer celebration, inspired by the must-see exhibition From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen! For only $5!
The Center will celebrate Independence Day with plenty of patriotic fanfare and fun. Throughout the holiday weekend, visitors can enjoy educational programs, craft activities, live musical performances, and more.
Visitors will enjoy the interactive “Fourth of July Show,” which explores how the holiday has evolved from the very first words of independence to the present day. During the hands-on Flag Etiquette workshop, visitors will discover the history and symbolism behind the U.S. flag, along with proper flag etiquette.
Watch us on TV! Please tune into an inspiring and patriotic television special that is set to air all over the country!
Featuring the National Constitution Center, We the People, the Constitution's 225th is an inspiring and patriotic television special. Please check your local CBS listings for more information.
Enjoy the “Star Spangled Banner Show," and learn all about Francis Scott Key, the Battle of Fort McHenry, and the flag that inspired our national anthem.EXTENDED HOURS: 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Celebrate Independence Day and the Constitution of the United States with special interactive shows, Flag Etiquette workshops, live musical performances and much more.EXTENDED HOURS: 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Celebrate Freedom and the Fourth of July at the National Constitution Center and enjoy live musical performances, interactive shows, craft activities, educational programs and fascinating exhibits. EXTENDED HOURS 9:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Kevin Bleyer, Emmy-winning writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, brings his sharp wit to the Center to discuss his entertaining new book, Me the People: One Man’s Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America.
Join the National Constitution Center every Thursday night for a summer celebration, inspired by the must-see exhibition From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen! For only $5!
Join the National Constitution Center every Thursday night for a summer celebration, inspired by the must-see exhibition From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen! For only $5, visitors can experience the award-winning theater production Freedom Rising (show times at 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m and explore the rest of the Museum.
Join the National Constitution Center every Thursday night for a summer celebration, inspired by the must-see exhibition From Asbury Park to the Promised Land:
For members tickets to the 2012 Liberty Medal ceremony will be available to National Constitution Center on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, August 13, 2012.
For the public tickets to the 2012 Liberty Medal ceremony, honoring Muhammad Ali, will be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 14, 2012.
Join the National Constitution Center every Thursday night for a summer celebration, inspired by the must-see exhibition From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen!
They may not be politically correct, but Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis play politicians running for Congress in the highly anticipated summer release, The Campaign. .
Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis make an appearance at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center as part of a nationwide rally tour. Tuesday, July 31 at 11:00 a.m.
Commemorate 22 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act in Philadelphia with a day-long celebration at the National Constitution Center! Justin Dart, Jr. was a tireless activist and leader of the disability rights movement. During a special ceremony at 11:00 a.m., the National Constitution Center will unveil the wheel chair Dart used while flanking President George H.W. Bush at the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990
Join the National Constitution Center every Thursday night for a summer celebration, inspired by the must-see exhibition From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen!
Join the National Constitution Center every Thursday night for a summer celebration, inspired by the must-see exhibition From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen!
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Blood Brothers by filmmaker Ernie Fritz,chronicles recording sessions that took place in 1995 when Springsteen and the E Street Band reunited in New York's Hit Factory for their first studio sessions in 11 years
For only $5, visitors can experience the award-winning theater production Freedom Rising (show times at 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.); enjoy the Center’s main exhibition The Story of We the People; and tour the iconic Signers’ Hall. For an additional $5, visitors also can enjoy the feature exhibition From Asbury Park to the Promised Land
Join the National Constitution Center every Thursday night for a summer celebration, inspired by the must-see exhibition From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen!
For only $5, visitors can experience the award-winning theater production Freedom Rising (show times at 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.); enjoy the Center’s main exhibition The Story of We the People; and tour the iconic Signers’ Hall. For an additional $5, visitors also can enjoy the feature exhibition From Asbury Park to the Promised Land.
This Labor Day visitors to the National Constitution Center can explore the history of the American worker during an educational program at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m.
One Day University. George Gershwin and American Music
A high-school drop-out, George Gershwin wrote his first major hit song, “Swanee,” at the age of 19. At the age of 25, he composed his first and perhaps most popular concert piece, “Rhapsody in Blue.” Using this masterwork as a point of reference, this lecture will demonstrate just how Gershwin melded the classical and the contemporary.
To celebrate the 225th anniversary of our founding document, the National Constitution Center’s popular web-based video series takes viewers on a journey through the history of the American presidency. Featuring a special introduction by ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, the free webcast explores the creation of the Executive Branch and discovers why some members of the Constitutional Convention worried about giving it too much authoritative power.
Join us as we explore the long-standing influence of athletics in the fight for social justice. Sports enthusiasts, commentators, and world champions will share their experiences as competitors, role models, and barrier-breakers.
As the centerpiece of the nationwide celebration of the U.S. Constitution’s 225th anniversary, the National Constitution Center’s 2012 Liberty Medal ceremony will recognize Muhammad Ali as a champion of freedom and as a living embodiment of the Constitution who exemplifies everything the award was established to honor: individuals of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe. Ali is scheduled to receive the medal in a public ceremony on Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at the National Constitution Center on Independence Mall in Historic Philadelphia. Action News Anchorman Jim Gardner will host the live broadcast of the Liberty Medal ceremony on WPVI-TV/6abc.
The National Conference on Citizenship is an annual event that focuses on the state of civic engagement in America, and brings together civic leaders, educators, CEOs, and representatives from each branch of government to address issues related to our nation’s civic health.
Join the National Constitution Center for a fun, family-friendly fair to kick off our weeklong celebration of the Constitution’s 225th anniversary. During this daylong outdoor event, the Center will team up with the National Park Service and Historic Philadelphia Inc., along with other historic and cultural partners including the Sons of the Revolution and Constituting America. The fair will include outdoor performances of some of the Center’s hit educational programs, along with music concerts, colonial-era games, historic interpreters, and much more
The winners of the “We the People 9.17” contest will be honored in a ceremony in the Center’s F.M. Kirby Auditorium. Actress Janine Turner and Cathy Gillespie, co-chairs of Constituting America, will award scholarships and prizes to students from across the country who submitted essays, short films, public service announcements and original songs about the U.S. Constitution.
The Center’s weeklong celebration of the U.S. Constitution’s 225th anniversary continues with a wide-variety of interactive programs and on-site activities designed to honor this momentous occasion. Throughout the week, visitors will put their knowledge to the test during the educational and fun “Bill of Rights” Show and the “Separations of Power” Show. Guests also will enjoy the Center’s old-fashioned print shop, complete with a replica printing press from the 1700s, and join in calligraphy demonstrations and learn about the Copperplate technique used to pen the official, handwritten Constitution.
Less than two months from Election Day, the debate rages over Pennsylvania’s voter identification law—currently the strictest in the nation. As part of the Center’s programming in honor of the Constitution’s 225th anniversary, experts will discuss the constitutionality and consequences of this controversial law.
The National Constitution Center will host an array of activities in celebration of the Constitution’s 225th anniversary. Free admission for the general public on Constitution Day has been generously underwritten by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
History Channel 2 (H2) Host Brian Unger Leads a Trivia Challenge for Constitution High School Students and Special Guests to promote “How the States Got Their Shapes”.
Most Americans revere their Constitution, but what does the rest of the world think? Leading scholars—Professors Richard Beeman, David Law, Akhil Amar, and David Armitage—participate in a timely discussion on the global influence and relevance of the U.S. Constitution.
Join renowned scholar Akhil Amar to explore the little-understood relationship between the Constitution and the traditions, practices, and sources that shape our interpretation of it.
As part of Campus Philly’s 4th Annual College Day, the National Constitution is offering free admission to new and returning college and graduate students who present a valid ID at the box office.
In the spirit of Smithsonian Museums, who offer free admission every day, the National Constitution Center is an honored participant in Museum Day Live
Join us for a workshop exploring the ratification debates surrounding the U.S. Constitution. This program is presented in partnership with Franklin’s Opus.
Forward editor Jane Eisner moderates a distinguished panel—including Washington Post opinion writer E.J. Dionne Jr. and Professors Sarah Barringer Gordon and John J. DiIulio—exploring the intersection of faith and American public life.
Be among the first to see the exhibition everyone is jazzed about! The Center transforms into a swinging speakeasy for our American Spirits preview party.
The National Constitution Center and Talk Radio 1210 WPHT present a conversation with bestselling author and political firebrand Ann Coulter, led by radio host Chris Stigall.
Discover the real story of the first Thanksgiving and how the day became a national holiday during the Civil War with our web program Constitution Hall Pass: History of Thanksgiving
This unique project, “Being We the People,” unites high school students from Afghanistan and America as they document their lives through photography and video.
Enjoy an array of fun, family-friendly activities, including Colonial-era demonstrations, interactive educational programs, and patriotic craft stations.