FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Merissa Blum, 215-409-6645
[email protected]
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER QUARTERLY EVENTS CALENDAR, JULY – SEPTEMBER 2019
Admission to the museum is FREE on July 2, courtesy of Wawa Hoagie Day; $5 after 5 p.m. on July 3; and FREE on Constitution Day, September 17, made possible in part by PECO
Philadelphia, PA (June 25, 2019) – This summer, the National Constitution Center invites visitors to enjoy Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality—America’s first exhibit devoted to exploring how constitutional clashes over slavery set the stage for the Civil War, and how the nation transformed the Constitution after the war to more fully embrace the Declaration of Independence’s promise of freedom and equality. The Center will offer special programming and onsite educational programs—including theatrical performances, artifact workshops, and interactive shows—to engage visitors of all ages with this pivotal era in constitutional history.
The National Constitution Center will kick off its summer programming with the annual All-American Celebration, featuring Wawa Hoagie Day on Tuesday, July 2. Admission to the museum is free on July 2, courtesy of Wawa, and includes access to the Center’s new theatrical performance FOURTEEN, main and feature exhibits, including the new Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality gallery and Hamilton: The Constitutional Clashes That Shaped a Nation, as well as a display featuring Wawa’s history in the Philadelphia region and the history of the famous hoagie sandwich. In addition to Wawa Hoagie Day, the National Constitution Center will participate in events around the historic district all week long, including Philadelphia’s Historic District Block Party and Go 4th & Learn, as part of the Wawa Welcome America festival.
Also taking place at the National Constitution Center this summer in July, teachers from around the country and constitutional scholars from across the philosophical spectrum will participate in weeklong teacher institutes. Through demonstration, discussion, and historic site visitation, educators work with content experts to deepen their knowledge of the history and modern understandings of the First Amendment and separation of powers. Participants discover and develop innovative, nonpartisan ways to make the content relevant to their students. Dates and topics for Summer Teacher Institutes can be found below.
On Constitution Day, September 17, 2019, the National Constitution Center will launch two important educational initiatives, the Interactive Constitution: Classroom Edition and the Constitutional Ambassadors program. The new Interactive Constitution: Classroom Edition, a cutting-edge, multimedia digital platform, will provide trusted, nonpartisan constitutional resources for middle and high school students and educators. The Constitutional Ambassadors program will welcome tens of thousands of Philadelphia-area students to the National Constitution Center for a new and immersive experience in constitutional education.
PLEASE NOTE:
- All-American Celebration, Tuesday, July 2, and Wednesday, July 3 – Extended museum hours, 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
July Events
Civil War and Reconstruction Onsite Educational Programming
Regular museum hours
Free with general admission
In conjunction with the opening of the new permanent exhibit, Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality, and the ongoing commemorations of the 150th anniversaries of the American Civil War and the Reconstruction period, the National Constitution Center will offer various onsite educational programs to engage visitors of all ages with this pivotal era in constitutional history. The onsite experience will introduce visitors to central topics, including slavery in the Constitution, the Civil War and the role of the federal government, citizenship, the goals of Reconstruction and its successes and failures, key figures of the era, and the legacy of Reconstruction today. A full list of special programs and schedules can be found here.
FOURTEEN: A Theatrical Performance
Tuesdays through Saturdays, through August 10; please check the daily program guide upon arrival for that day’s show times.
Free with general admission, group reservations recommended
This summer, visitors can experience FOURTEEN, a moving theatrical performance that sheds light on the Reconstruction era and the ratification of the 14th Amendment. Through dramatic interpretation of original texts, such as Frederick Douglass’s open letter “To My Old Master,” the 30-minute performance will bring to life the leaders, influential figures, and everyday Americans who were central to the era. This production has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper: The Great Problem to be Solved
Saturday, June 29, Tuesday, July 2, and on Thursdays and Saturdays July 6 – August 17; Performances will run two times an hour between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Free with general admission
As visitors explore Civil War and Reconstruction, they will encounter a one-actor performance in the 14th Amendment section of the exhibit highlighting Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, a key African-American figure from the Reconstruction era. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, a staunch abolitionist, suffragist, poet, teacher, writer, and public speaker, speaks out in this 1875 address to the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, outlining the work yet to be done in the cause for African-American freedom. This production has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.
All-American Celebration
Extended museum hours, 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m., Tuesday, July 2, and Wednesday, July 3
Regular museum hours, Saturday, June 29 – Monday, July 1, and Thursday, July 4
Free with general admission
The National Constitution Center will offer an array of patriotic festivities over Independence Week, Saturday, June 29, through Thursday, July 4, in celebration of freedom and America’s independence. Visitors can participate in a variety of family-friendly programs and activities, including flag etiquette and flag folding workshops, arts and craft activities, and interactive shows. Admission to the museum is free on July 2, courtesy of Wawa.
Free Admission Courtesy of Wawa Hoagie Day
Tuesday, July 2, 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Free admission courtesy of Wawa
The National Constitution Center and Wawa celebrate the 27th annual Wawa Hoagie Day honoring America’s troops. Attendees will enjoy a nine-ton hoagie salute of free Wawa hoagies served at noon to the crowd on Independence Mall, a performance by the U.S. Army Field Band, and a hoagie building competition between military teams, police, and firefighters.
Finding the Founders Scholarly Talks and Walking Tours
Tuesday, July 2, 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Free
The National Constitution Center is partnering with neighboring sites throughout Historic Philadelphia for the annual Finding the Founders event. Scholars will share their insights on equality and freedom through the lens of the American Revolution. The program will provide an expanded understanding of Independence Day—one that sees the holiday as both a celebration and an acknowledgment of America’s ongoing struggle to achieve the ideals expressed in the nation’s founding documents.
Revolutionary War Encampment
Tuesday, July 2 – Thursday, July 4, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Front and Side Lawns and Grand Hall Lobby
Free admission courtesy of Wawa on July 2
Free with general admission July 3 and July 4
At the recreated military encampment at the National Constitution Center, visitors can step back in time to watch a blacksmith forge iron, practice being a Revolutionary-era soldier with a wooden musket, stop by the medical tent to visit the surgeon, and observe Continental Army soldiers march and drill on the grounds. Presented in partnership with the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment.
Independence Week Concert
Wednesday, July 3, 2 p.m."
Free, museum access not included
Visitors can enjoy a festive, free, outdoor concert performed by the USAF Heritage of America Concert Band. The Concert Band is comprised of over 40 professional Airman-musicians who captivate audiences on regular tours throughout the East Coast with a variety of renditions of great orchestral classics, marches, Broadway hits, jazz standards, movie music, and patriotic favorites. Presented in partnership with the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band.
$5 After 5 p.m. Trivia Night
Wednesday, July 3, 5 – 8 p.m.
Discounted $5 admission after 5 p.m.
After 5 p.m., visitors can participate in an evening of trivia, based on iCivic’s popular online, educational games, like “Do I Have a Right?” Admission to the museum is $5 after 5 p.m. Presented in Partnership with iCivics.
2019 Summer Institutes: Separation of Powers
Sunday, July 7 – Friday, July 12, and Sunday, July 14 – Friday, July 19
For registered attendees only
Teachers from across the country and constitutional scholars from across the philosophical spectrum participate in a weeklong teacher institute at the National Constitution Center in Historic Philadelphia. During the institutes, educators work with content experts to deepen their knowledge of the history and modern understandings of the separation of powers through interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.
Civil War Summer at the National Constitution Center
Monday, July 8 – Saturday, August 17, 2019
Free with general admission
This summer, in conjunction with the National Constitution Center’s new Civil War and Reconstruction exhibit the Center’s Main Lobby will be transformed into a Union Army encampment. Visitors will be able to try on replica Civil War soldier uniforms and examine the kinds of supplies soldiers would have had at war camps. Every Thursday and Saturday, special activities will include Meet and Greets with historic figures like Henry “Box” Brown, as well as Union soldiers and battlefield nurses. Visitors can also attend Town Hall programs with President Abraham Lincoln, enjoy a theatrical performance highlighting Frances E.W. Harper, and participate in interactive Military Muster activities.
2019 Annual Supreme Court Review
12 – 2 p.m., Tuesday, July 9
This program is now sold out. Simulcast tickets are available, including for CLE credit.
Former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, legal scholars Erwin Chemerinsky and Frederick Lawrence, and Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick, examine the Supreme Court’s 2018-2019 term, which includes significant cases regarding religious displays, the death penalty, partisan gerrymandering, the census, and more. Melissa Garlick, civil rights national counsel for the Anti-Defamation League, moderates. CLE credit available. Presented in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League.
Members-Only Guided Exhibit Tour
Tuesday, July 16, at 10 a.m.
Free for Members
Members can experience a guided tour of Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality. A museum educator will guide Members through the exhibit featuring key figures central to the era—from Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass to John Bingham and Harriet Tubman—and discuss how the equality promised in the Declaration of Independence was finally inscribed in the Constitution by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, collectively known as the Reconstruction Amendments.
The First Amendment in 21st Century America
Sunday, July 21 – Saturday, July 27
For registered attendees only
K-12 teachers from across the country join the National Constitution Center, The Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement, and the National Endowment for the Humanities for this one-week intensive institute focusing on the First Amendment and the delicate balance between the rights of individuals and the need to govern society and keep it safe. During the institutes, educators will deepen their understanding of the purpose of the First Amendment, the freedoms protected by it, and the history of its meaning and interpretation.
2019 Summer Institutes: First Amendment
Sunday, July 28 – Friday, August 2
For registered attendees only
Teachers from across the country and constitutional scholars from across the philosophical spectrum participate in a weeklong teacher institute at the National Constitution Center in Historic Philadelphia. During the institutes, educators work with content experts to deepen their knowledge of the history and modern understandings of the First Amendment through interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.
August Events
Sensory-Friendly Sunday
Regular museum hours, Sunday, August 25
Free with general admission
Sensory-Friendly Sundays at the National Constitution Center incorporate a variety of programs and learning techniques developed for visitors with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorders, intellectual disabilities, and other neurodevelopmental disabilities into the everyday visitor experience.
September Events
Constitution Day with FREE Admission
Tuesday, September 17, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Admission will be free on Constitution Day made possible in part by PECO
In honor of Constitution Day, on September 17, 2019, the National Constitution Center will launch two important educational initiatives, the Interactive Constitution: Classroom Edition and the Constitutional Ambassadors program. The new Interactive Constitution: Classroom Edition, a cutting-edge, multimedia digital platform, will provide trusted, nonpartisan constitutional resources for middle and high school students and educators. The Constitutional Ambassadors program will welcome tens of thousands of Philadelphia-area students to the National Constitution Center for a new and immersive experience in constitutional education. The Center will also honor the 232nd anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution with a daylong celebration of the freedoms afforded to us by the Constitution—from fun, educational activities, to timely constitutional conversations with federal judges, to an inspiring naturalization ceremony. Stay tuned: This summer, the National Constitution Center will announce an exciting lineup of Constitution Day speakers and panel topics.
Admission is free on Constitution Day, Tuesday, September 17, and teachers can reserve their field trip by contacting a Group Sales Representative at 215-409-6800. Reservations recommended as programs fill quickly.
America’s Town Hall Fall Programs
The National Constitution Center’s America’s Town Hall fall season will be announced this summer. Up-to-date program information can be found at constitutioncenter.org/debate or by calling 215-409-6700.
The National Constitution Center’s America’s Town Hall series features distinguished leaders, scholars, authors, and journalists who speak on the most significant constitutional topics of our time. Tickets for the National Constitution Center’s America’s Town Hall programs are free or discounted for Members, and advance registration is recommended as programs fill quickly. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 215-409-6700 or online at constitutioncenter.org/debate.
Please note: All programs are subject to change. Please call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org for the most up-to-date program information.
Ticket Information
General Admission: Adults $14.50; Youth (6-18) $11; Students w/ID and Seniors $13. Members, active military personnel, and children ages 5 and under are free. Admission for 15 or more is $7.50 for student and youth groups; $9 for adult and senior groups.
*Visit constitutioncenter.org for the most up-to-date ticket information.
The National Constitution Center is located at 525 Arch Street on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall. The Center is open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
###
About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling its congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire citizens and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.
###
About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling its congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire citizens and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.
