FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Annie Stone, 703-217-1169 [email protected]
Merissa Blum, 215-370-0387 [email protected]
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER RELEASES FREE VIRTUAL MUSEUM TOUR ON
INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY
Online experience features guided tours of beloved National Constitution Center exhibits, including Signers’ Hall, Civil War and Reconstruction, Hamilton, and the earliest drafts of the Constitution
Philadelphia, PA (May 18, 2020) – Today, International Museum Day, the National Constitution Center announced the launch of a free virtual museum tour to engage audiences of all ages remotely during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. The virtual tour allows online visitors to experience the Museum of We the People from their home computer, laptop, or cell phone, bringing the U.S. Constitution to audiences across the nation. The virtual tour invites audiences to experience the Center’s immersive exhibits with guided tours led by the National Constitution Center team, including President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen and Exhibition Developer Elena Popchock, and engages viewers with the history of the U.S. Constitution and its importance today.
“The National Constitution Center is thrilled to invite visitors from across America and around the world to experience free guided tours of the Museum of We the People,” said Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center. “It’s so meaningful to offer free access for all to our inspiring exhibits about America’s founding and Reconstruction, as well as the earliest drafts of the Constitution and our inspiring Signer’s Hall. Thanks to the enthusiasm for online learning, the National Constitution Center is now the fifth most visited museum website in America and we’re so grateful to be able to offer even more of our content free and online.”
Through the virtual tour, viewers can experience four of the National Constitution Center’s exhibits, including Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality; American Treasures: Documenting the Nation’s Founding; Signers’ Hall; and Hamilton: The Constitutional Clashes that Shaped a Nation.
The virtual museum tour allows visitors to experience the exhibits through 360-degree views and rich photography. Viewers can see and learn about hundreds of the Center’s remarkable artifacts and documents, including rare drafts of the U.S. Constitution and the Reconstruction Amendments. The virtual tour also includes an audio component in Signers’ Hall and video components in Civil War and Reconstruction, featuring National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen and Exhibition Developer Elena Popchock, who dive deeper into the exhibit content for virtual visitors.
Through the virtual museum tour, visitors can experience the National Constitution Center’s newest exhibit, Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality. The exhibit is the first in America devoted to exploring how constitutional clashes over slavery set the stage for the Civil War, and transformed the Constitution after the war to embrace the Declaration of Independence’s promise of liberty and equality.
In addition to the Reconstruction Amendments in the Civil War and Reconstruction exhibit, virtual visitors can see and learn about the very first drafts of the U.S. Constitution, including Pennsylvania delegate James Wilson’s handwritten drafts in American Treasures: Documenting the Nation’s Founding. The exhibit explores the drafting of the U.S. Constitution in 1787, highlighting the key proposals and significant compromises that influenced the early drafts and shaped the document’s final text.
Virtual visitors can also view one of the Center’s most popular and iconic attractions, Signers’ Hall, which features bronze statues of the Founding Fathers who added their name to the Constitution—as well as those who dissented—on September 17, 1787. Signers’ Hall brings to life the final day of the Constitutional Convention in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall.
Visitors can also experience the National Constitution Center’s Hamilton: The Constitutional Clashes That Shaped a Nation. Created by the National Constitution Center, the exhibit explores Hamilton’s fraught relationships with James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Aaron Burr. Examining the personalities and constitutional debates that shaped America—including the scope of the national government, the establishment of a standing army, the creation of a federal banking system, and more—the exhibit provides an intimate look into Alexander Hamilton’s enduring role in the constitutional and political arguments that continue to create sparks to this day.
The tour is accessible through the National Constitution Center’s website here.
In addition to this virtual museum tour, the National Constitution Center website offers countless educational resources for students, teachers, and learners of all ages. The centerpiece of its offerings is the nonpartisan Interactive Constitution, which has received over 30 million views since it launched in 2015. The resource offers extensive primary and secondary sources and a content-rich media library with videos, podcasts, blog posts, and lesson plans, all available for free with no login or password required.
The virtual museum tour was created by Ardon Bar-Hama and is made possible by generous support from George S. Blumenthal.
Virtual visitors can also experience other museums online, including the Museum of the American Revolution, New-York Historical Society, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.
On Friday, March 13, the National Constitution Center temporarily closed to the public and postponed all upcoming public programs. Updates to operations will be available here: constitutioncenter.org/responding-to-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19.
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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.
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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.
