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Juneteenth

Date
Thursday, June 19
Time
All Day
price
Free
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Juneteenth marks our country’s second Independence Day. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed and nearly five months after the 13th Amendment was proposed (it would not be ratified until December 6, 1865), enslaved people in Texas learned that they were free.   

Admission to the Center is free on Juneteenth to celebrate this national holiday and rejoice in the celebration of those who fought to secure freedom for all. Museum programs will highlight the history of the holiday and stories of freedom fighters from the Reconstruction era like Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, and more.  

Reserve Tickets

 

Museum Programming

Juneteenth and the Constitution Program

10:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m., Kenneth C. Griffin Great Hall Overlook
Join the Center’s Education team as we walk through the events of June 19, 1865, to commemorate Juneteenth and the end of slavery in the United States. Together we’ll examine the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th Amendment, and how the battles for freedom and equality shaped the nation.

Emancipation Proclamation and the 54th Massachusetts Regiment

11:45 a.m. and 3:45 p.m., Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Equality exhibit
Join us for an inside look at why President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, what it meant for over 4 million Americans then held in bondage, and how it led to the creation of the first Black regiments in the war.

Kids Town Hall: Freedom Fighters

12:45 p.m., Kirby Auditorium
Join us for a special Kids Town Hall with some very famous guests—like the abolitionist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and Ona Judge—to share their experiences in the fight for freedom and equality.

The Four Harriets of History Show

1:45 p.m., Kenneth C. Griffin Great Hall Overlook
Visitors can explore the lives of four American women—Harriet Robinson Scott, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Jacobs, and Harriet Beecher Stowe—who confronted slavery through literature, lawsuits, and direct action in their efforts to free themselves and others from bondage.

Juneteenth Crafts

10 a.m.–5 p.m., Kenneth C. Griffin Great Hall Lobby
Learn about and celebrate Juneteenth at our craft tables! Make your own Juneteenth flag or create a zine (a mini magazine) all about the history of the holiday and how we celebrate today.

Freedom Fighter Story Corner & Quiet Room

10 a.m.–5 p.m., Freedom Classroom
Visitors can explore the lives of famous African American Freedom Fighters in our Story Corner room. Read books about the incredible lives of Ida B. Wells, Harriet Tubman, Henry Box Brown, and more! Or simply relax and color in this quiet space filled with calming blue lights and sensory bins.

Live From the Museum: Heroes of Reconstruction

Live From the Museum: Heroes of Reconstruction

Tuesday, June 17 | Noon ET
Explore the Center’s compelling exhibit, Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality, with one of our museum educators. Learn how abolitionists, soldiers, and politicians transformed the Constitution after the war during the Reconstruction period, expanding the meaning of “We, the People.”

Register Here