Past Exhibits
Featured Past Exhibits
Hamilton: The Constitutional Clashes that Shaped a Nation
March 23, 2018 - December 31, 2019
John Marshall: Patriot, Statesman, Chief Justice
May 25, 2017 - December 31, 2018
American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition
January 8, 2017 - July 30, 2017
July 5, 2016 - May 7, 2017
February 12, 2016 - December 31, 2016
Religious Liberty and the Founding of America
August 21, 2015 - March 20, 2016
Speaking Out for Equality: The Constitution, Gay Rights, and the Supreme Court
July 1, 2015 - January 3, 2016
Constituting Liberty: From the Declaration to the Bill of Rights
June 30, 2015 -
Fighting for Democracy: Who is the “We” in “We the People”?
October 14, 2011 - January 16, 2012
September 24, 2010 - March 31, 2011
Being “We the People”: Afghanistan, America, and the Minority Imprint
May 14, 2010 - September 26, 2010
February 19, 2010 - August 1, 2010
September 8, 2006 - January 1, 2007
Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War
June 10, 2005 - November 4, 2005
Other Past Exhibits
What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam?
October 9, 2015 - January 3, 2016
Travel from “farm to table” as you explore the changing American diet in this multimedia exhibit.
Visitors of all ages will discover how world events, innovation, government regulations, research, and economics have shaped what we eat and why.
This exhibit was produced by the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C., with support from the National Archives Foundation. The national tour of “What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam?” was made possible by Mars, Incorporated.
Creating Camelot: The Kennedy Photography of Jacques Lowe
February 3, 2015 - September 17, 2015
Creating Camelot: The Kennedy Photography of Jacques Lowe showcases more than 70 intimate photographs and iconic images of President John F. Kennedy, his wife, Jacqueline, and their children, Caroline and John Jr. — photos that helped create the legend of the Kennedy presidency known as “Camelot.”
This exhibit was developed by the Newseum in collaboration with the Jacques Lowe Estate.
Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello
April 9, 2014 - January 4, 2015
Thomas Jefferson helped create a new nation based on individual freedom and self-government—yet he remained a slaveholder throughout his life. This powerful, revealing, and deeply personal exhibit follows the stories of six slave families who lived and worked at Jefferson’s plantation— the Fossett, Granger, Gillette, Hemings, Hern, and Hubbard families—and their descendants who fought for justice and helped bring to light their ancestors’ lives and values.
This exhibit was presented by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello in partnership with the National Museum of African American History and Culture. All objects in this exhibit were from the collection of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, unless otherwise noted.
Additional support for the National Constitution Center’s presentation of this exhibit was provided by a grant from the Pennsylvania Abolition Society.
Capture the Moment: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs
October 11, 2013 - December 31, 2013
Experience the most comprehensive exhibit of Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs ever assembled, arriving in Philadelphia after drawing millions of visitors on its worldwide tour. Capture the Moment: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs illuminates the enduring power of the still image, the importance of First Amendment freedoms, and the key role of the press in documenting the stories of our time.
This traveling exhibit was developed by the Newseum in association with Business of Entertainment, Inc., New York, Cyma Rubin, curator.
This exhibit was supported in part by the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation.
The 1968 Exhibit
June 14, 2013 - September 2, 2013
The Vietnam War. Civil rights and women’s lib. MLK and RFK. Janis and Jimi. Laugh-In and love-ins. Bringing one of America’s most colorful, chaotic, culture-shifting years vividly to life, The 1968 Exhibit illuminates the power of “We the People” to exercise and expand our freedoms.
This exhibit was organized by the Minnesota History Center in association with the Atlanta History Center, the Chicago History Museum and the Oakland Museum of California, and was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
On My Honor: 100 Years of Girl Scouting
May 12, 2012 - December 31, 2012
In 2012, the Girl Scouts celebrate 100 years of developing girls’ courage, confidence, and character. On My Honor: 100 Years of Girl Scouting—an exhibit created by the National Constitution Center in partnership with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania—highlights the history, contributions, and traditions of Girl Scouting.
On My Honor: 100 Years of Girl Scouting was sponsored by the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company.
From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen
February 17, 2012 - September 3, 2012
For almost four decades, Bruce Springsteen has thrilled fans by giving voice to the restlessness, hopes, and dreams of ordinary Americans. Millions of listeners have found their experience of the American dream reflected in his songs about the lonely, the lost, the unemployed, immigrants, and military veterans. In From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen, visitors can travel with Springsteen from the boardwalks of small-town New Jersey to packed stadiums around the world.
This exhibit was created by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon
July 1, 2011 - September 5, 2011
The “Father of Our Country” led us to victory in the American Revolution, chaired the Constitutional Convention, and served as our first president—all in the Philadelphia region. George Washington returned to Philadelphia in the feature exhibition Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon at the National Constitution Center. Mount Vernon’s world-class collection provides a new and refreshing perspective on Washington, his achievements, legacies, family, intellectual pursuits, and entrepreneurial ventures.
This exhibit was organized by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association and funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.
The President’s House: Their Untold Stories in Quilts
July 1, 2011 - September 5, 2011
To coincide with Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon and the President’s House at Independence National Historical Park, the Center hosts The President’s House: Their Untold Stories in Quilts. This collection of art quilts celebrates the humanity, dignity, and courage of the nine enslaved persons owned by George and Martha Washington at the President’s House. Created by a multiracial and multicultural group of both internationally acclaimed and novice quilt artists, the quilts are intended to stimulate dialogue about slavery and freedom in the paradigm of democracy. Additional quilts are on display at the Independence Visitor Center and the African American Museum in Philadelphia.
This exhibit was curated by Michelle Flamer.
Spies, Traitors, and Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America
March 4, 2011 - January 8, 2012
Created by the International Spy Museum, Spies, Traitors & Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America dramatically illustrates the challenge of securing our nation without compromising the civil liberties upon which it was founded. Through artifacts, multimedia elements, and interactive exhibits, visitors can uncover stories of espionage, treason, and deception in the United States from 1776 to today.
This exhibit was created by the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.
Inspiring a Nation: World War I Posters of the Philadelphia Sketch Club
February 4, 2010 - April 25, 2010
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Philadelphia Sketch Club, the National Constitution Center hosted an exhibit of World War I posters created by Philadelphia Sketch Club artists. The posters were curated by the U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center.
Posters for the People: Art of the WPA
November 5, 2009 - January 3, 2010
Posters for the People explores the social landscape of America during the New Deal through posters created by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). As part of the New Deal, the government-sponsored WPA employed thousands of out-of-work citizens, including hundreds of artists. From 1935 to 1943, the WPA Poster Division was responsible for designing, printing, and distributing posters to raise awareness about public issues and civic life. Featuring nearly 300 posters, including originals and reproductions, Posters for the People communicates the values, vision, and vitality of American democracy through art.
The exhibit was presented in conjunction with Design for Social Impact.
America I AM: The African American Imprint
January 15, 2009 - May 3, 2009
The National Constitution Center hosts the world debut of America I AM: The African American Imprint, celebrating 400 years of African American contributions to this country. The exhibit presents a historical continuum of pivotal moments in courage, conviction, and creativity that solidifies the undeniable imprint of African Americans across the nation and around the world.
America I AM: The African American Imprint was developed in partnership with Tavis Smiley and organized by Cincinnati Museum Center and Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI).
Hindsight Is Always 20/20
September 27, 2008 - November 4, 2008
Hindsight is Always 20/20, the National Constitution Center’s first civic art installation exhibition, is composed of 41 6-foot-tall, freestanding light boxes, bearing the words from each president’s State of the Union addresses sorted by frequency in the format of an eye chart. The exhibit offers a fascinating snapshot of each president’s term, containing a mix of historically topical keywords and rhetoric unique to each president and the time period in which he served.
The exhibit was mounted on the Center’s front lawn on Independence Mall in Historic Philadelphia. It was created by artist R. Luke DuBois.
Baseball as America
February 15, 2008 - May 11, 2008
Baseball as America is the first major exhibition to examine the relationship between baseball and American culture. The 6,000-square-foot exhibition was organized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY, and marks the first time the treasures of the Hall of Fame have left their legendary home to tour the country.
First Ladies: Political Role & Public Image
October 5, 2007 - December 31, 2007
First Ladies is based on one of the Smithsonian’s most visited permanent exhibitions and contains artifacts from the rarely traveled first ladies collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Behring Center.
Organized by the National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), First Ladies was made possible by A&E Network. Macy’s was the local presenting sponsor and NBC 10 was the official media partner for the Center’s showing of First Ladies.
The Kennedys: Portrait of a Family, Photographs by Richard Avedon
October 5, 2007 - December 2, 2007
Acclaimed photographer Richard Avedon's never-before-displayed photographs of John and Jacqueline Kennedy and their two children combine politics, style, and photographic history to provide a compelling glimpse of two icons of American life. In 1961, world-renowned photographer Richard Avedon took intimate and illuminating images of the Kennedy family on the eve of John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. Presented in conjunction with First Ladies, the full set of 27 framed black and white photographs from the National Museum of American History were on public display for the first time at the National Constitution Center. The photographs of John, Jacqueline, Caroline, and John Jr. provide a powerful view of one of America’s most enduring political dynasties and share the story of a first family on the brink of history.
Magna Carta: Foundation of Freedom
July 4, 2007 - July 25, 2007
Presented by the National Education Association, this rare, original copy of one of the world’s greatest charters of freedom was on loan from the Lincoln Cathedral in England. Signed by King John in 1215, Magna Carta established safeguards to liberty that served as a foundation for the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
Eyewitness: American Originals from the National Archives
May 25, 2007 - September 3, 2007
From the Hindenburg explosion and Pope John Paul II’s first visit to the United States, to the Kennedy assassination and Apollo 8, landmark moments in history will forever remain in the hearts and minds of Americans. The National Constitution Center hosts an exhibition of gripping eyewitness accounts of moments in U.S. history, Eyewitness: American Originals from the National Archives. Through letters, diaries, photographs, and audio and film recordings from the National Archives and its presidential libraries, the Eyewitness exhibition offers new and unique insights into well-known occurrences.
Philadelphia Treasures, a special supplement to Eyewitness organized by the National Constitution Center features a wide array of artifacts pertaining to major local events, including the formation of the Underground Railroad, the outbreak of yellow fever, and the certification of the first United States Mint, among others.
Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World
December 15, 2005 - April 30, 2006
Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World is an international traveling exhibition making its world premiere and only East Coast showing at the National Constitution Center. The 8,000-square-foot exhibition features more than 250 priceless artifacts, engaging interactive devices, and hands-on family fun. This must-see exhibition immerses visitors in Franklin’s world, exposing them to his ingenious problem-solving methods and leaving them inspired by his example.
Organized by the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary and hosted locally by CBS 3, this exhibit was the centerpiece of the Ben Franklin 300 Philadelphia celebration.
