Museum of the American Revolution
Museum of the American Revolution
Museum of the American Revolution
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The Museum of the American Revolution explores the dramatic, surprising story of the American Revolution through its unmatched collection of Revolutionary-era weapons, personal items, documents, and works of art. Immersive galleries, powerful theater experiences, and interactive digital elements bring to life the diverse array of people that created a new nation against incredible odds. Visitors gain a deeper appreciation for how this nation came to be and feel inspired to consider their role in the ongoing promise of the American Revolution. Located just steps away from Independence Hall, the Museum serves as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context, and encouraging exploration.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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How to get there
- 2nd St • 4 min walk
- 5th St • 5 min walk
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- Joni PAtlanta, Georgia255 contributionsDon't miss this!Fantastic museum that makes history come alive! Films, multi media presentations, authentic artifacts, and the use of most of your senses. Yes the viewer can smell to imagine what Boston Harbor smelled like after the Boston Tea Party. A portrait of King George in 3D that the visitor can touch. A short orientation film on the main floor reveals the biggest treasure here is George Washington's tent he used as a headquarters during battles. To preserve this precious artifact, it is shown in hourly presentations. Don't miss this!Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 19, 2023
- Steven68 contributionsWell done and must visitThe museum is really well done. Traveled with myself and two friends who are all trained historians, we all felt it was visually appealing, informative, and honest. Displays are a bit busy at times and a lot to read, but the information is good, the exhibits are well thought out, and a narrative was created. We enjoyed it and would recommend for anyone visiting Philadelphia!Visited November 2023Traveled with friendsWritten November 17, 2023
- mrs_un0Philadelphia, Pennsylvania470 contributionsAmazing Event at the Museum of the American RevolutionCame to the museum for a grad school alumni event. The staff were friendly and guided us through the museum to the event space and then allowed us to view one of the many exhibits. Can't wait to return with my son in the near future.Visited November 2023Traveled with friendsWritten November 27, 2023
- moodbluWest Valley City, Utah1,495 contributionsA Wealth of InformationThe Museum of the American Revolution is filled with history, relics, artwork, exhibits and displays about the Revolutionary war and what led up to it. We went there with a US History Tour Group, and our time there was somewhat limited, but I could have spent all day there. We started out with seeing a movie about George Washington’s Tent, telling how it had gone with him thru the whole conflict as he moved about with his soldiers. Then we were free to go thru the many informative and interesting exhibits for the different phases of the war. There was also a café and a gift shop at the Museum. We enjoyed our time there.Visited April 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten April 30, 2024
- Frank MastersLansdale, Pennsylvania889 contributionsWho knew that so much history was literally right in my back yard in Philadelphia?I live in the Philly Suburbs and my wife and I had free passes to this museum (thank you North Wales Library). Normal price for adults is $25.00 and seniors was less then $20. This museum has opened within the last 10-15 years, so its new to me. It is very well done and all the interactives actually function. Hand sanitizer is featured throughout. This museum depicts American History as it was established by the Europeans who fled England and King George the 3rd back in the 1600's. Very well done with life like figures. But the big attraction was General George Washingtons actual tent that he used while he was involved with his troops as they fought for freedom. We had a self guided tour and walked at our leasure. It was laid out very well and you basiclly had to follow the arrows in each room.Visited May 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten May 3, 2024
- MeryMeCoGalesburg, Illinois937 contributionsReally enjoyed the movie and seeing Washington's tentAs far as museums of the American Revolution, the one in Yorktown was by far a much better museum. You could spend all day there going through all the displays. But this one was nice because it had the real tent that Washington used during the war. The movie and information about how they got the tent was interesting. They won't let you take photos.Visited May 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten May 10, 2024
- Jingxing ZNice, France19 contributionsGreta, informative museumGreat, informative museum about the American Revolution from the causes of the war to nation-building. I learned a lot. Only thing I willl say is that the ending regarding Yorktown and drafting of the U.S. constittion seemed too rush.Visited June 2024Traveled with friendsWritten June 28, 2024
- Michelle BNew York City, New York47 contributionsFabulous Revolutionary War history museumThis museum is amazing for the history nerd or anyone interested in the Revolutionary War. The exhibits are very well organized. The photos and exhibits covered every single aspect of that time period. We tried our hardest to see and hear everything that was presented, but probably missed a few - there is so much! Visiting George Washington's field tent was the highlight of my summer! The gift store has something for everyone. The ticket price to get in is well worth what you see inside. Plan to spend a few hours here.Visited August 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten August 6, 2024
- flo220New York City, New York359 contributionsDon't miss Washington's tentGreat museum with a nice children's section as well as 2 floors on the history of the revolution. Don't miss the film about Washington's tent where you see the actual tent at the end of the film. Entrance tickets are good for 2 days.Visited August 2024Traveled with familyWritten August 26, 2024
- molivosSalinas, California24 contributionsHappy to have finally visited.I went on three consecutive days and did not see everything! I learned so much. The highlight is George Washington's tent. I read online about the women's vote exhibit from a few years back and was disappointed that I learned about it had ended. I was so happy to see that there is a display on it, so I was able to see a part of it. I have been to Philadelphia before and passed by the suseum but have never had the time to go inside. It is worthwhile, has plenty of places to sit, take breaks, and rest. There is also an on site restaurant.Visited September 2024Traveled soloWritten September 15, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,472 reviews
Excellent
1,068
Very good
282
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78
Poor
30
Terrible
15
Roberto Ruiz
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico108 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Very complete and interesting museum about the American revolution. Entertaining and with a lot of varied info. If you are a lover of American history and how the US gained independence from Britain, this place is for you. The entrance ticket costs about $ 20 per person and you can use it 2 days. It takes about 2 hours to enjoy the museum. Recommended if you have a lot of time or if you are really a fan of American culture
Written January 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lori B.
41 contributions
Mar 2020
This museum is very new and they have done a fabulous job making it interesting and relate-able to people of all ages. We were lucky enough to be the only two people on the 60 minute guided tour. It was very informative, hitting the highlights. We then walked back through for a more thorough viewing. They have special exhibitions which change every few months. We saw Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Solider which offered a unique individual's perspective on the war. The exhibit was accompanied by a one man theatrical performance which was truly outstanding and brought the exhibit to life in a really unique way. Excellently done.
Written March 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jpete02
Lansing, MI931 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
Great museum. Not cheap at $21 ($19 if purchased in advance) but so many great artifacts you won’t see anywhere else. Even if you know the history of the Revolution, worthwhile going here just to see what is on display. Very few replicas and most items are originals.
The museum is fair in its handling of the Revolution and tries to incorporate different perspectives (African Americans, British, Indians, and women) in its telling of the story of the war. Museum is organized in a chronological format and in great shape.
The highlight is Washington’s wartime tent. They have it in a separate theater and you have to watch a 12 minute film to see it but I thought it gave good context to what you were seeing. Washington was not perfect (no one is) but gave up decades of his life in service of our country. Judging by the standards of his time, he was a great leader and the right person at the right time.
Overall, if you have to choose one museum in this Independence Hall area to visit, make it this one.
The museum is fair in its handling of the Revolution and tries to incorporate different perspectives (African Americans, British, Indians, and women) in its telling of the story of the war. Museum is organized in a chronological format and in great shape.
The highlight is Washington’s wartime tent. They have it in a separate theater and you have to watch a 12 minute film to see it but I thought it gave good context to what you were seeing. Washington was not perfect (no one is) but gave up decades of his life in service of our country. Judging by the standards of his time, he was a great leader and the right person at the right time.
Overall, if you have to choose one museum in this Independence Hall area to visit, make it this one.
Written October 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
prfrog
New Oxford, PA102 contributions
Feb 2020
We arrived at about 11:00 AM and weren’t quite finished by closing at 5:00. Our lunch break was only a cup of coffee and a shared pretzel since we didn’t want to spend the time. The cafeteria and the bookstore had great offerings, but if you are like us and read everything, you will definitely need all day. The docents recommended coming in Fall rather than Spring on weekdays when the school groups arrive.
I am a student of the Revolution and still learned a great deal about the background, causes, and conflicts leading up to the war. Really loved the interactive displays and the privateer ship.
Don’t miss the film about Washington’s Tent!
Ask questions, the docents have lots of stories to tell and they are good at it.
Recommend for all ages. Under 10 might need to be encouraged to interact, but there is stuff there for them.
I wish there was a little more about the war in the Southern Colonies, but otherwise very complete.
I am a student of the Revolution and still learned a great deal about the background, causes, and conflicts leading up to the war. Really loved the interactive displays and the privateer ship.
Don’t miss the film about Washington’s Tent!
Ask questions, the docents have lots of stories to tell and they are good at it.
Recommend for all ages. Under 10 might need to be encouraged to interact, but there is stuff there for them.
I wish there was a little more about the war in the Southern Colonies, but otherwise very complete.
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ettaylor
Portland, OR158 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
I visited on a Saturday afternoon during off season. The museum was still pretty busy, but most of the place is pretty spacious, so with a little patience you can see everything.
Museum is set up in an easy to follow path, so you can view and experience everything in chronological order. Lots and lots to read, no shortage of information. They have many great artifacts from the time period, most with back story that is quite detailed. Several short movies can be watched as journey through the museum.
The photo gallery at the end is pretty cool.
I was there 2.5 hours. Enjoy!
Museum is set up in an easy to follow path, so you can view and experience everything in chronological order. Lots and lots to read, no shortage of information. They have many great artifacts from the time period, most with back story that is quite detailed. Several short movies can be watched as journey through the museum.
The photo gallery at the end is pretty cool.
I was there 2.5 hours. Enjoy!
Written February 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Duraiya K
Philadelphia, PA136 contributions
Oct 2019
A very informative and interactive chronological journey through the years before, during and after the American Revolution. A great mix of exhibits with historical information, artifacts, interactive exhibits and films gives a good timeline of the revolution. The journey begins with introductory film and end with the film and glass case viewing of the Washington's tent. Worth a trip to Philadelphia to see the newer museum !! The exhibits and great stories throughout the museum is enhanced with the staff retelling a more detailed information of some of the artifacts at various times during the day. They are friendly and open to answer any questions you may have. The exhibits are a combination of artifacts interspersed with excellent audio visual presentations harnessing the latest technology. The basement is dedicated to mostly hands on activities for the kids of all ages. The scavenger hunt throughout the museum was a fun game to play with the prize as old map of Philadelphia during those times. Definitely worth my trip to the historical city.
Written June 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TFopinion
Pennsylvania676 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
Took me 4 years to get here and so glad we finally made it. This museum exceeded my expectations in its quality of content, presentation, professional appearance,/design, cleanliness and helpfulness of staff. Haven’t been in a museum that impressed me so much in a long time.
Visiting from out of town, my wife and I purchased our senior tickets online and parked in the Bourse garage only 1 1/2 blocks from the museum. Wasn’t busy the recent Tuesday when we visited. While there are 3 floors to the museum, the 1st floor consists of the lobby/admission area, restrooms, cafe, gift shop, auditorium for introductory video and area for rotating, special exhibits. The lower level is geared for kids but worth checking out. The heart of the museum is located on the 3rd floor.
Somewhat hard to sum up the superb educational content on the 3rd floor covering such a watershed period in our nation’s history. Not much of anything missed. While everything here is so well done, informative with no shortage of authentic artifacts, the highlight for us was Washington’s tent. It was excellently presented, very impressive.
We ate lunch in the sun lite cafe (good selection, expected prices) and purchased a couple books in the gift shop. Overall spent about 3+ hours here - time very well spent and so deserving of a strong 👍🏻 . Don’t miss Carpenter Hall (location of First Continental Congress) only a block away.
Visiting from out of town, my wife and I purchased our senior tickets online and parked in the Bourse garage only 1 1/2 blocks from the museum. Wasn’t busy the recent Tuesday when we visited. While there are 3 floors to the museum, the 1st floor consists of the lobby/admission area, restrooms, cafe, gift shop, auditorium for introductory video and area for rotating, special exhibits. The lower level is geared for kids but worth checking out. The heart of the museum is located on the 3rd floor.
Somewhat hard to sum up the superb educational content on the 3rd floor covering such a watershed period in our nation’s history. Not much of anything missed. While everything here is so well done, informative with no shortage of authentic artifacts, the highlight for us was Washington’s tent. It was excellently presented, very impressive.
We ate lunch in the sun lite cafe (good selection, expected prices) and purchased a couple books in the gift shop. Overall spent about 3+ hours here - time very well spent and so deserving of a strong 👍🏻 . Don’t miss Carpenter Hall (location of First Continental Congress) only a block away.
Written October 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
squeaky51165
Hillsborough, NJ19 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Museum has lot of history. Museum is only 3 years old. You could probably do the visit in 1 day, but your ticket buys you 2 days. We were there for 3 hours, so I would personally say for 3 hour visit it is a lot of money, but if u stay at least 5 then worth it plus u can come back the next day. Parking NOT on premises, but it is around the block in a garage where the prices are city parking so a little on the expensive side. If you have someone who is physically disabled I would drop them off at the front then go park your car. Museum is 2 floors. Has an elevator. Restrooms clean and on both floors. Has cafe but we didn’t eat there. Has museum shop which are museum prices. It felt cool in there the day we visited. If u like American Revolution stuff, u would like this museum.
I gave it a 4 rating only because it would be nice to have 1/2 day tickets and because it was cool inside.
I gave it a 4 rating only because it would be nice to have 1/2 day tickets and because it was cool inside.
Written February 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ann P
Beverly, MA28 contributions
Jan 2020
We recently toured the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia and it was outstanding. The museum uses a mix of learning tools and media to keep all ages interested as you progress from the late 1600's through the 1780's of the American Revolution history. Expect to spend 2+ hours strolling the exhibits and learning unique details of this fascinating time period
Written January 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Theworldisours2C
Charlotte, NC96 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
I spent most of the day at this wonderful museum. I am an avid scholar of the revolutionary war period and was very excited to finally make it to this museum. I was not disappointed. From the opening film and seeing Washington’s tent to the special exhibit on St. George, I enjoyed every minute. The museum is laid out in chronological order and easy to maneuver. The displays were easy to read and flowed nicely. I was lucky it was pretty empty so I had almost the whole place to myself. I didn’t do the audio tour this time but next time I will add that. The staff was very friendly and I have never been to a museum where they approach you and offer to answer questions and engage you in a way that was so nice. I had a great discussion about the battle of brandywine with one of them. Keep up the good work!
Written January 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Where do I park when I go to the American Revolution Museum
Written August 12, 2019
There are a few parking garages within walking distance. We parked at the below ground parking garage at the National Constitution Center and walked there via Betsy Ross House. We hit the City Tavern afterwards. Have fun.
Written August 12, 2019
Can you bring food in a backpack into the museum for lunch or can you only eat in their cafe?
Written December 26, 2018
I am not sure if you can bring food in a backpack. I would call and ask. We ate at a restaurant after we visited the museum. There are a lot of places right in the area. Enjoy!
Written January 4, 2019
Took us about 4 to 5 hours and well worth it. Amazing deep dive into American History!
Written July 23, 2018
How much time would the typical adult spend here?
Written May 25, 2018
I would recommend at least 3-4 hours. This is a good museum and afterward you can have dinner outside at the British pub across the street. Great outing!!
Written May 25, 2018
Would this museum be interesting for a 7 year old?
Are there any interactive activities for that age group?
Written May 14, 2018
If your child enjoys history then yes. However there are few interactive activities. It is mostly artifacts with descriptions to read and learn about. There are lots of knowledgeable tour guides and some films. This is a museum not a play center.
Written June 24, 2018
The best place to park is on 2nd Street. If you travel down Chestnut Street toward the Delaware River (no choice - one way) make a right on Chestnut Street. The parking garage is about mid-block across from the City Tavern. It's then about a 2 block walk to the museum.
Written October 16, 2017
Do I really need to buy a timed ticket ahead of time? I plan to visit on Sunday morning, but I'm not sure how many people are coming along so I don't want to buy tickets I don't need. Also why can you buy tickets for 9:30 if the museum opens at 10:00 am?
Written April 25, 2017
Since it's on a weekend very early on, yes, I would absolutely get an advance ticket. You may not need it, but it's still better to have it than to need it.
As for the other people in the group, youse can figure that out yourselves.
As for the 9:30 thing, why the hell not?
Written April 25, 2017
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