National Constitution Center in Philadelphia

SITE OVERVIEW

The National Constitution Center is a massive American history museum that focuses on the U. S. Constitution and other government related topics. The museum was authorized by Congress and is operated as a private, non-profit organization. It has partnered with the National Park Service and Independence National Historical Park.

LOCATION

The National Constitution Center is located at 525 Arch Street.

OPERATING HOURS

• Wednesday-Saturday: 10 AM to 5 PM
• Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day

Times can always change, so before making travel plans be sure to visit the National Constitution Center’s Hours and Admission web page for the latest schedule.

TICKETS AND FEES

There is a fee to enter the museum. You can get tickets online in advance or at the door. See the National Constitution Center’s Hours and Admission web page for the latest prices.

Lobby of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia

WHAT TO DO

Normally I read through all of the information and see all of the exhibits in a museum in order to review it properly, but in this case I did not because 1) I’d still be there, and 2) it’s not officially part of the National Park system. The National Constitution Center is a museum on the scale of one of the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D. C. It is a well-laid-out, high-tech museum that is certain to entertain guests of all ages. There are hundreds of videos, audio interviews, and interactive touch-screen exhibits. It’s like being in a game arcade.

The permanent exhibit—The Story of We the People—is a walk through of American history from the 1700s to the present day, with all of the usual suspects showing up: American Revolution, Civil War, Vietnam, 9/11 attacks, etc. There are plenty of artifacts on display as well. You’ll find pieces of the World Trade Center, President Eisenhower’s shirt and hat, and scale models of the United States Capitol and White House, among hundreds of others. There are also rotating exhibits, so you can still see something new on subsequent visits.

The National Constitution Center has a café, gift store, and 360-degree movie theater. The film Freedom Rising shows every half hour, and you need a timed ticket to get in (this is included in the entry fee). The museum also has iPod audio tours for certain exhibits.

Signers’ Hall exhibit in Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

I spent a little over an hour in the National Constitution Center, and that’s the minimum amount of time I suggest allotting for your visit. If you are really in to history, you could spend all day. If you’ve ever been to one of the Smithsonian museums or any other shopping center-size museum, you know what to expect as far as time is concerned.

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