This Fourth of July holiday, salute the 248th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence during Liberty Celebration at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. 

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 4, visitors can enjoy interpretive programs, artillery demonstrations and learn about the challenges that faced our nation’s founders, including those who signed the Declaration of Independence, as well as those for whom the new nation’s rights of freedom and liberty did not yet apply. 

Whether exploring the indoor galleries or outdoor living history, appreciate these Fourth of July experiences:

• Catch “Liberty Fever” – the museum’s award-winning introductory film, shown throughout the day in the main theater. 

• Discover the powerful stories behind the Declaration of Independence in an immersive gallery exhibit surrounded by signatures of this historic document’s signers.

• From artillery firings to cloth-dyeing demonstrations, take part in patriotic programming with historical interpreters in outdoor re-creations of a Continental Army encampment and Revolution-era farm. 

• Experience “Virginia, 1776!” through special gallery tours at 11:15 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. and education programs on America’s road to independence at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

• Share your thoughts on liberty by adding them to the “Liberty Tree,” an interactive feature on a 17-foot sculptural tree, rooted in the museum galleries.

Continental Army encampment

Historical interpreters describe and depict daily routines of American soldiers, with demonstrations of musket and artillery firing, 18th-century surgical and medical practices, and the role of the quartermaster in managing troop supplies. In the artillery amphitheater, feel the thunder of a cannon blast as historical interpreters fire a salute to our nation’s founders during artillery demonstrations throughout the day, weather permitting.

Revolution-era farm life

Discover the variety of activities that would have been part of daily life on the farm for both middling farmers and enslaved people, including cooking, gardening, basket-weaving and pastimes.

Visitors can learn how families were fed during the disruption of the Revolutionary War. Special programs at the quarters for enslaved people will illustrate what foods were eaten and how they were prepared and preserved.

Join the celebration

The Liberty Celebration special event is included in museum admission: $18.00 for adults, $9.00 for youth ages 6-12 and free for children age 5 and under. A value-priced combination ticket with Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th-century Virginia, is $30.00 for adults and $15.00 for ages 6-12.

Residents of York County, James City County and the City of Williamsburg, including William & Mary students, receive free admission with proof of residency.

About the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown

The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s days) and located on Route 1020 near the Colonial Parkway in Yorktown. The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown tells the story of the nation’s founding. Comprehensive indoor exhibits and outdoor living history areas capture the transformational nature and epic scale of the Revolution and its relevance today.

Admission tickets can be purchased online or in person. Plan your visit today or call (757) 253-4838 for more information. Parking at the museum is free for museum visitors. A free shuttle service is available to Historic Yorktown on the Yorktown Trolley.