Museum of the American Revolution

What Museum of the American Revolution does

The Museum of the American Revolution is a private nonprofit museum located at 101 South Third Street in Philadelphia's Old City district, steps from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. The institution opened to the public in 2017 and operates as a comprehensive cultural attraction dedicated to telling the story of the American Revolution and its ongoing legacy through core exhibition galleries (The Road to Independence, The Darkest Hour, A Revolutionary War, A New Nation), museum films (Revolution, Washington's War Tent, People of the Standing Stone), living history programs (Meet the Revolution), the Read the Revolution Speaker Series, and digital experiences including an award-winning virtual museum tour, a multimedia timeline, and online exhibits. The collection of 700+ artifacts, anchored by Washington's War Tents and the Patriots of Color Archive, forms the substantive content base. The museum serves general tourists, families with children, school and educator groups, corporate event clients, immigrants preparing for naturalization, and history enthusiasts through in-person visits, virtual programs, and accessibility-certified offerings (Certified Autism Center, touch tours, multi-language audio tours in six languages).

The museum's technology and product layer centers on immersive exhibit design, including 'American Revolution: The Augmented Exhibition' developed with French firm Histovery and licensed to partner institutions such as the Charlotte Museum of History under an exclusive four-hour regional radius model. Digital channels include online ticketing, a museum shop storefront, virtual tours, and online exhibits. Accessibility is a documented product pillar: the museum holds Certified Autism Center designation, offers sensory guides and quiet rooms, multi-language audio tours (English, Spanish, French, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese), tactile touch tours for visually impaired guests in partnership with the Clovernook Center, and tactile graphics of key artworks.

The museum operates a diversified nonprofit revenue model combining transactional admission ($25 online / $27 walk-up for adults, tiered discounts for seniors, students, military, and youth; free for members, children under 5, EBT cardholders, and Philadelphia public school students), recurring memberships across six tiers (General, Museum Circle, Young Friends, Revolution Society, George Washington Council, National Leadership Council), philanthropy and planned giving (Liberty Society, Collections Society, tribute gifts), retail (museum shop), food service (Cross Keys Café operated by Feast Your Eyes Catering), venue rentals (Bank of America Terrace), and tour and program fees ($24-$60 for guided walking and early-access tours). Corporate and foundation funding flows through the Pennsylvania EITC program, presenting sponsorships such as Griffin Catalyst for The Declaration's Journey, and grants from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, and partners including PECO, American Airlines, Bonduelle Americas, and the Oneida Nation. Leadership is Dr. R. Scott Stephenson, President & CEO; the museum employs 51-100 people and has no parent company, subsidiaries, or external funding rounds.

Name

Museum of the American Revolution

Legal name

Museum of the American Revolution

Website

https://amrevmuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Museum of the American Revolution is a private nonprofit museum in Philadelphia's Old City, operating core galleries, special exhibitions, and digital programs about the American Revolution for tourists, families, students, educators, and corporate groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

History Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), History, Heritage & Museum-Focused Study Tours (THAKAGAN), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Historical museum exhibitions
• Museum educational programs
• Guided museum tours
• Cultural heritage institution
• Museum membership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: The museum generates primary revenue through admission fees. Adults pay $27 in-person or $25 online, with discounts for seniors, students, military ($21), youth 6-17 ($14), and free admission for members, children 5 and under, and ACCESS/SNAP cardholders.
2. Museum Shop: The museum operates a retail shop selling official guidebooks, exhibition catalogs, merchandise including clothing and home goods. Shop is open during museum operating hours.
3. Food Service - Cross Keys Café: Café operated by Feast Your Eyes Catering offering sandwiches, salads, beverages, and baked goods. Open daily 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
4. Membership Programs: Multiple membership tiers including General Membership, Museum Circle, Young Friends, Revolution Society, George Washington Council, and National Leadership Council, offering free admission and exclusive benefits.
5. Donations and Philanthropy: The museum accepts donations and has planned giving programs (Liberty Society), Collections Society, and tribute gifts. Corporate partnerships and matching gift programs are available.
6. Venue Rental and Corporate Events: The museum offers venue rentals including the Bank of America Terrace for private events. Signature events include Lenfest Spirit of the American Revolution Award and Carl M. Buchholz Memorial Lecture.
7. Tour and Program Fees: Additional revenue from guided walking tours ($34-$45), gallery highlights tours (admission plus $10), early access tours ($60 non-members, $35 members), audio tours ($3-$5), and corporate values tours.
8. Pennsylvania EITC Program: Corporate partnerships through Pennsylvania's Educational Improvement Tax Credit program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Museum of the American Revolution operates a private nonprofit history museum in Old City Philadelphia, presenting the story of the American Revolution through core galleries, rotating special exhibitions, museum films, living history interpreters, and immersive digital experiences. It sells paid admission, guided and audio tours, membership subscriptions, educational programs, on-site retail (Museum Shop) and food service (Cross Keys Café), corporate and private venue rentals, and licenses its augmented-reality exhibition technology to partner institutions.

Product overview

The Museum of the American Revolution is a historical museum offering a unified visitor experience centered on its core exhibition galleries exploring the American Revolution. The museum operates multiple interconnected products including: core exhibition galleries (The Road to Independence, The Darkest Hour, A Revolutionary War, A New Nation); special time-limited exhibitions (The Declaration's Journey); museum films (Revolution, Washington's War Tent, People of the Standing Stone); digital experiences (Virtual Museum Tour, Timeline of the American Revolution, Online Exhibits, interactive features); living history programs (Meet the Revolution, Living History Youth Summer Institute); public programs (Read the Revolution Speaker Series, Citizenship Initiative); and visitor services (audio tours, touch tours, guided tours, Cross Keys Café, Museum Shop). The museum serves diverse audiences including general visitors, families, school groups, and educators through both in-person and digital channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Declaration's Journey Special Exhibition Time-limited special exhibition marking the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding by exploring the history and global impact of the Declaration of Independence from 1776 to today; for general visitors, school groups, and tourists.
• Revolution Place Family Discovery Center Family-friendly discovery center that brings to life the Museum's Old City neighborhood during the 1700s through hands-on exploration of a soldiers' encampment, tavern, parlor, and meeting house; for families with children.
• Read the Revolution Speaker Series Year-round speaker series bringing celebrated authors and historians to the Museum for discussions of their work on American Revolution topics; for general visitors, members, and history enthusiasts.
• Meet the Revolution Living History Program Costumed living history programs that explore the voices, viewpoints, and experiences of diverse people of the Revolutionary era through interpreters; for general visitors, families, and school groups.
• Citizenship Initiative Program Program supporting immigrants pursuing American citizenship by helping them prepare for the United States naturalization test; for immigrants preparing for naturalization and citizenship program coordinators.
• Living History Youth Summer Institute Six-week intensive summer course for young adults interested in interpreting the lives of people of African ancestry in the Revolutionary era; for high school and college-age youth.
• Museum Films (Revolution, Washington's War Tent, People of the Standing Stone) Three signature museum films - Revolution (orientation), Washington's War Tent (immersive journey of General Washington's headquarters tent), and People of the Standing Stone (documentary on the Oneida Nation's Revolutionary War contributions) - shown inside the museum's galleries; for general visitors and school groups.
• Core Exhibition Galleries (The Road to Independence, The Darkest Hour, A Revolutionary War, A New Nation) Four core exhibition galleries exploring the American Revolution chronologically - The Road to Independence, The Darkest Hour (with the Oneida Nation theater), A Revolutionary War (with replica privateer ship), and A New Nation - included with museum admission; for general visitors, tourists, and school groups.
• Guided Tours (Revolutionary City Walking Tour, Gallery Highlights, Early Access Tours) Guided walking tours of Revolutionary-era Philadelphia ($34-$45), gallery highlights tours (admission plus $10), and early access guided tours ($60 non-members, $35 members); for tourists, history enthusiasts, and members.
• Multilingual Audio Tours Audio tours available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, and Brazilian Portuguese, with narrated content by the museum President & CEO and historical figure voices; priced $3 for members and $5 for the general public, with audio descriptive tour free of charge.
• Touch Tours (Accessibility Program) Tactile tours designed for guests with visual disabilities, featuring sensory experiences and replica objects that activate the history of the Revolution through hands-on learning; for visually impaired visitors.
• Virtual Museum Tour Award-winning virtual tour featuring 360-degree panoramic images and a guided audio tour of the Museum's immersive galleries, accessible globally to remote visitors and digital audiences.
• Cross Keys Café (Food Service) Museum café operated by Feast Your Eyes Catering offering a locally sourced menu of sandwiches, salads, beverages, and baked goods; open daily 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.; for museum visitors and café walk-ins.
• Museum Shop (Retail Store) On-site and online retail store offering museum merchandise, official guidebooks, exhibition catalogs, and historically-themed gifts including clothing and home goods; for museum visitors and online shoppers.
• Venue Rental and Private Events Rental of museum event spaces including the Bank of America Terrace for private events, corporate functions, weddings, and galas; for corporate clients, event planners, and private hosts.
• Museum Membership Program Annual membership program with multiple tiers including General Membership, Museum Circle, Young Friends, Revolution Society, George Washington Council, and National Leadership Council, offering free admission and exclusive member benefits; for individual supporters, families, and corporate matching gift participants.
• American Revolution: The Augmented Exhibition (Licensed AR Exhibit) Licensed augmented-reality exhibition developed in partnership with French technology firm Histovery, using video game technology to showcase key moments of the American Revolution; licensed to partner museums such as the Charlotte Museum of History.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Declaration's Journey exhibition gathered together for the first time in one place rare documents, works of art, and artifacts from around the world reflecting the 250-year history of the Declaration of Independence.

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Bonduelle AmericascoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 July 2026The museum partnered with Bonduelle Americas for 'Red, White & Bleu: Revolutionary Alliances,' a 10-day partnership (July 4-14, 2026) providing special programming to honor France's pivotal role in American independence during the Semiquincentennial.
• Charlotte Museum of HistorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2026The Museum of the American Revolution partnered with the Charlotte Museum of History to develop 'American Revolution: The Augmented Exhibition,' an immersive technology-driven exhibit using augmented reality and video game technology. The exhibit opened April 14, 2026, at Charlotte Museum of History, with exclusive Southeast regional rights for one year within a four-hour radius. The Charlotte museum raised over $1 million in private and public funding for this initiative.
• Histovery (French firm)coreTechnology or Integration · 9 April 2026Histovery, a French technology firm, designed the augmented reality technology for the 'American Revolution: The Augmented Exhibition' partnership with the Charlotte Museum of History, utilizing video game technology to create immersive experiences.
• Griffin CatalystflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 October 2025Griffin Catalyst is the presenting sponsor of 'The Declaration's Journey,' the museum's flagship special exhibition marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence (October 18, 2025 - January 3, 2027).
• WHYYcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 October 2025WHYY produced 'The Declaration's Journey' documentary series in partnership with the museum, exploring how the Declaration's words inspired revolutions and continue to shape pursuit of equality.
• PECOcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPECO partnered with the museum to offer Family Membership packages to Pennsylvania ACCESS card holders and provides discounted parking for members at The Autopark at Olde City.
• American AirlinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmerican Airlines is the preferred airline of the Museum of the American Revolution, providing travel connections for out-of-town visitors.
• Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually ImpairedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Clovernook Center provided tactile graphics of select paintings in the core galleries, including William B. T. Trego's 'March to Valley Forge,' supporting accessibility for guests with visual disabilities.
• Carpenters' Company of PhiladelphiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with The Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia for programs such as the Stacy Schiff lecture on Samuel Adams, held at Carpenters' Hall.
• Oneida NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe museum features the Oneida Nation Theater and the Oneida Nation Atrium, highlighting the Oneida Nation's crucial contribution to the Patriot cause during the Revolutionary War.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Constitution Center: Located on Philadelphia's Independence Mall, the National Constitution Center is the most direct geographic peer — a museum dedicated to the U.S. founding era, charging paid admission, competing for the same tourist and school-group audience within walking distance of the Museum of the American Revolution.
• Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation: A privately operated American history museum with a large artifact collection, paid admission, membership tiers, K-12 educational programming, and a museum store — broadly comparable in operating model, scale, and mix of history content + earned + contributed revenue.
• Independence National Historical Park (Independence Hall, Liberty Bell Center): The National Park Service sites immediately adjacent to the museum in Philadelphia's Old City — Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell Center — are direct competitors for the same tourist itinerary and school-group audience, with the crucial difference that admission is free, anchoring the price reference point for the entire area.
• Fraunces Tavern Museum: A New York City museum housed in a Revolutionary-era building, with paid admission, period rooms, artifact collection, and educational programs — a smaller but directly comparable single-site Revolutionary history peer.
• Mystic Seaport Museum: A Connecticut-based maritime heritage museum with paid admission, a major artifact collection, immersive exhibits, and educational programs — comparable as a privately operated, single-site American history museum using artifacts and re-creation to drive visitation.
• Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum: A Boston-based Revolutionary-era attraction offering paid admission, immersive exhibits, costumed interpreters, and ship-based programming — directly comparable in scale and in the use of experiential/immersive storytelling to monetize Revolutionary-era content.
• Mount Vernon: George Washington's Virginia estate is a privately operated historic site museum with paid admission, a cornerstone artifact collection, immersive exhibits, and a strong school-group and tourist base — making it the closest single-subject Revolutionary-era peer to the Museum of the American Revolution's content focus.
• Colonial Williamsburg: A large-scale living-history museum complex dedicated to the Revolutionary era with paid admission, ticketed programming, retail, and food service — operating a comparable mix of immersive interpretation, educational outreach, and tourism-driven revenue streams as the Museum of the American Revolution.
• Plimoth Patuxet Museums: A Massachusetts-based living-history museum complex featuring immersive interpretation, paid admission, and educational programming centered on early American history — comparable in its use of multi-perspective narrative and experiential exhibits to engage school and family audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian National Museum of American History: The Smithsonian's flagship American history museum in Washington, D.C. offers overlapping subject matter (Revolutionary-era artifacts, including period documents) but operates as part of a much broader portfolio with free admission — competing for scholarly prestige and donor attention rather than paid ticketed visitation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/amrevmuseum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/MuseumoftheAmericanRevolution
• Facebookfacebook.com/AmRevMuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/amrevmuseum

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Museum of the American Revolution