Myth and Memory: Stories of the American Revolution
2026-05-15 11:00 - 2026-11-16 17:00 (America/New_York) | Historic New England – Eustis Estate, 1424 Canton Avenue, Milton, 02186, United States
𝘔𝘺𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺: 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 brings together material from Historic New England’s vast permanent collection of objects and archival materials to explore the multifaceted history of the American Revolution as it played out in New England. These objects tell the stories of everyday people whose lives were linked by the shared experience of revolution. This exhibition engages with the memories and mythologies embedded in this collection, calling attention to how we remember the American Revolution and reckon with its legacy. 𝘔𝘺𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺 spotlights the deeply personal experiences of individuals, families, and communities caught up in extraordinary circumstances, organized around the themes of Resistance, Loyalty, Liberty, and Memory. This intimacy invites audiences to consider what it was like to live through these historic events and to contribute in small and not-so-small ways to the shaping of a new nation.

Lost Liberties - Broken Promises
2026-06-04 10:00 - 2026-11-19 16:00 | Golden Ball Tavern Museum, Boston Post Road 662, Weston, Massachusetts, 02493, United States
” Lost Liberties – Broken Promises” a yearlong exhibit focusing on the enslaved, indigenous, displaced Loyalists, and veterans of Weston who were on the wrong side of history.

Norman Rockwell Museum
2026-06-06 10:00 - 2026-10-26 17:00 | Norman Rockwell Museum, Glendale Road 9, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 01262, United States
In commemoration of America’s 250th founding, Norman Rockwell Museum will present Visions of a Nation: 250 Years from Revolution to Rockwell, from June 6 to October 26, 2026. This sweeping exhibition will portray how artists—from the Revolutionary era to today–emblazoned the ideals and evolving story of America. Organized around nine foundational themes, Visions of a Nation will illuminate how iconic imagery created over centuries helped to reflect and shape what it means to be American.

76 Reading Frederick Douglass Together events in 2026
2026-06-23 - 2026-09-12 | Massachusetts
We believe Frederick Douglass’ words belong in public spaces. Every year we provide grants to support readings of his influential address, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” in town squares, community centers, churches, museums, libraries, parks, and more.
This year, we’re proud to share that a record-high 76 readings will take place across the commonwealth in 2026. Reference the list below to find a reading near you.
Saturday, May 30
Grantee: Boston Review of Books
Location: Malden
Time: 2:00 pm
Wednesday, June 3
Grantee: Massachusetts Voter Education Resource Network
Location: Boston, Gourdin Memorial Park
Time: 1:00 pm
Thursday, June 4
Grantee: Elite 413 Foundation
Location: Zoom
Time: 5:00 pm
Thursday, June 11
Grantee: Lowell Community Charter Public School
Location: Lowell Community Charter Public School, Luna Theater
Time: 6:00 pm
Saturday, June 13
Grantee: Together Hyde Park/ The Forum for Racial Equity
Location: Boston
Time: 11:00 am
Sunday, June 14
Grantee: Jookender Community Initiative
Location: Framingham
Time: 10:00 am
Tuesday, June 16
Grantee: Center for Law and Education
Location: Boston
Time: 12:00 pm
Tuesday, June 16
Grantee: Artists for Humanity
Location: Boston
Time: 4:30 pm
Wednesday, June 17
Grantee: Wellfleet Preservation Hall
Location: Wellfleet
Time: 7:00 pm
Wednesday, June 17
Grantee: Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts (MIFA)
Location: De La Luz Sound Stage, 114 Race St, Holyoke, MA 01040
Time: 5:00 pm
Thursday, June 18
Grantee: Bristol Community College Foundation
Location: Fall River
Time: 4:30 pm
Thursday, June 18
Grantee: Holyoke Media Center
Location: Holyoke
Time: 6:00 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: Medway Marches
Location: Medway
Time: 2:00 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: Westford Museum
Location: Westford
Time: 7:00 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: Recovery Through Innovation
Location: Indian Orchard
Time: 1:00 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: Natick Historical Society
Location: Natick
Time: 10:00 am
Friday, June 19
Grantee: Old Sturbridge Village
Location: Sturbridge
Time: 1:00 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: Brookline for the Culture
Location: Brookline
Time: 12:30 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: City of Salem
Location: Salem
Time: 12:30 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: The Black Response
Location: Cambridge
Time: 1:15 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: Black Business Association of Amherst Area
Location: Amherst
Time: 2:30 pm
Saturday, June 20
Grantee: World of Chibuzo
Location: Boston
Time: 6:00 pm
Saturday, June 20
Grantee: Holliston Public Library
Location: Holliston
Time: 10:00 am
Saturday, June 20
Grantee: Engine Room Section/Hyde Park Lions Club
Location: Hyde Park
Time: 1:00 pm
Saturday, June 20
Grantee: The David and Joyce Milne Public Library
Location: Williamstown
Time: 11:00 am
Sunday, June 21
Grantee: Berkshire Community College Foundation
Location: Pittsfield
Time: 12:00 pm
Thursday, June 25
Grantee: Forbes House Museum
Location: Milton
Time: 7:00 pm
Friday, June 26
Grantee: Mass Humanities, Museum of African American History | Boston and Nantucket, and Community Change
Location: Boston Common
Time: 12:00 pm
Friday, June 26
Grantee: NAACP Worcester
Location: Worcester
Time: 12:00 pm
Saturday, June 27
Grantee: Rediscover Mapledale
Location: Stow
Time: 10:30 am
Saturday, June 27
Grantee: Historic Beverly
Location: Beverly
Time: 10:00 am
Saturday, June 27
Grantee: Hawthorne Youth and Community Center
Location: Roxbury
Time: 2:00 pm
Saturday, June 27
Grantee: Bristol Black Collective
Location: Fall River
Time: 12:30 pm
Saturday, June 27
Grantee: Everyday Boston
Location: Boston
Time: TBD
Sunday, June 28
Grantee: The John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum Foundation
Location: Hyannis
Time: 1:00 pm
Tuesday, June 30
Grantee: The Wayland Museum & Historical Society
Location: Wayland
Time: 7:00 pm
Tuesday, June 30
Grantee: Somerville Museum
Location: Somerville
Time: 6:00 pm
Wednesdsay, July 1
Grantee: Greenfield Community Television
Location: Greenfield
Time: 5:00 pm
Wednesdsay, July 1
Grantee: Reading Public Library
Location: Reading
Time: 6:30 pm
Wednesdsay, July 1
Grantee: Haitian Studies Association
Location: Vineyard Haven
Time: 5:00 pm
Thursday, July 2
Grantee: Town of Swampscott & S.U.R.E. Diversity
Location: Swampscott
Time: 4:00 pm
Friday, July 3
Grantee: Northshore Juneteenth Association
Location: Lynn
Time: 11:00 am
Friday, July 3
Grantee: Museum of African American History | Boston and Nantucket
Location: Nantucket
Time: 12:00 pm
Saturday, July 4
Grantee: Wakullah Street Community Garden
Location: Boston
Time: 2:00 pm
Saturday, July 4
Grantee: Drag Story Hour Berkshires
Location: Pittsfield
Time: 1:00 pm
Saturday, July 4
Grantee: Plainfield Reads
Location: Plainfield, Alden Pavilion
Time: 10:00 am
Saturday, July 4
Grantee: Old Parish Preservation Volunteers
Location: Norwood
Time: 2:00 pm
Saturday, July 4
Grantee: Solidarity Arts & Education Decolonial initiatives (SAEDi) Collective
Location: Auburn
Time: 1:00 pm
Saturday, July 4
Grantee: Royall House and Slave Quarters
Location: Medford
Time: TBD
Sunday, July 5
Grantee: Cape Cod Cape Verdean Museum and Cultural Center
Location: East Falmouth
Time: 4:00 pm
Sunday, July 5
Grantee: South Congregational Church
Location: Amherst
Time: 3:00 pm
Sunday, July 5
Grantee: Castle of Our Skins
Location: Roxbury
Time: 3:00 pm
Sunday, July 5
Grantee: Unitarian Universalist Society of Grafton and Upton
Location: Grafton
Time: 5:00 pm
Sunday, July 5
Grantee: Newburyport Preservation Trust
Location: Newburyport
Time: 10:00 am
Sunday, July 5
Grantee: The Poets’ Theatre of Boston
Location: Belmont
Time: 3:00 pm
Monday, July 6
Grantee: Marion Art Center
Location: Marion
Time: 1:00 pm
Wednesday, July 8
Grantee:Multicultural AIDS Coalition
Location: Roxbury
Time: 5:30 pm
Wednesday, July 8
Grantee: Whittier Home Association
Location: Rocky Hill Meeting House, Amesbury
Time: 6:00 pm
Saturday, July 11
Grantee: African American Association of Brockton
Location: Brockton
Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Saturday, July 18
Grantee: Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services
Location: Springfield
Time: 5:00 pm
Wednesday, July 22
Grantee: Indian Orchard Citizens Council
Location: Springfield
Time: 2:00 pm
Saturday, September 12
Grantee: Porter-Phelps-Huntington Foundation
Location: Hadley
Time: 2:00 pm
Saturday, September 12
Grantee: Think Outside The Vox
Location: Littleton
Time: TBD

Independence on Martha's Vineyard: Then, Now & Forever
2026-07-05 11:00 - 2026-09-06 14:00 | Vincent House, Main Street 99, Edgartown, Massachusetts, 02539, United States
Independence on Martha’s Vineyard: Then, Now & Forever is an immersive exhibition that explores how independence has shaped the Island over 250 years. Through historic objects and storytelling, this exhibit reveals the distinct culture of self-determination and the lasting influence of Revolutionary ideals on Vineyard life. Exhibit open Tuesdays-Saturdays, July 4-September 5: 11:00am-2:00pm.
The Vincent House, the Vineyard’s oldest home, is the stage for this exhibit, which is presented as part of the Commonwealth’s MA250 commemorations, made possible by the Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation and the MV Mass Cultural Council.

Salt and Survival: The Untold Story of the Revolution
2026-07-09 13:00 - 2026-08-29 16:00, 2026-07-16 13:00 - 2026-09-05 16:00, 2026-07-23 13:00 - 2026-09-12 16:00, 2026-07-30 13:00 - 2026-09-19 16:00, 2026-08-06 13:00 - 2026-09-26 16:00, 2026-08-13 13:00 - 2026-10-03 16:00, 2026-08-20 13:00 - 2026-10-10 16:00 | Jericho Historical Center, Old Main Street 90, Dennis, Massachusetts, 02670, United States
School lessons about the American Revolution often focus on the Boston Tea Party—but far fewer people learn about the importance of salt.
Cod fishing, Cape Cod’s biggest industry, relied on salt for preserving fish for export. British blockades, designed to cripple coastal communities, were preventing salt being imported.
In response, colonists relied on the sun and their ingenuity. Captain John Sears of Dennis designed the first saltworks, using solar evaporation to produce the salt essential for preserving fish and eliminating the dependance on imported goods.
At the Jericho Historical Center discover the history of the first saltworks, explore a detailed model, see a demonstration of solar evaporation, and view photographs and early artifacts.
In addition, tour an historic full cape house built in 1801, and occupied by the Baker family until 1955, containing 19th century furnishings, textiles, paintings and keepsakes. In the barn, tools and equipment from the 1800s are displayed, as well as a carriage that raced at Riverside Trotting Park. The General Store is a reminder of the important role such gathering places played in the community’s economic and social life. Of special interest is the cranberry exhibit which tells the 200-year-old story of cranberry cultivation; an industry that began in Dennis in 1816!

Vineyard Preservation Trust Walking Tour: Independence on Foot
2026-07-10 14:00 - 2026-09-26 15:30, 2026-07-11 14:00 - 2026-09-27 15:30, 2026-07-17 14:00 - 2026-10-03 15:30, 2026-07-18 14:00 - 2026-10-04 15:30, 2026-07-24 14:00 - 2026-10-10 15:30, 2026-07-25 14:00 - 2026-10-11 15:30, 2026-07-31 14:00 - 2026-10-17 15:30, 2026-08-01 14:00 - 2026-10-18 15:30 and 6 more dates | Vincent House, Main Street 99, Edgartown, Massachusetts, 02539, United States
Meet historian Norah Van Riper in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, for Independence on Foot, a spirited walking tour exploring Martha’s Vineyard’s revolutionary past. Beginning at the Vincent House Museum, this 90-minute walking tour connects Edgartown sites, stories, and civic ideals – bringing the Island’s role in the American Revolution and its independent spirit to life. Participating families receive a President’s for Kids activity book.

The Life and Times of Paul Revere
2026-07-30 17:00 - 2026-08-27 18:00 | Hazen Memorial Library, 3 Keady Way, Shirley, MA, 01464, United States
Join Kevin Driscoll as he portrays Paul Revere in honor of America’s 250th Birthday.
This program is funded by the Shirley Cultural Council.

Freedom Trail Foundation Rainbow Revolutionaries Tour
2026-08-23 10:45 - 12:15 | Robert Gould Shaw & 54th Regiment Monument], Tremont Street 139, Boston, Massachusetts, 02111, United States
Boston’s newest official Freedom Trail Tour! The Foundation’s Rainbow Revolutionaries Tours illuminate the lives, loves, and fights for liberty of Boston’s LGBTQ+ community, and explore how queer individuals have been making history for centuries. Uncover the history of Boston Marriages, political milestones for LGBTQ+ rights, and the storied romances of some of Boston’s most famous individuals, from literary giants to a world-renowned actress, and even a Revolutionary war hero. Join in to bring this history to life and celebrate Pride by discovering the achievements of the people who have always been a part of and have helped shape Boston.
PLEASE NOTE: The tour features sites in Beacon Hill, where bricked sidewalks and hills can be difficult to traverse while using mobility aids.

Revolution 250 Salem Tour
2026-08-23 11:00 - 12:30 | Salem Historical Tours, Central Street 8, Salem, Massachusetts, 01970, United States
Everyone knows Salem for the 1692 Witchcraft Trials, but did you know that Salem made significant contributions to the American Revolution? The shot heard round the world almost happened in Salem, the town was known for its Privateers (legal Pirates) who were the most successful against the British Navy and British military governor General Thomas Gage encountered some of his biggest challenges to his authority in Salem.
We always say that without Salem, the United States may not be the same United States we know today.
Come to Salem as part of the Rev250 Celebration and learn the incredible role our patriots played in the start of our country.
https://www.salemhistoricaltours.com/revolution-250-tour

Boston: Harbor History Waterfront Walking Tour
2026-08-23 15:30 - 17:00 | Boston Harbor Islands Welcome Center, Atlantic Avenue 191 W, Boston, MA, 02110, United States
Boston Harbor has undergone significant transformation over four centuries. Experience Boston’s rich maritime heritage and contemporary vibrancy on a 1.5-hour stroll along the Boston Harborwalk, led by an expert local guide. The tour begins at the Boston Harbor Islands Welcome Center on the Rose Kennedy Greenway—site of the “Big Dig”—and concludes at Fan Pier in the dynamic Seaport district, offering exceptional views throughout.
This small group walking tour explores the evolution of Boston’s waterfront, from its origins as a colonial port in the British Empire; through its development as a major center for shipping, fishing, and global trade; to its rebirth as a hub for modern commerce, tourism, and recreation. As you venture through the heart of the Boston Harborwalk, gain insight into the city’s significant efforts to expand and revitalize its waterfront infrastructure, greenspace, and public access.
Hub Town Tours delivers a compelling introduction to Boston’s identity as America’s “city by the sea.” Hear engaging stories as you pass historic landmarks and architectural highlights, illustrating the remarkable shoreline transformation from an industrial area and “dirty water” dumping ground to a vibrant public space beside one of the cleanest harbors in the United States.
