MA250

The Aspirations of Ordinary People - Stories of the American Revolution from a local perspective
2026-06-19 08:00 - 14:00, 2026-06-20 08:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | North Andover Historical Society, 800 Massachusetts Ave., North Andover, 01845, United States
The Andover revolutionaries understood that creating a truly free society would take many generations. Their records and artifacts, preserved at the North Andover Historical Society, are here to remind us that history matters. They depict stories of battles won, hardships endured, hometown and battleground heroes, and the start of a long fight for liberty, equality and justice. Their ideals and aspirations are the standards by which we measure our progress today.
Come discover the amazing stories brought to life at the North Andover Historical Society (NAHS) through REV250, a series of programs and exhibits dedicated to the American Revolution.
The exhibit will be open every week, Tuesday through Saturday, from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm Please check the website for more information.

The Road to Revolution: Massachusetts and the Independence Movement
2026-06-19 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-20 10:00 - 17:00 | Old State House, 206 Washington St, Boston, MA, 02109, United States
Explore major Massachusetts events in the first year of the American Revolution at the Old State House, where protest turned into action and the momentum for independence accelerated. Created through a partnership between Revolutionary Spaces and the Massachusetts Historical Society, The Road to Revolution: Massachusetts and the Independence Movement invites visitors to step into 1775 and 1776—a moment defined by uncertainty, debate, and decisions that would reshape the world.

Patriots of Color Exhibition
2026-06-19 10:00 - 18:00, 2026-06-20 10:00 - 18:00 | Family Heritage Experience, Newbury Street 97, Boston, Massachusetts, 02116, United States
Patriots of Color, a new exhibit in the Family Heritage Experience at American Ancestors, sheds light on the overlooked histories of Black, Native, and multiracial men and women who fought, labored, and led in the struggle for American independence across all thirteen colonies. Through documents, personal narratives, and digital interactives, the exhibition uncovers the courage and resilience of those whose contributions helped shape a new nation, even as they continued to confront inequality and enslavement.
Bridging past and present, Patriots of Color highlights the voices of descendants who are reclaiming these stories today—connecting revolutionary ideals of freedom and justice to the ongoing pursuit of equality in America.
Entrance to the exhibit is included in admission to the Family Heritage Experience and can be purchased either in person or online.

Juneteenth Open House at the MFA
2026-06-19 10:00 - 22:00 | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Admission to the MFA is free for all Massachusetts residents on June 19 in honor of Juneteenth, the oldest nationally observed commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Join us for performances, participate in art-making activities, catch a talk, see art, and more. Activities are for visitors of all ages and abilities unless otherwise noted.
America at 250 Open House
Join us Saturday, June 20, the day after Juneteenth, for an open house celebrating the MFA’s reimagined galleries of 18th-century art of the Americas. Admission is free for Massachusetts residents.

The Revolutions of The Ashley House
2026-06-19 11:00 - 12:00 | The Ashley House, Cooper Hill Road 117, Sheffield, Massachusetts, 01257, United States
Discover how the ideals of liberty and justice played out in complex ways within this 18th-century homestead on a thought-provoking guided tour.
This wasn’t just the home of prominent patriot John Ashley and his family, but also of the people they enslaved here. One of them, Elizabeth ‘Mum Bett’ Freeman, has long been lauded for her courageous and impactful freedom suit that helped end slavery in Massachusetts. While Freeman has reached near legendary status, the stories of other enslaved people, including her daughter Betsey, her co-defendant Brom, brothers Zach and Adam Mullen, John Sheldon, Harry, Caesar, and Mary are just being rediscovered through recent, ongoing research.
Set against the backdrop of Revolutionary-era New England, the tour offers a deeper, more inclusive understanding of liberty, justice, and the power of individual courage.
Pre-registration is required as space is limited.

Brewing Massachusetts: How Beer Shaped the Bay State
2026-06-19 11:30 - 16:30, 2026-06-20 11:30 - 16:30 | Indian House Memorial, Old Main Street 107, Deerfield, MA, 01342, United States
We are proud to introduce our most ambitious exhibit ever, titled “Brewing Massachusetts: How Beer Shaped the Bay State,” made possible by a grant from Massachusetts 250 and the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT). Through rare artifacts, photographs, and documents, this exhibit will tell the story of Massachusetts brewers from the Pilgrims to the present. This exhibit will be held in a rebuilt Revolutionary era tavern and tickets will be $5. Come see it starting May 30th at 107 Old Main Street in Deerfield at the Indian House Memorial.
No state has been more impacted by brewing than Massachusetts. But this story hasn’t been told in one place, until now. “Brewing Massachusetts” will be open during the 250th anniversary of 1776, a landmark nationwide event that will shine a spotlight on American history. We want to incorporate the entire state in our celebration of the History of Brewing, and what better way than to include all of Massachusetts.

AudaTours Stoneham Audio Tour: Timeless Tales of Historic Pride and Heritage
2026-06-19 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-06-20 12:00 - 14:00 | Nobility Hill Historic District, Stoneham, Massachusetts, 02180, United States
In Stoneham, the shadows of colonial fires and twentieth-century neon flicker side by side. Few realize how many secrets linger behind these iconic facades.
This self-guided audio tour leads straight through the city’s untold stories. Encounter corners and chapters that even locals walk past, and let carefully crafted tales reveal what hides beneath the ordinary.
Why did a quiet night at the Bernard Cogan House erupt into controversy that changed a neighborhood? Who vanished beneath the glowing beacon of Stoneham’s eerily beautiful gas station? What explains the perfectly preserved pencil marks under the Warren Sweetser House staircase?
Move between centuries as you cross storied main streets and hidden lanes. Each step peels back another layer of rebellion, ambition, and intrigue, letting Stoneham rise up around you as never before.
Tap play and see how deep Stoneham’s shadows can stretch. The secrets are waiting.

Act Worthy of Yourselves: A Re-Imagining of Joseph Warren’s Funeral
2026-06-19 19:30 - 21:00, 2026-06-20 14:00 - 15:30, 2026-06-20 19:30 - 21:00 | King’s Chapel, Tremont Street 58, Boston, Massachusetts, 02108, United States
April 1776. The British army has finally left Boston. Now, nearly a year after his death, friends and family can finally hold a funeral for Dr. Joseph Warren.
Inside King’s Chapel, his brother, his fiancée, and his good friend Paul Revere gather to mourn Warren and to make sense of their loss. Outside the Chapel, two Black abolitionists wonder what this revolution will mean for them. A play about memory, legacy, and the potential and pitfalls of the American Revolution.
Come join the King’s Chapel History Program for a thrilling story about freedom, the life of a man often only recognized for his death, and the larger fight for freedom, all at the location where this funeral took place in 1776!

Special Exhibit: Mary Baker Eddy and Her Revolutionary Legacy
2026-06-20, 2026-06-21 | How Do You See the World? experience, Massachusetts Avenue 210, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
Learn about the revolutionary ideas and historical legacy of Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910) — one of the only women to found a worldwide religion — in a temporary exhibit this spring and summer at the Christian Science Plaza celebrating MA250: Mary Baker Eddy and Her Revolutionary Legacy.
This free exhibit is part of the interactive How Do You See the World?® experience, exploring the world through a lens of hope, progress, and generosity. Walk through the three-story, stained glass Mapparium® globe (ticketed) that shows the world as it was in 1935 — from the inside of the world, looking out. You can then explore “Our World: Mapping Progress,” an exhibit featuring stories from The Christian Science Monitor, the Pulitzer Prize-winning international news source headquartered in the building. Learn more about Eddy’s remarkable life and the global church she founded in “Christian Science and Mary Baker Eddy.”
This special exhibit will be open through spring and summer 2026 as part of the statewide MA250 celebrations. Tickets for the Mapparium® globe are free for youth under 18, $6 for adults. All other exhibits, including this special exhibit, are free.
Hours of operation:
Monday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Tuesday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
The How Do You See the World?® experience is located at 210 Massachusetts Ave. in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay.
For additional information and to buy tickets to the Mapparium® globe, please visit christianscience.com/howdoyouseetheworld

New England Cider & Strings Festival
2026-06-20 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-20 14:00 - 2026-06-22 19:00 | Red Apple Farm, Highland Avenue 455, Phillipston, Massachusetts, 01331, United States
Celebrate Massachusetts heritage at Red Apple Farm’s New England Cider & Strings Festival, a two-day event honoring the craftsmanship, traditions, and community spirit that shaped New England. Set on a fourth-generation family farm in Phillipston, this summer festival brings together live music, artisan vendors, historical demonstrations, and local hard cider for a weekend rooted in tradition.
Visitors can explore blacksmithing, timber framing, oxen demonstrations, and historical presentations while enjoying food, music, and hard cider tastings throughout the day. The festival offers a hands-on look at early New England skills and storytelling in a welcoming orchard setting.
Join us June 20 and 21, 2026, from 11AM to 6PM for a memorable weekend celebrating Massachusetts history, agriculture, and local craftsmanship. Free on-site parking available, with premium parking upgrades offered.

Townsend Celebrates America’s 250th Birthday
2026-06-20 09:00 - 16:00 | Townsend Common, 2 School St, Townsend, MA 01469, School Street 2, Townsend, Massachusetts, 01469, United States
Townsend has always been a community that honors its past while looking toward the future, and now we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate both. As our nation marks America’s 250th birthday, Townsend has been hosting a series of events that will lead up to a grand finale: a 250th Anniversary Parade and Old Home Day Celebration on Saturday, June 20, 2026. This date is special because on June 20, 1776, Townsend voted to support our country’s independence.
This will be more than just a parade. It will be a hometown celebration of who we are, where we’ve come from, and the people who make this community strong. The parade will start from Scales Lane at 11:00 a.m., travel down Main Street, and end at the Town Common, where the Old Home Day festivities will continue with games, local food, and displays such as antique cars.

Battle of Gloucester Reenactment Events
2026-06-20 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-21 08:00 - 16:00 | Stage Fort Park, Hough Avenue 24, Gloucester, Massachusetts, 01930, United States
On Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21, witness the Stage Fort Park transform into 18th-century Gloucester, through battle reenactments, both by land and sea, civilian encampments, historical programming, and more.
The Battle of Gloucester is one of the lesser known battles of the Revolutionary War that played a major factor in the formation of the Continental Navy. The American soldiers’ ability to defeat the British Navy, the most powerful of the time, as they attempted to raid the Gloucester Harbor, instilled a confidence in the Americans that sparked the eventual creation and birth of the U.S. Navy.
Battle reenactments will be held at 10 a.m. (by sea) and 2 p.m. (by land) on both Saturday and Sunday. Throughout the day, visitors can meet citizens of 1775 Gloucester, browse 18th century shops, and explore a Revolutionary War Encampment.

1776: Declaring Independence
2026-06-20 09:30 - 16:00 | Massachusetts Historical Society, Boylston Street 1154, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
Featuring manuscripts, artifacts, and rarely seen treasures, this exhibition captures a monumental moment in American history.
In 1776, people grappled with ideas of liberty, loyalty, and the role of government in society. Private letters, intimate diaries, and newspaper accounts reveal how the Declaration of Independence grew from draft to founding document. 1776: Declaring Independence spotlights handwritten copies of the Declaration by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson as well as multiple early printings, including a rare Dunlap broadside. On and off the page, we explore how it echoed across the commonwealth and around the world, reshaping the colonists’ chances of launching a new nation. How did the Declaration change Americans’ quest for liberty, then and now? We invite visitors to trace the Declaration’s complex legacy as a national beacon for celebration and protest.
Check here for closures and more admission information: https://www.masshist.org/visit/hours-and-admission

Calling All Kids, Patriots And Sailors: Revolutionary Summer Saturdays
2026-06-20 10:00 - 13:00 | Custom House Maritime Museum, Water Street 25, Newburyport, Massachusetts, 01950, United States
FREE outdoor and indoor activities for kids all summer long
Building on the success of the Road to Revolution partnership programs, each Saturday from now until the end of September, the museum will host children’s outdoor and indoor programming. The hugely successful Discovery Center experience will extend out onto the lawn with 15 new activity stations. Rolling River Printmakers of New England will partner this week with an activity station to make prints. A rideable dolphin and elephant, courtesy of local sculptor Jeff Briggs, along with a bouncy castle, pirate boat with water guns, plus water, sand and craft tables await.
This free program runs from 10 am to 1 pm thanks to generous sponsorship from the Institution for Savings and the Local Cultural Council.
Looking ahead, in September, the museum is pleased to partner with Imagine Studios on a fascinating project to burn and carve out of a pine log and shape into a 20 foot long mishoon (dugout canoe) using traditional methods. Led by Imagine Studios, Darius Coombs of the Mashpee Wampanoag and Jonathan Petty of the Aquinnah Wampanoag will carve over successive weekends. Sponsored by the New England Foundation for the Arts, and with in-kind support from New England Development, the goal is to launch on Indigenous Peoples Day on Oct. 11.
We hope you can join us.–James

Legacy of Liberty: Yarmouth’s 250th Anniversary Celebration
2026-06-20 10:00 - 15:00 | Fred Thacher Playground, Old Church Street 1, Yarmouth, MA, 02675, United States
Join us on Saturday, June 20, 2026, as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of Yarmouth’s own Declaration of Independence.
Step back into the year 1776 and experience the spirit of the American Revolution right here in Yarmouth Port. This event is a powerful tribute to the 477 “Old Yarmouth” patriots who fought for our freedom, brought to life through moving ceremonies and a vibrant community fair. Our Living History Fair will feature local militia, colonial craft demonstrators, living history interpreters, and an Ancient Cemetery tour. This event is free and open to all. For more information visit bit.ly/yarmouth250

America 250 Open House at the MFA
2026-06-20 10:00 - 17:00 | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the United States, the MFA is reimagining its display of 18th-century art of the Americas—and you’re invited to celebrate the grand opening with free admission and a day of exciting programs!
Be among the first to experience these eight new galleries, which reflect on the early history of the US and bring together works from across the Americas—integrating Native and non-native, North, South, and Central American, and Caribbean art—to consider how artists have contributed to, or in some cases resisted, ideas of nationhood and identity.
Engage with the galleries and their themes of resistance, liberty, and revolution through art making, performances, talks, and more. Activities are for visitors of all ages and abilities unless otherwise noted.
Free Juneteenth Admission for MA Residents
Can’t wait to explore the new 18th-century art of the Americas galleries? Join us on Friday, June 19, to get an early look at these spaces while participating in art-making activities, catching talks, and more in honor of Juneteenth.

Freedom Trail Foundation Rainbow Revolutionaries Tour
2026-06-20 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.

America 250: Women of ’76: True Stories of Revolutionary-Era Women
2026-06-20 12:00 - 13:30 | Joseph H. Plumb Memorial Library, 17 Constitution Way, Rochester, MA, 02770, United States
This program highlights the true stories of Revolutionary-era women, including Prudence Cummings Wright, who organized and led a band of women to capture two Tory spies. Step back in time and discover the untold stories of 5 courageous women, both patriot and loyalist, American and foreign born, who witnessed, chronicled, and in some cases changed the course of the American Revolution.
This program is presented in partnership with the Rochester Historical Society and is supported by a grant from the Rochester Cultural Council, a local agency that is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Keynote at the Adams Theater: Stacy Schiff
2026-06-20 16:00 - 17:00 | The Adams Theater, Adams, MA, Park Street 27, Adams, MA, 01220, United States
Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer and Adams native Stacy Schiff returns home for a special MA250 Festival keynote on June 20, 2026.
In conversation with interlocutor Sara Houghteling, Schiff will explore the fiery origins of the American Revolution as detailed in her latest work, The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams, while offering an exclusive look at her current research into the final years of Benjamin Franklin.
This homecoming event offers a rare opportunity to engage with one of the preeminent writers of our time in an intimate setting. The program includes live readings, a direct audience Q&A, and a post-event book signing, celebrating the enduring power of perspective and historical storytelling in the heart of the Berkshires.

From Plimoth to Yorktown: A Concert of Early American Music
2026-06-20 16:00 - 17:00 | American Ancestors, Newbury Street 97, Boston, MA, 02116, United States
Seven Times Salt marks the 250th anniversary of the nation with a live concert! This performance will trace a musical lineage from the settlement at Plimoth, to the eve of the Revolution, and victory at Yorktown. English catches and early shape note hymns lead to songs of liberty, rants against taxation and tyranny, wartime laments, and even some of George Washington’s favorite dance tunes. The program includes works by Thomas Arne and William Billings, selections from the Ainsworth Psalter and the Bay Psalm Book, and a pleasing variety of dance tunes from eighteenth-century American manuscripts.
Featuring:
Julia Soojin Cavallaro – Mezzo-soprano, percussion
Karen Burciaga – Violin, guitar, alto
Dan Meyers, recorders – Flute, percussion, baritone
Josh Schreiber – Viol, cello, bass
Matthew Wright – Lute, guitar, tenor
