MA250

The Road to Revolution: Massachusetts and the Independence Movement
2026-06-11 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-10 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-09 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-08 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-07 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-06 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-05 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-04 10:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) and 2 more dates | 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.

1776: Declaring Independence
2026-06-11 09:30 - 16:00, 2026-06-10 09:30 - 16:00, 2026-06-09 09:30 - 16:00, 2026-06-08 09:30 - 16:00, 2026-06-06 09:30 - 16:00, 2026-06-05 09:30 - 16:00, 2026-06-04 09:30 - 16:00, 2026-06-03 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

AudaTours Stoneham Audio Tour: Timeless Tales of Historic Pride and Heritage
2026-06-10 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-06-09 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-06-08 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-06-07 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-06-06 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-06-05 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-06-04 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-06-03 12:00 - 14:00 and 1 more date | 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.

Calling All Kids, Patriots And Sailors: Revolutionary Summer Saturdays
2026-06-06 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

NRM announces landmark exhibition in honor of the U.S. Semiquincentennial
2026-06-06 08:00 - 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.

Revolution 250 in Yarmouth, Massachusetts
2026-06-05 - 2026-06-07 | Captain Bangs Hallet House & Museum, Strawberry Lane 11, Yarmouth, Massachusetts, 02675, United States
In celebration of the Semiquincentennial of our nation, The Historical Society of Old Yarmouth is holding a series of commemorations, lectures, demonstrations & outdoor events.
Beginning with the June 5th grand re-opening day/weekend of the Captain Bangs Hallet House & Museum, there will be new exhibits, including on the Revolutionary War, highlighting Captain Joshua Gray commander of the local militia. Events will range from telling the stories of Yarmouth’s involvement in the American Revolution to showing how trades such as printing & glassmaking were performed in support of the war effort. Research by the Society indicates nearly 70% of Yarmouth males over the age of sixteen participated in the Revolution. A new monument commemorating these 445 participants will be dedicated with the celebration to include the State SAR Militia, demonstrations & insights from characters in period dress performing in plays or talking graveside in the Ancient Cemetery about a veteran’s service. Many will take place on June 20, 2026 as on this day in 1776, the inhabitants of Yarmouth raised a Liberty Pole & declared a state of independence from Great Britain, two weeks before the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress. More events will occur through July 4th & the summer, concluding with a special marking of each grave of the Revolutionary War heroes of Yarmouth. Please visit https://www.hsoy.org/events to sign up.
