Civics PlaybookThe Museum of the American Revolution
- Mission: The Museum of the American Revolution uncovers and shares compelling stories about the diverse people and complex events that sparked America’s ongoing experiment in liberty, equality and self-government.
- Geographic Focus: National
- Audience: K-12 students and teachers, college students and teachers, historians, families, everyone!
- Budget: $12 million
- Focus Areas and Core Competencies:
- Lectures, exhibits, workshops located at the museum
- Teacher resources
- Online exhibits
- Object-centered learning
Develop Curiosity, Historical Empathy and Civic Knowledge in our Rising Generations
Impact: The Museum of the American Revolution
The Museum welcomed more than 6,500 individuals through free admission and access programs and 45,383 students in the 2022-2023 fiscal year and was named one of USA Today’s “10 Best” history museums in the United States for 2024.
A Conversation with R. Scott Stephenson, President and CEO of the Museum of the American Revolution
Q: What is the mission of the Museum of the American Revolution? What problem(s) in civics education is your nonprofit working to solve?
The Museum’s mission is to uncover and share compelling stories about the diverse people and complex events that sparked America’s ongoing experiment in liberty, equality and self-government. We work to fulfill this mission through engaging, immersive object-rich exhibitions, innovative programs and digital content aimed at a broad range of audiences, including families, students and educators.
By broadening traditional narratives about the nation’s founding and founders, emphasizing deeply researched stories about ways that real people and communities faced challenges, we are working to develop curiosity and historical empathy in our rising generations. Civic education often focuses on the “how to” to the exclusion of the “why should I care?” We believe that our narrative approach can act as a kind of “prebiotic” to help build more effective civic education and engagement.
Q: How do you describe the big goals the Museum of the American Revolution is working to achieve? How do you measure impact?
At the highest level, we are working to change the nation’s relationship with its revolutionary past and to instill a sense of pride, hope and ownership of our centuries-long quest to form a more perfect union. Sometimes, we can measure impact right away as visitors share their immediate reactions to the stories we tell.
As a newer museum (opened in April 2017), we are early in the process of developing longitudinal studies of, for example, the impact we have on students and educators who engage with our content. We are actively engaged in a three-year evaluation and refinement process for our historical simulation program that develops historical empathy skills in high school students.
Q: What are some of the biggest challenges the Museum of the American Revolution has experienced in working to accomplish its mission? How did your organization overcome those challenges?
The pandemic hit just as we were entering our third year of operation. That was the very moment when young institutions like ours are typically hitting their stride as the staff coalesce into an effective team, visitation stabilizes after a “newness” phase and public awareness of our existence through marketing, media coverage and word of mouth accelerates.
Fortunately, we entered this challenging time in a stronger financial position than many peers and were able to retain the core team that we had invested so much in recruiting and training. During the pandemic years of depressed visitation, we were able to expand our digital presence, developing virtual field trips and new content that expanded our audiences as we waited for in-person attendance to rebound.
Q: What is the Museum of the American Revolution’s biggest need where philanthropists can help your organization achieve its goals?
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, and the Museum’s 10th anniversary in 2027, we have identified several key strategic investments that will expand the Museum’s reach and impact and strengthen its long-term institutional health and sustainability. These include expanding our digital presence with new content for educators and students, launching a national teacher network, establishing dedicated funds to support the Museum’s acclaimed exhibition and education programs and strengthening the endowment. It is important to add that dependable annual operating support for the truly excellent work that is already occurring is actually one of our greatest needs.
Q: Beyond the Museum of the American Revolution, where should philanthropists who care about advancing civic knowledge invest their charitable dollars?
There is good evidence that children who are exposed to cultural experiences, including art, music and history, perform better in school and become more civically interested and engaged. This is especially true for children who have these experiences with their families. It’s time to broaden our view of the institutions that build and strengthen civic knowledge and spark curiosity so that we ensure that rising generations understand “why should I care” as well as “how it works.”
Contact Our Team
Contact the Roundtable’s Programs team to learn more about this investment opportunity.