Exhibitions
Upcoming Exhibitions
1776: Declaring Independence
6 March through 19 December, 2026
Location: Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston
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.
This exhibition is funded in part by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism.
MHS Gallery Hours:
Visit hours and admission for hours and closings due to holidays and other events.
Monday, and Wednesday through Friday, from 9:30 AM to 4:45 PM
Tuesday from 9:30 AM to 7:45 PM (galleries open at 12:00 PM on the second Tuesday of the month)
Saturday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Please note: the last admission will be 45 minutes prior to closing.
The Road to Revolution: Massachusetts and the Independence Movement
10 February 2026, through 3 January 2027
Location: Old State House, 206 Washington Street, Boston
Encounter voices of the past and consider how the choices made in 1775 and 1776 continue to shape our democracy today.
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 through private letters, personal diary entries, and treasured artifacts. The exhibition offers a dynamic and engaging look at how and why Massachusetts residents chose revolution as the path forward.
Learn more about hours and admissions.
This exhibition is funded in part by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism.
