Salute the 240th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence during “Liberty Celebration,” July 3 and 4 at the Yorktown Victory Center, a museum of the American Revolution.
From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days, visitors can enjoy music, interpretive programs, military drills and artillery demonstrations, and learn about the challenges that faced our nation’s founders, including those who signed the Declaration of Independence.
The Fifes and Drums of York Town will perform on the museum’s event lawn at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 3, and at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 4. The Cigar Box String Band will play traditional American tunes at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. on both days, and visitors are encouraged to join in singing familiar songs.
“The Price of Liberty,” a daily program held at noon at the museum’s re-created Revolution-period farm, examines the sacrifices of Americans who declared independence from Great Britain – from individuals who signed the Declaration to farmers, Loyalists, women and enslaved people. The program will be followed by a reading of the Declaration of Independence.
At the re-created Continental Army encampment, visitors can join an 18th-century artillery crew at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., followed by historical interpreters firing a salute to our nation’s founders. Visitors can learn about secret codes used during the Revolutionary War during a daily program on espionage at 5 p.m. On the museum’s event lawn, visitors can take part in a wooden-musket drill at 1 p.m. each day and, at 4 p.m., train as a member of the Virginia militia.
At 2 p.m. each day, visitors to the Revolution-era farm can join in a protest of the stamp tax imposed by the British. Daily garden tours at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. offer a look at heirloom vegetables and herbs growing in the kitchen garden.
Indoors, visitors can enjoy showings of Revolution-theme films in a 170-seat theater and an illustrated timeline spanning the second half of the 18th century. The current exhibit, “Creating Our New Museum” provides a multimedia, interactive encounter with the permanent galleries and introductory film that will premiere with the museum’s transition to the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown in mid-October 2016.
The Yorktown Victory Center’s “Liberty Celebration” daytime events complement the Yorktown Fourth of July Celebration taking place in historic Yorktown on the evening of July 4.
Liberty Celebration activities are funded in part by the York County Arts Commission and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc., Annual Fund.
Hours, Directions & Parking
The Yorktown Victory Center, open daily as the site is transformed into the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, is located on Route 1020 near the Colonial Parkway in Yorktown. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through August 15, parking at the Yorktown Victory Center is free for museum visitors. A free shuttle service is available to historic Yorktown until 5 p.m. on the Yorktown Trolley.
Tickets & Packages
Residents of York County, James City County and the City of Williamsburg, including College of William and Mary students, receive complimentary admission with proof of residency.
Yorktown Victory Center admission is $9.75 for adults and $5.50 for youth ages 6 through 12. Children under age 6 receive complimentary admission. A value-priced combination ticket with Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th-century Virginia, is $21.25 for adults and $10.75 for ages 6-12.
For the same price as a one-time combination ticket, Virginia residents are eligible to purchase anannual pass – available only online – for visits throughout the year. Additional ticket and package options are available with other Williamsburg area attractions, including Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens.
For more information about “Liberty Celebration,” call (888) 593-4682 toll-free or (757) 253-4838 or visit http://www.historyisfun.org/yorktown-victory-center/liberty-celebration/.