This year’s Independence Day may look and feel a bit different—no big fireworks displays, parades or concerts. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still celebrate our nation’s biggest day in a big way! Don your red, white and blue, crank up the A/C and raise a glass to American history, all without leaving your 1213 Walnut apartment.

One great way to do that is at the National Liberty Museum. The museum isn’t fully operational yet but offers plenty of ways to enjoy its offerings online. If you’ve never been, the museum offers a unique look at national history, and Philadelphia’s role in in it, with a focus on the founding principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness—making it an ideal venue for Independence Day.

When it does reopen, the museum, less than a mile from your 1213 Walnut apartment, will kick things off with the exhibit Philadelphia’s Freedom, featuring works from local artists that explore their personal interpretation of and experience with freedom. Until the exhibit opens, each week, the museum is highlighting applicants who submitted work across its social media channels and website, sharing photographs, multimedia presentations, video, ceramics and much more. Supporting small businesses has become key throughout this pandemic, and learning about local equality-minded artists is a prime opportunity to do just that.

The lessons that abound in an in-person visit to the museum are also the target of a series of online events. If you have little ones in your life, make sure to check out their story times, craft experiences and other virtual activities designed to explore issues of freedom with youngsters. There are also adults-only programs, organized under NLM@Night, such as the recent drag queen Independence Day trivia and a July 10 virtual event that features burlesque performances fused with TedX-style educational talks.

So this July 4^th, embrace our newly virtual world and take some time to appreciate the history behind the holiday.

National Liberty Museum

321 Chestnut St.

Philadelphia, PA 19106

215-925-2800