Celebrate Constitution Day with the First Amendment Exhibit at the National Constitution Center!

Project Management

Celebrate Constitution Day with the First Amendment Exhibit at the National Constitution Center!

As Constitution Day approaches on September 17, we want to spotlight an exceptional B&F project completed last year! The National Constitution Center’s (NCC) newest gallery showcases the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment: religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

Spanning 1,500 square feet, the gallery features an array of captivating visual and audio media, interactives, and artifacts designed to educate visitors. This gallery marks the first addition to the NCC’s permanent core exhibit area since its opening two decades ago, and we were honored to be part of this significant milestone as a continuation of our long- standing partnership with the NCC.

The first section, Freedom of Religion, explores how the First Amendment protects the freedom of belief and religious exercise through two clauses: the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause. An interactive table scattered with seemingly unrelated objects lets visitors dig deeper by unlocking information concerning landmark religious liberty cases.

In the Freedom of Speech section, visitors can learn how the Framers believed that free speech played a critical role in protecting all other rights, but until the 1960s, the Supreme Court did little to protect speech. One feature, an interactive timeline, allows visitors to guess and reveal what types of conduct and messages were—or were not—protected as free speech at different points in American history.

Freedom of the Press features the ways in which the First Amendment protects the right to distribute news and opinions without censorship or punishment. An interactive graphic enables visitors to explore landmark Supreme Court cases and find out how they have influenced the scope of free press protections.

On the other side of the gallery, the Right of Assembly section includes a projection of historical footage highlighting the wide range of movements and people who have embraced their First Amendment rights over time, including to support and protest laws, raise awareness, celebrate, and worship. Visitors can also design their own sign with magnetic words and symbols drawn from historical protest posters.

The National Constitution Center is celebrating Constitution Day with free admission and special programming for all ages. Special programs include a Student Town Hall and an America’s Town Hall event with U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil M. Gorsuch; a virtual conversation with Khan Academy founder Sal Khan; a virtual talk featuring Opal Lee, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth;” a moving naturalization ceremony with remarks from MSNBC host Ali Velshi; and a birthday party for the Constitution’s 237th birthday, complete with cake!

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