PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Museum of the American Revolution is celebrating Thanksgiving with a weekend of performances, crafts and more Friday through Sunday. The crown jewel of the weekend is the last chance to see the sword of a Revolutionary War hero.
“The sword is really exciting, because Commodore Barry is known as the Father of the U.S. Navy, essentially. He began it all. He’s the leader,” said Meg Bowersox, gallery interpretation manager at the museum.
“What’s really cool about the sword is that it also hung in the Oval Office during JFK’s presidency, because he also had a connection to the service in the Navy, too, during WWII.”
Commodore John Barry in 1776, during the Revolutionary War, oversaw the first capture of a British ship, earning himself an honor of distinction and receiving the first captain’s commission in the newly formed United States Navy.
The sword is on loan from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. So, Bowersox says the museum is now sending out a last-call invitation to see Barry’s sword, before it is returned on Monday, Dec. 9.
The museum is closed on Thanksgiving but, starting Friday, the weekend will include a whole lineup of events.
“There’s interactives, there’s try-on clothing, and crafts where you can make your own ornament there,” she said.
“We have a bunch of 10-minute talks. We have a really exciting talk called ‘My Favorite Object.’ You can ask any of our educators, when you come inside the museum, what their favorite object is and learn more.
“We also have scavenger hunts people can take through our core exhibition but also our special exhibition right now, called ‘Witness to Revolution,’ which is about George Washington’s tent.”
Visitors can also catch in-person performances Friday through Sunday. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.