Come Celebrate the Summer of Hamilton at the New-York Historical Society!

(July–August, 2016)

As part of our Summer of Hamilton celebration, enjoy $10 Museum Admission now until Labor Day. Offer good for in-person ticket purchases, not available online. This offer may not be combined with other discounts.

This summer, the New-York Historical Society welcomes visitors to be in “the room where it happens” for a Museum-wide celebration of the life and legacy of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. Now enjoying fervent popularity thanks to the history-making, Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hamilton and the bestselling biography by Ron Chernow, Hamilton’s connection to New York and his lasting influence on U.S. government comes together in this summer-long exploration, allowing visitors to discover even more about this American hero.

During the Summer of Hamilton, related artifacts and documents from the Collections of the New-York Historical Society and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History will be on display throughout the Museum and Library, complemented by a series of talks, educational programs, and family-friendly activities that bring to life the remarkable achievements of the man who, until recently, was mostly known as the face on the $10 bill.



Alexander Hamilton played a leading role in the Revolutionary War and the early years of the founding of the United States. He took part in the Revolutionary War as an aide-de-camp to General George Washington, authored the majority of the Federalist Papers, became the first Secretary of the Treasury, created the Bank of the United States, and founded the Bank of New York and The New York Post. Mired by scandal and controversy in later years, he died on July 12, 1804, in Greenwich Village, succumbing to the wounds he suffered at the hands of Vice President Aaron Burr during their infamous duel.

Exhibition highlights

Among the Summer of Hamilton highlights on view will be life-size bronze statues depicting Hamilton and Burr with pistols drawn and aimed at one another; the monumental tall case clock presented by Hamilton in 1797 to the Bank of New York; Hamilton’s desk at which the prolific writer penned numerous correspondence, on loan from the Museum of the City of New York; a portrait of the statesman by John Trumbull, painted shortly after Hamilton’s untimely death in 1804; and documents that help answer the question posed in the musical―“who tells your story”―by focusing on Hamilton’s relationships with other Founding Fathers and his widow’s attempt to secure his place in history.

From the Gilder Lehrman Institute, nine key documents explore Hamilton’s life, including his famous “nut brown maid” love letter to his fiancée, Elizabeth Schuyler; the infamous pamphlet admitting to his affair with Maria Reynolds; the plan for the federal government that he proposed during the Constitutional Convention; and a letter supporting Thomas Jefferson over Aaron Burr in the Election of 1800: “In a choice of Evils let them take the least – Jefferson is in every view less dangerous than Burr.”

July 4th celebration

On July 4th, New-York Historical will be bursting at the seams with Hamilton-themed family fun. Families will be able to spend a full day meeting a costumed Hamilton living historian, join a dueling history tour, hear revolutionary tales and songs from renowned musical troupe The Hudson River Ramblers, and participate in a Hamilton family trivia contest by Big Quiz Thing.

Hamilton Fridays

Pay-as-you-wish Friday nights (6–8 pm) will offer visitors additional fun ways to further learn about the statesman and explore the influences behind the musical. Movie versions of the musicals that inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda during the writing of Hamilton, such as Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, will be screened for free. Engaging and interactive conversations with noted historical personalities and storytellers will provide audiences new insights into the role Hamilton played in shaping the United States.

RSVP Required, please call 212-485-9268

The Room Where It Happened: Hamilton Connections to the Morris-Jumel Mansion

August 19, 6:30–8 pm

Join us for an illustrated lecture on Hamilton and Burr’s roles in the history of the site.

The 3rd New Jersey Regiment

August 26, 6–8 pm

The 3rd New Jersey Regiment reenacting troop will be stationed at the Museum to answer your questions about life on and off the Revolutionary War battlefield.

1776 (1972)

August 26, 6:30–9 pm

A lively musical film full of entertainment, 1776 shows the Founding Fathers like you’ve never seen them on screen!

Summer of Hamilton fun continues with weekend programs

August 7 Duel Reenactment – On July 11, 1804, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, two of the most prominent and promising Americans, met at Weehawken, New Jersey, for a duel that was the culmination of a long and bitter rivalry. Join us on August 7 for a reenactment of the most famous duel in U.S. history.

Living History Weekends – The Hamilton family theme continues every weekend in July and August when historical reenactors―portraying Revolutionary War soldiers, Hamilton himself, or other figures from the colonial and early republic eras―will be stationed at New-York Historical, ready to bring Hamilton’s history to life. In the DiMenna Children’s History Museum, children and their parents will learn about Hamilton’s childhood at an interactive pavilion that explores how growing up in the Caribbean and seeing the harsh treatment of slaves helped influence his opposition to slavery. Families can also use the Museum’s Hamilton Family Activity and Guide to explore Hamilton-related artifacts in a kid-friendly way.

Summer Camp

At Camp History, middle schoolers dive into the past and enjoy behind-the-scenes access to the New-York Historical Society to become junior historians, conservators, and curators―and this summer, we are going Hamilton-crazy! Campers immerse themselves in Hamilton’s world with tours of the Museum galleries, exploration of rare documents and images in our library, meetings with Hamilton experts, and 18th and early 19th century crafts and activities. Then, they work on creative writing pieces―poems, songs, stories, or skits―about Hamilton’s life and adventures. On Friday, campers wrap it up by sharing their writing with a special performance at a family party!

Alexander Hamilton: The Untold Story

Group Tours

Through an exploration of objects from the New-York Historical Society’s Permanent Collection and The Gilder Lehrman Collection, and documents from the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, Hamilton Tours will acquaint visitors with an in-depth portrayal of a statesman and visionary whose life inspired discussion and controversy and shaped the America we live in 200 years after his death.