Commemorate America’s 250th with a New Exhibit, Free Admission, Tours, and Programs
We are thrilled to announce that Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s 2026 season will open on May 23, featuring a new exhibit about the American Revolution as well as tours, public programs, and free admission. As the nation marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, the Museum will share a uniquely local perspective on the American Revolution in the Champlain Valley for all to explore.
“The story of Lake Champlain is a story of the people and for the people of the Champlain Valley,” affirmed Chris Sabick, executive director of Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. “With a new exhibit this season, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum helps all explore the complex story of our region during the American Revolution through the artifacts, shipwrecks, and previously unknown stories left by the many people who were there.”
Caption: A selection of paintings by artist Ernest Haas depicting key moments during the American Revolution on Lake Champlain will be featured in the museum’s new exhibit. Pictured here: Battle of Valcour Island. Ernest Haas, 1999. Acrylic on Panel. 24in x 40in. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum Collection.
A New Exhibit Pieces Together Stories of the American Revolution
October 11-13, 1776, known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, were three tumultuous days. The events left shipwrecks and artifacts along the lake’s bottomlands for miles from Plattsburgh, NY, to Arnold’s Bay, VT. Since its founding, the Museum’s archaeologists have worked as detectives into this unique moment in American history: researching, excavating, and analyzing in a never-ending pursuit to confirm, challenge, and refine what is known about the battle.
On May 23, the Museum will open “Fragments: Voices of the American Revolution on Lake Champlain,” a new exhibit about this pivotal moment on Lake Champlain. In addition to a detailed exploration into the battle, the exhibit will share stories of people uncovered by the museum including common soldiers from both sides, their families, civilians, enslaved people, and Indigenous people. Through this archaeological storytelling, visitors will have the unique opportunity to uncover fragments of lives of the past and untold stories of the revolution.
Explore all exhibits that will be open at www.lcmm.org/exhibits.
Caption: Children explore onboard the Philadelphia II, a full-scale replica Revolutionary War gunboat at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. The original gunboat Philadelphia sank in Lake Champlain in 1776, was raised from the lake in 1934, and is currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
Memorable Programs & Events for All Ages
On land and on water, the 2026 season at the Museum will be packed with free programs on history, archaeology, and ecology; sailing classes and on-water tours; and other exciting events relating to the nation’s 250th anniversary. Featured programs include:
- Opening Day on May 23 will include the grand opening of the Museum’s new American Revolution exhibit, the unveiling of a new mural by Juniper Creative Arts, a scavenger hunt for kids of all ages, an author talk with James Nelson on his book, Benedict Arnold’s Navy, featured screening of Ken Burns’ The American Revolution documentary, thanks to PBS and WETA+, free Museum tours, and more!
- 250th Commemoration Days will be held on July 4and on October 11. These days offer the public a unique opportunity to mark vital local historical moments during the founding of the United States of America through documentary screening, talks, and more.
- Deep Dives, the Museum’s free evening presentation series, will be held every other Wednesday evening starting on June 3. Featuring Museum experts, these talks shine a spotlight into fascinating stories on American Revolution research, tales from Lake Champlain shipwrecks, new discoveries in archaeology, and more.
- On-water programs run from June to the end of the season in October offering all skill levels the chance to get out on Lake Champlain. Visitors can take a sailing class or rent a sailing boat, explore the shoreline by canoe, join a rowing club, or sign up for a Shipwreck Tour. Many on-water programs are offered on an accessible pay-what-you-can ticket model.
- Free events, Museum tours, and weekend programs will run from May through October to ensure that all neighbors, visitors, and locals can connect with stories from the American Revolution, get a special glimpse into exhibits, speak with Museum experts about unique artifacts, read books, and more.
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from May 23 to October 18, 2026 and admission is free for all visitors. Check the Museum’s calendar for the latest programs and events at www.lcmm.org/Calendar.