What does liberty mean to you? Just because we live in freedom, are we free to do as we please?

That is what we explore at the National Liberty Museum. We are a public forum for people to reflect and talk about liberty and what it means to them. We are a classroom where students of all ages and backgrounds explore our privileges and responsibilities as Americans, and that it is our character that will determine our individual and collective destiny. We are eight galleries of contemporary glass art by the world's most celebrated artists. We are the stories of more than 2,000 heroes, from the famous to the most ordinary, who have done amazing things with their liberty.

We are the only museum of its kind in the world that interweaves artwork, history and education to encourage visitors of all ages to appreciate what matters most in life and do great things in their schools and communities.

How we came about

Museums traditionally curate their art and exhibits first and then focus on education and outreach programs. The National Liberty Museum came about an entirely different way. We were running our education and outreach programs years before our doors first opened.

The National Liberty Museum is the vision of a father and daughter team, Irv and Gwen Borowsky. Irv Borowsky, now retired, is a publishing entrepreneur and a second-generation Polish immigrant, who has always been fascinated by the American Dream and that we are the only nation on earth – E Pluribus Unum – comprised mostly of people from somewhere else who united to live in freedom. As a country we've made our share of mistakes along the way. But our democracy has stood and our incredible diversity has enabled us to flourish.

Gwen Borowsky is an educator, who realized early on that young people need guidance in the classroom to develop positive character and make good choices that will help them succeed and lead in our schools and communities. She founded the "Liberty Education Center" back in 1990 to offer teachers training on subjects ranging from bullying and conflict resolution to diversity appreciation and character education. Teachers learned how to incorporate these topics in their classroom in a way that advanced curriculum standards.

In 1995, an iconic Philadelphia building situated in Benjamin Franklin's backyard and around the corner from the Liberty Bell became available. Read more about our beginnings.

Glass and Liberty

In addition to its educational exhibits, the National Liberty Museum is filled with extraordinary glass sculpture from world renowned artists.

What does glass art have to do with liberty? Glass provides a natural metaphor for the fragility of liberty, and that we must work communally to safeguard our freedoms. Glass is a highly interpretive art form, and lends itself naturally to talking about about how we treat each other – when we use hurtful words and actions instead of respect and understanding, we risk shattering each other's morale.

The Museum's glass artwork is the focal point of our education program. If you ask a student to discuss the meaning of liberty, positive character traits, respect for diversity or civic engagement, you will practically see their eyes glazing over. Ask the same student to look into a 21-foot Dale Chihuly sculpture made out of 514 blood-red, snake-like pieces of blown glass, and you will get an entirely different response.

The National Liberty Museum has one of the largest collections of contemporary glass art in the United States, and many people who visit from all over the world are art enthusiasts who come to see our extensive collection. But our essential mission is education, encouraging visitors of all ages to appreciate what matters most in life and do great things in their schools and communities.