Admission to the museum, located in Independence National Historical Park, includes a "Delegate's Pass" to the hourly multimedia show. This takes place in a circular theater and includes not only the expected film montages and soundtrack but also live actors describing the process by which the Constitution was painstakingly constructed by George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and others.
Wearing professional attire rather than historical costumes, the actors are the history teachers we all wish we could have had in school: Their engaging intonations and graceful gestures draw us into the story. By the end of the 45-minute show, the groundwork has been laid for a closer look at the nation's beginnings.
In Constitution Hall life-size bronze statues of the 42 delegates (from among the original 55) to the Constitutional Convention who were there, one in absentia, for the signing on Sept. 17, 1787, are arranged in clusters as if engaged in conversation, making visitors feel as if they are part of a milling crowd. Plaques at the delegates' feet identify them by name and state.
Visitors are invited to sign a guestbook, indicating their agreement with the content of the Constitution. There is precedent for those who choose not to sign. Some of the delegates, as a plaque explains, feared the Constitution put too much power in one place; three dissented, leaving 39 signatures on the final document.
The main exhibit hall is devoted to various personalities and aspects of the governmental process. A "touch your state" computer helps visitors learn about their state's US representatives. An architectural model showing the Supreme Court, the Capitol, and the White House brings into three-dimensional reality the three branches of government. There is a podium and teleprompter at which visitors can take the presidential oath; nearby a film shows a citizenship ceremony.
