First Amendment Museum

First Amendment Museum We inspire all Americans to live and love our freedoms.

A fiercely nonpartisan, nonprofit organization inspiring all Americans to practice, preserve, and protect our First Amendment rights, freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. To learn more about us, and to access our resources for teachers, parents, and anyone interested in learning more about their First Amendment freedoms, please go to our website at firstamendmentmuseum.org.

The five freedoms of the First Amendment belong to all of us. Understanding and protecting them begins with education.Yo...
09/03/2026

The five freedoms of the First Amendment belong to all of us. Understanding and protecting them begins with education.

Your support helps the First Amendment Museum create interactive exhibits, provide educational resources for teachers and students and preserve the stories that show how Americans have exercised these essential freedoms throughout history.

Every contribution helps us continue inspiring visitors of all ages to understand, practice and value their First Amendment rights.

Make a difference and donate today:
https://firstamendmentmuseum.org/give/

The First Amendment Museum’s brand-new exhibit experience is now open.Five dynamic, interactive exhibits bring the freed...
09/01/2026

The First Amendment Museum’s brand-new exhibit experience is now open.

Five dynamic, interactive exhibits bring the freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly and petition to life through hands-on experiences that connect history with the rights we use every day.

Whether you’re visiting for the first time or returning to see what’s new, there’s more to explore throughout the museum. Plan your visit and experience the new exhibits for yourself:
https://firstamendmentmuseum.org/visit/

Join us for the official Grand Re-Opening of the First Amendment Museum!Explore our five brand-new interactive exhibits,...
09/01/2026

Join us for the official Grand Re-Opening of the First Amendment Museum!

Explore our five brand-new interactive exhibits, experience our refreshed spaces, and celebrate the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment that shape our nation.

📅 Thursday, September 17 (Constitution Day)
⏰ 4:00–6:00 p.m.
📍 First Amendment Museum, 184 State Street, Augusta
🎟️ Free admission

Come be part of our next chapter!

On August 28, 1963, more than 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., for the March on Washington for Jobs and Free...
08/28/2026

On August 28, 1963, more than 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, one of the largest demonstrations for civil rights in American history.

Participants exercised several First Amendment freedoms at once, including the freedoms of speech, assembly and petition, to peacefully advocate for equal rights and opportunity. During the march, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, inspiring generations to continue working toward equality.

The March on Washington remains a powerful reminder that civic participation and peaceful expression have helped shape our nation's history.

The First Amendment Museum’s new Freedom of Assembly exhibit explores more than a dozen examples of assemblies, protests and marches that helped change public sentiment and, in some cases, the law.

Women's Equality Day commemorates the certification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, guaranteeing many women the right to ...
08/26/2026

Women's Equality Day commemorates the certification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, guaranteeing many women the right to vote after decades of advocacy and perseverance.

Here at the First Amendment Museum, that history is deeply personal.

Anne Gannett, whose family home now serves as the First Amendment Museum, was an active leader in Maine's suffrage movement. Her work helped expand opportunities for civic participation and demonstrated the power of speaking up, organizing and advocating for change.

This Women's Equality Day, we honor Anne Gannett and the countless women whose determination helped shape a stronger democracy.

Learn more about the Gannett family's connection to women's suffrage:
https://firstamendmentmuseum.org/100-years-of-votes-for-women

Long before radio became part of our everyday lives, Guy P. Gannett recognized its power to inform and connect communiti...
08/20/2026

Long before radio became part of our everyday lives, Guy P. Gannett recognized its power to inform and connect communities.

In 1938, he added radio to the Guy Gannett Publishing Company’s growing media portfolio. The company went on to own several radio stations, including WGAN, expanding its reach beyond newspapers and into the airwaves.

This National Radio Day, we’re celebrating that connection to the Gannett family’s communications legacy and the important role radio has played in sharing news, ideas and information.

Photo: Vice President Nixon shaking hands with Guy P. Gannett, 1952
Source: Maine Memory Network via the Maine Historical Society

This photo captures one of the First Amendment Museum’s favorite team members, Remy, beneath the words that protect our ...
08/18/2026

This photo captures one of the First Amendment Museum’s favorite team members, Remy, beneath the words that protect our right to gather peacefully.

The freedom of assembly gives people the right to come together, share ideas and make their voices heard. It is one of the five freedoms at the heart of everything we explore at the museum.

Come meet Remy and discover how the First Amendment comes to life throughout the Gannett House: https://firstamendmentmuseum.org/visit/

As teachers prepare for a new school year, the First Amendment Museum offers resources to bring civic education into the...
08/13/2026

As teachers prepare for a new school year, the First Amendment Museum offers resources to bring civic education into the classroom and spark meaningful conversations about the rights to speech, press, religion, assembly and petition.

Our teacher resources include lesson plans, virtual field trips, in-person field trip opportunities and programming designed to help students explore the five freedoms of the First Amendment in an engaging, age-appropriate way. Start planning for the year ahead: https://firstamendmentmuseum.org/teacher-resources/

The First Amendment Museum is located inside the historic Gannett House, a place where Maine history, family legacy, jou...
08/11/2026

The First Amendment Museum is located inside the historic Gannett House, a place where Maine history, family legacy, journalism and civic life come together. Preserving this space helps us share the story of the First Amendment in a way that feels personal, local and alive. Your support helps carry that work forward.

Learn more about our history: https://firstamendmentmuseum.org/about-us/

Art can be a powerful form of expression, reflection and storytelling. This collection features work created by anonymou...
08/06/2026

Art can be a powerful form of expression, reflection and storytelling. This collection features work created by anonymous artists at Maine State Prison, exploring themes of speech, assembly, media, service, confinement and freedom. Each piece invites visitors to consider how First Amendment rights are understood and experienced in different circumstances.

Through artwork, personal statements, and visual symbolism, the collection encourages important questions, such as: What does freedom mean? Who gets to exercise it fully? How do expression and civic life change when someone’s liberty is restricted?

Visit the First Amendment Museum to see this thought-provoking collection in person and explore how the five freedoms continue to shape real lives, real stories, and real conversations: https://firstamendmentmuseum.org/visit/

Address

184 State Street
Augusta, ME
04330

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+12075572290

Website

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