The Dedham Museum & Archive will host a public reading of the Declaration of Independence on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. on the Dedham Town Green, as part of Dedham’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
This free community event will feature a narrated reading adapted for Dedham, with community speakers sharing the words of the Declaration aloud in the spirit of how Dedham townspeople first heard it in 1776. When the Declaration reached Massachusetts, it was read publicly from the Old State House balcony in Boston, and ordered by the Massachusetts legislature to be read in every parish and recorded by town clerks as a lasting civic memorial.
Dedham’s 2026 reading invites residents and visitors to gather on the Town Green to reflect on the Declaration’s words, ideals, and enduring legacy. The Dedham Museum & Archive will be open after the reading for visitors to see the exhibit, “Dedham in Revolutionary Times.”
Event Details
- What: Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence
- When: Saturday, July 4, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
- Where: Dedham Town Green, Dedham, Massachusetts
- Hosted by: Dedham Museum & Archive
- Admission: Free and open to the public
- Museum: See the new exhibit, “Dedham in Revolutionary Times”
To read a transcription of the Declaration of Independence, click on this link to the National Archives.