What’s the National Constitution Center? What to know about the presidential debate venue.
The National Constitution Center is a museum and event space dedicated to the U.S. Constitution — both celebrating the document and analyzing its history.
Philadelphia is in the center of the action once again as the city gears up to play host to the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
The ABC-organized and televised event will take place Tuesday at the National Constitution Center near Independence Mall. For those uninitiated and non-locals, it’s a nonprofit museum that focuses on — you guessed it — the U.S. Constitution.
Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the Constitution Center, told The Inquirer that it’s “all the more significant” for one of the most important political moments of the year to take place steps away from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.
And while this marks the first general election debate in the Constitution Center’s history — and the first time a general election debate takes place at a museum — it’s not the first presidential debate or historic event to occur there. Here are the basics so you can call yourself an expert on the center and its specs.
What is the National Constitution Center?
The National Constitution Center is a museum and event space dedicated to the U.S. Constitution — both celebrating the document and analyzing its history.
It’s a private nonprofit and nonpartisan center that presents a mix of exhibits, programming, and moderated panels throughout the year.
According to the center’s website, it’s considered a “headquarters for civic education.” It has previously served as a venue for town halls and debates over the years (we’ll get more into that later). The building is best recognized by its carving of “We the people” on the side of its stone facade.
How long has it been around?
The NCC was created in response to an act signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 calling for a National Constitution Center close to Philadelphia’s Independence Mall that would educate people about the Constitution and its significance.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on Sept. 17, 2000, the 213th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. It’s a large building with multiple gallery halls and comprised of limestone and concrete. The center opened in 2003 on the Fourth of July.
What events has it hosted over the years?
Notable events hosted by the National Constitution Center include the 2008 Democratic presidential primary debate. It was there when Obama called for “a more perfect union.”
Years later, the center would host then-candidates Trump and President Joe Biden during the 2020 election amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NCC also runs and hosts the annual Liberty Medal ceremony, which has honored a mix of Supreme Court justices, world leaders, politicians, and civil rights leaders.
How is it connected to the rest of Liberty Mall?
The inclusion of the National Constitution Center was part of a larger plan in the late 1990s to redesign Independence Mall into a more cohesive string of street blocks with historic structures.
As part of that redesign, the Independence Visitors Center opened in November 2001 while the Constitution Center opened two years later. The Liberty Bell was relocated into the newly designed Liberty Bell Center that same year.
Known as “America’s most historic square mile,” Independence Mall is the three-block section of Independence National Historic Park, bounded by Chestnut, Race, 5th and 6th Streets.
Fallon Roth contributed to this article.