Celebrate our nation's birth!
Join us for our annual Independence Day Celebration at GCV&M – the perfect opportunity to gather with friends and family. This year, we’re excited to share that kids 12 and under are FREE on July 4, thanks to support from Monroe County!
Enjoy hot dogs and hamburgers from the Depot Restaurant while listening to patriotic tunes played from the bandstand on the Great Meadow throughout the day, learn about how 19th-century Americans may have celebrated Independence Day as you wander through the village, and so much more!
Enjoy a 19th-century style parade, pie-eating contest, hands-on games and activities, recitation of the Declaration of Independence, and more.
Lead sponsor:
Kids free sponsor:
Witness a moving Naturalization Ceremonry
Help us welcome new American citizens! GCV&M is thrilled to host a Naturalization Ceremony right here on Museum grounds on Independence Day at 11 a.m. Individuals from countries all around the world will take their oath and be sworn in as new citizens by United States Judge Honorable Mark W. Pedersen. Join them as they begin their exciting new journey!
Come hungry!
Make sure to come with an appetite when you visit for our Independence Day Celebration! In addition to our regular menus, find the following Fourth of July specials at our restaurant outlets:
The Depot Restaurant
- Peanut Butter Pie ($5)
- Patriotic Giant Cookies ($3.75)
- Popsicle Bomb Pops ($2.20)
The Pavilion Garden Restaurant
- Picnic Boxed Lunch with Cold Fried Chicken, Potato Salad, Tomato Cucumber Salad, and Strawberry Cream Cake ($14)
- Fireball Milkshake ($7.50)
- Rainbow Float ($7.50)
At The Carport
- Chicken BBQ Meal with BBQ Chicken, Salt Potatoes, Corn on the Cob, Cowboy Baked Beans, and Mac & Cheese ($16)
- Red, White & Blue Lemonade ($4)
Freight House Pub
- Hard Iced Tea…$8
Enjoy patriotic tunes
Get in the 19th-century spirit with live musical performances by the Excelsior Bridgade Fife and Drum group of WNY, as well as the Geneseo Cornet Band!
Participate in a Pie-Eating Contest
On your mark, get set, GO! Participate in our annual pie-eating contest! We have one contest for the little ones (kids 12 and under), and another for the little ones at heart! Will you be the 2023 pie-eating champion?
Experience a reading of "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"
Join David Shakes of the North Star Players at the Village Square Stage to experience a moving dramatic reading of Frederick Douglass’ “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”
Watch a 19th-century style parade
Gather around the Village Square at 1:45 p.m. for a fan favorite – our 19th-century-style Independence Day Parade! Cheer on the parade as they make their way around the Square with music, festivities – sometimes even furry friends!
Ticket Information
Museum Members: FREE
Adults: $23
Seniors (62+): $20
Students (13 – 18): $20
Kids 12 and Under: FREE
GCV&M Member admission is FREE and guaranteed for this weekend. Click here to learn more about joining the Museum as a Member!
