Revolutionary Spaces unveils Ruckus!, an immersive revolutionary experience at Old South Meeting House
The July 2026 launch will coincide with the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution
BOSTON, MA (December 17, 2025) — Revolutionary Spaces today announced Ruckus!, a new 360-degree immersive experience at Old South Meeting House—the historic site of debate and defiance that sparked the Boston Tea Party—that will drop visitors into the charged atmosphere of a community pushed to the breaking point. Using cutting-edge technology and animation, walls once used for quiet worship will come alive with the sights and sounds of a community in upheaval, giving visitors a front row seat to the urgency, anger, hope, frustration, and determination of 1773.
“Ruckus! reminds us that history is not a tidy sequence of events. It’s noisy, unpredictable, and powered by ordinary people who refuse to stay silent,” said Nat Sheidley, president and CEO of Revolutionary Spaces. “The ruckus of the Revolution was the necessary work of building an uncertain future, and it was messy work. We wanted visitors to experience the electricity of those moments firsthand. We wondered, ‘What if these walls could talk?’”
Transforming Old South Meeting House’s storied walls into a time machine, Ruckus! will whisk visitors through history—from the first protest against the Stamp Act in 1765 to the moment the Declaration of Independence was read aloud in Boston from the balcony of the Old State House in July 1776. Using ultramodern projections, transparent OLEDs and thundering audio, the room will be flooded with virtual, hologram-like characters and the echoes of dissenters and mobs. The multi-sensory experience is designed to entertain and educate visitors of every age, introducing familiar patriots like John Hancock, Abigail Adams, and Phillis Wheatley – and some unexpected new ones.
The installation is a vivid juxtaposition to the historic, untouched backdrop of the Old South Meeting House. Revolutionary Spaces, which also stewards the Old State House, took seriously the challenge of protecting and honoring the space as it stands today, while developing a memorable, digital experience that will set a new standard for Boston’s Freedom Trail.
To bring this vision to life, Revolutionary Spaces teamed up with RLMG, a digital experience design firm located in Watertown, Mass. The exhibit is currently in production and is scheduled to launch July 1 2026, in time for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. As a premier stop on Boston’s Freedom Trail, the Old South Meeting House, along with the Old State House, stand among the most consequential sites in American history, opening its doors to visitors and tourists of all ages to relive the moments of unrest, courage and conviction, and consider history’s role and relevance today.
More than 500 people heard the announcement first-hand last night at Old South Meeting House during the annual reenactment of the Meeting of the Body of the People to commemorate the 252nd anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. Participants received an invitation with an exclusive QR code for a digital “sneak peek” into the experience and free admission next summer.
Ruckus! and the Immersive Experience transformation are made possible through early support from the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, the Lynch Foundation, the Hamilton Company Charitable Foundation, the Mabel Louise Riley Foundation, and generous individual supporters. As the 250th anniversary approaches, Revolutionary Spaces welcomes new partners to help bring this landmark experience to life.
View the world premiere of the Ruckus! Trailer at https://revolutionaryspaces.org/ruckus-sneak-peek/
For press inquiries, contact taryn@tmlpublicrelations.com or rebecca@hairpin.com.
ABOUT REVOLUTIONARY SPACES
Revolutionary Spaces stewards the historic Old South Meeting House and Old State House as landmarks, museums, and active civic spaces. Its mission is to bring people together to explore the American struggle to create and sustain a free society—using history as a powerful tool for civic engagement and public dialogue. For more information, go to RevolutionarySpaces.org or follow on social media at @RevSpaces.