Well-versed in classic poetry and philosophy—a literature rich with heroic, mythic, and sacred figures—Emerson also admired Renaissance art, particularly works by Michelangelo and Raphael inspired by the vast iconography of the ancient world. Among the images of heroes, angels, and gods at the Emerson House are prints of five famous portraits of sibyls by Italian painters. 

Welcoming visitors back to the Emerson House for the 2022 season with a look back at the museum’s 92-year history and some memorable Emersonian events over the years.

As part of the Concord Museum’s 2021 Holiday House Tour, the Emerson barn was decorated to reflect a nineteenth century holiday dining space.

A virtual peek at early-summer blooms in the garden of the Emerson House in Concord, Massachusetts.

A biographical profile of Ralph Waldo & Lidian’s second child, Ellen Tucker Emerson. A lifelong companion to her parents in their Concord home, Ellen was very active in the community and accompanied her father on lecture tours later in his life. She was an avid correspondent and her surviving letters offer many insights into Emerson family life

A virtual tour of the historic barn behind the Emersons’ Concord home with architectural historian, Anne Forbes; Concord Museum Curator, David Wood; and Bay Emerson Bancroft of the Ralph Waldo Emerson Memorial Association. Created in partnership with the Concord Museum.

After she married and moved away, the Emersons’ younger daughter, Edith Emerson Forbes, was missed at home and the family looked forward to her visits. Born in late November, Edith’s birthday wishes included invitations to return to Concord for Thanksgiving, bringing her own growing family. The Emersons celebrated the holiday over two days and often hosted dozens of relatives for the occasion, preparing for weeks in advance.

The history of the barn behind the Emerson House in Concord, built circa 1828 and used for a variety of purposes by the Emerson family. The Ralph Waldo Emerson Memorial Association—RWEMA— completed an extensive restoration of this historic structure in August 2020.

On this day in 1847, Bronson Alcott and Henry David Thoreau began work on an elaborate summerhouse for their friend Ralph Waldo Emerson. The unusual design became a neighborhood curiosity.