Welcome to Concord
Settled in 1635 in an area known as Musketaquid to its local tribes, the town of Concord, Massachusetts has a rich indigenous, revolutionary, and literary history.
It was here, on April 19, 1775, that the American Revolutionary War began, and here, some sixty years later, that an American literary revolution took shape around Ralph Waldo Emerson and his social circle. It was in mid-19th century Concord where Emerson wrote his foundational essays “Nature” and “Self-Reliance;” Henry David Thoreau composed Walden and “Civil Disobedience;” and Louisa May Alcott penned Little Women.
In addition to the Emerson House, Concord is home to a number of other museums and sites of interest. We invite you to explore the links below as you plan a visit to this picturesque and storied town, conveniently located just 20 miles west of Boston.
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Visit Concord
The official tourism website for the town of Concord. This comprehensive guide explores its many historical, cultural, and recreational offerings and is an excellent starting point as you plan your visit.
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Concord Museum
Showcasing centuries of objects from Concord and its environs, the Museum seeks to bring to life its cultural, political, environmental and literary history. The original contents of Emerson’s Study are on display in a replica of the room.
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The Old Manse
Built for Emerson’s grandfather, Reverend William Emerson, and overlooking the Old North Bridge, the Manse played a pivotal role in Concord’s literary history. Both Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne lived there for a time and the house is now a museum.
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Orchard House
The historic family home of the Alcotts, this is where Louisa May Alcott set, and wrote, her beloved Little Women. Guided tours immerse visitors in stories about the family’s life together, their varied accomplishments, and their lasting impact.
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Thoreau Farm
The birthplace of Henry David Thoreau, noted writer, philosopher, and naturalist who is best known for his book Walden. Also known as the Wheeler-Minot Farmhouse, the house is open for guided tours seasonally while the scenic grounds are open daily.
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Walden Pond State Reservation
Made famous by Thoreau’sWalden; or Life in the Woods, this state park is open to the public as both a recreation area and pilgrimage site. Swim in the pond, walk in the woods, and visit a replica of Thoreau’s cabin.
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Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
The final resting place of many Concord luminaries, this early example of a "rural" or "garden" cemetery is on the National Registry of Historic Places. The graves of Thoreau, Hawthorne, Emerson, and the Alcotts share Author’s Ridge and are a pilgrimage site for many.
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The Robbins House
Housed in the historic home of the first generation of descendants of formerly enslaved Revolutionary War veteran Caesar Robbins, this museum highlights Concord’s earliest African American residents and the town’s abolitionist and antislavery history.
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Minute Man National Historic Park
The opening battle of the American Revolution is brought to life here as visitors explore the Old North Bridge—site of the “shot heard round the world”—along with Daniel Chester French’s famed Minute Man statue and other sites and works associated with April 19, 1775.
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The Wayside
Home to Concord’s muster-master in 1775 and the family home of a series of authors in the 19th century. Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Margaret Sidney (pen name of Harriett Lothrop) all lived there for a time. The house is open to visitors seasonally.
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Wright Tavern
Built in 1747 and largely unchanged, this building witnessed a number of significant events in the history of Concord and founding of the United States. A project to restore the tavern to a gathering place and museum is ongoing and currently tours are by appointment only.
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Concord Free Public Library
The Library is home to an extensive Concord Authors Collection. Among its Emerson Holdings is a seated marble statue of Emerson by his neighbor and friend, acclaimed sculptor Daniel Chester French, that graces the main room.