This site is in the cute little town of Concord, and the site itself has a beautiful visitor center…read more(former Buttrick family residence) which contains a small informational exhibit. What's really nice is the outdoors. There's a garden space where you have a good lookout of the North Bridge, a significant location where the Minute Man faced the British Army. The path to the bridge is not too far of a walk, and you can see a beautiful memorial quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem "the shot heard round the world." I also liked the plaque honoring the graves of the British soldiers since a lot of lives were lost on both sides for American Independence. The bridge is a great scenic walk and great to do for both history and nature lovers.

Apart from being an important part of American History, this park is GORGEOUS! The North Bridge…read moreoverlooks a steady stream with trees along the banks. Plaques and monuments are erected over the places where one of the first battles of the American revolution was held. Plenty of space for walking as well

The house was closed for the season when we visited in November, but we were able to walk and look…read morearound the outside. I had read descriptions of the home and had seen photos, but seeing it in person was so satisfying, even without going inside. There is on street parking if you want to stroll though the neighborhood and the Concord museum is right across the street from the home.

I loved this authentic, real experience. Note: this is not a perfectly funded, government-run…read morefacility. This is totally different--in a good way. First, the women who run this home are there because they love it, and they provide a real New England experience. As a Tennessean, I loved meeting them. They were helpful and knowledgeable and kind. Second, the whole place would have been recognizable to RW Emerson himself. Amazing! We even saw the robe his wife handmade for Emerson, and it was hanging there like it was no big deal! Emerson's hat was hanging on a hat hook, and the telephone case used by the family still sat by the front door. And none of it behind glass or removed from visitors. Truly remarkable! If you need a sterile, perfect museum experience, you may not appreciate this. But if you want to see something Emerson would have recognized as familiar to his own life, GO! I loved my time there, and will recommend it to everyone visiting Concord.

I was originally skeptical, I didn't like Little Women, and wasn't sure a house tour was a good use…read moreof my time. But honestly the building of the house itself is an interesting story and amazing it's held up so well. The Alcott's themselves interesting people, and you don't have to like the book to love the tour. The house has air conditioning, thankfully. Any ghosts must love it. The furnishings are beautiful, and theres original artwork. They ask for no pictures during the tour, but the grounds and gift shop are very pretty.

My mom and I toured Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House last weekend when we spent a day in Concord…read more The house is where Louisa May Alcott wrote the first book of her Little Women. The family moved into the house around 1857 and stayed there for 20 years. When you tour the house, a docent walks your group around the house, telling you the history of the house, the family, and the famous book (which is mostly auto-biographical, about Alcott's family). There weren't any major structural changes to the house after the Alcott's time in the house, and around 80% of the furnishings in the house were owned by the Alcotts. A highlight of the tour is seeing Louisa's "shelf-desk," a desk built specifically for her by her father, who encouraged her writing. The house is only accessible by guided tour, but our tour guide was wonderful. The house is tight, but she did her best to guide us through quickly while answering our questions and the house and family. If you're a fan of Little Women, it's a treat to tour this house and learn about how it and Louisa's family life influenced and inspired Little Women! The tours can sell out, so I'd recommend buying tickets ahead of time online if you want to make sure you can tour the house!

A truly fascinating home filled with rich literary, political, and revolutionary histories of those…read morewho lived in and visited the home. The grounds are free to roam and one can walk through the field leading down to the North Bridge where the shot heard round the world was heard. Tours are offered on the hour Thursdays thru Sundays, and we opted for the 1 hour tour, $15. We felt transported to the past, hearing the history of those who lived there throughout the years. Emerson wrote Nature here in the upstairs room and Hawthorne choose to write in the same space. The tour is informative and interesting and the house is well preserved. Specialty tours can be arranged and there is also a tour of the attic on certain days. There is a small gift shop with books and other items. A great experience.

Do not skip out on visiting the Old Manse! You absolutely need to visit this place! The Old Manse…read moreis immersed in history and literature, and I bought a tour ticket on the recommendation of a local tour guide. I'm very grateful I followed her recommendation! You can see the old North Bridge from the same room where Emerson and Hawthorne wrote some of their works. The guide let me play a little Chopin on the parlor piano. All the staff were very kind and knowledgeable. Highly recommend!

This was a stumble upon place. We needed to use the restroom which is a part of the building and…read moremet Shelley. She was fantastic. Extremely knowledgeable about Concord and all the authors and buildings and history. I would highly recommend stopping and and taking time to speak with them.

We did a private walking tour with Mary Wren on the indigenous people of Concord. It was fantastic…read more All of the info was extremely interesting and Mary Wren was so knowledgeable and fun. HIGHLY recommend this little gem of an activity. My fiancé got down on one knee 15 minutes after the tour ended and although the tour DID come in second place on the list of "favorite things about the weekend" it was a VERY close call ;)

Wonderful! Expansive, informative, complex museum. Friendly welcoming helpful staff. Excellent…read morelocal host museum.

My mom and I stopped by the Concord Museum after visiting the Alcott House just down the street…read morewhen we spent a day in Concord a week or so ago. The museum isn't large, but it's well worth visiting! It has a focus on Concord's role in the American Revolution, the writings of Transcendentalists who called Concord home, and the Indigenous communities of Cape Ann and their history and culture. Some of the highlights of their collection on display when we visited were the collection of Henry David Thoreau's possessions (including the bed, desk, and chair from his cabin at Walden Pond), a recreation of Ralph Waldo Emerson's study, and the room with the room that explores Concord's role at the beginning of the Revolutionary War (I'd forgotten a lot since school, and it was a great reminder!). We didn't spend too long at the museum (we only had a day in Concord and wanted to see as much as possible), but the museum was a great stop!

The Alcott's called this "Hillside" and lived here from 1845-1952. Many of the experiences Louisa…read morelater wrote about in Little Women happened at Wayside.The Alcott family aided at least 1 escaped slave to hide out here for a few weeks as part of the Underground Railroad. Nathaniel Hawthorne bought it in 1852, renamed it Wayside, and added the highest structure. He was now neighbors with the Alcott's who moved into the Orchard house just a 2-3 minute walk away. Emerson and Thoreau were frequent visitors and lived close by (it was said Louisa could see Walden Pond from her bedroom window at Orchard House). Just so many incredible connections of historical significance in Concord! This is designated as a National Historical landmark. It was not opened for tours when we visited in November. The website it says it's closed on all holidays as well as Aug 29-June 1, so plan ahead if you would like to go inside. Free designated parking area right across the street.

In late May, The Wayside is still closed because of the pandemic. No tours available. But you can…read morestill stop by and look at the outside. The Wayside is a historic house in Concord, Massachusetts. The earliest part of the home may date to 1717. Later it successively became the home of the young Louisa May Alcott and her family, who named it Hillside, author Nathaniel Hawthorne and his family, and children's writer Margaret Sidney. It became the first site with literary associations acquired by the National Park Service and is now open to the public as part of Minute Man National Historical Park. Louisa May Alcott is best known for her book Little Women and then the follow up Little Men. Nathaniel Hawthorne's best known works are The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. Margaret Sidney was a children's book writer but is also known as the founder of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The Alcott family used the home as a stop on the Underground Railroad. There is a dedicated parking lot for the home across the street and a crosswalk that drivers are *supposed* to stop for. [Review 15234 overall, 736 of 2021, number 1094 in Massachusetts.]

This farm house was formerly located elsewhere. It once belonged to an African American family in…read morethe 1800's. At that time slavery had been abolished for quite some time in Massachusetts, so they would have been considered "free blacks" until 1865 when all slaves were formally emancipated in the USA. I didn't get to see the inside of this house but walked around the outside. I estimate that this house is roughly 16' x 32'. It looks like there is a tiny second floor area. From the front it looks probably much like it did when it was first built. The back has a wheelchair ramp, a piece of metal contemporary art and an air conditioning unit in one window. There is a large bell, some seating, and an informative sign out front. It is not owned by the National Parks but is right next to the parking lot for the North Bridge. It would be easy to visit the bridge and the Old Manse (owned by the trustees) at the same time. While this house is not grand, like the Old Manse, it is important to acknowledge how all Americans have lived, whether their ancestors were born on American soil, chose to start a new life here, or were forced to.

The Robbins House Docent dressed in period costume was excellent, storytelling on the lawn in front…read moreof the 1823 Farmhouse* to a rapt audience on a lovely Summer afternoon. She cited such little-known facts as:: In 1641, Massachusetts was the 1st American Colony to legalize Slavery, as well as the 1st State to ban Slavery in 1783. John Hancock was a Slave Owner. Hmmmm . . . Some were led to believe that Slavery was strictly a Southern thing . . . Granted, The South was slow to enforce Abolition . . . *Restored & relocated to this site in 2011.

As a Trustee member, I am so happy that this park is included on my membership. I enjoy walking…read morearound and exploring the sculptures and going for a walk. You might want to make sure that they are open for regular hours before heading out there. There was one time we drove there and were informed that they were closing early because of a wedding was taking place. We weren't even allowed to do a quick drive around although they were closing in an hour and there were many visitors around. Lesson learned and I planned ahead by checking their website for future visits.

Im bummed that it too this long for us to visit, but Im so glad we did! A very easy drive from…read moreBoston, we got there early on a fall Saturday morning. You pay your entrance fee, park your car, get your map from the giftshop and your off to explore the grounds and the art it contains. We spent about 2 hours wandering and it was such a fantastic experience. Im glad the items were tagged so we could learn more about each piece and the artist. The pictures just dont do justice to the beauty, serenity and scope of the grounds. The staff was very friendly. There is a small gift shop and café on the grounds. It never felt crowded. Will definitely be back!

For my birthday last year, I gifted myself a day's retreat in the house/room where Thoreau was…read moreborn. My entire trip to the Concord area was a transcendental pilgrimage in its own right, and my day alone in the home of seclusion's champion was more than meaningful. I read all the exhibit panels, wrote at the little desk by the window, picnicked on the lovely grounds for lunch, and read Emerson's "Read, then Write." I might have even slept a little in the peaceful, bird-sung quiet. It was a gift to have the entire day in this place, to see the shift of sunlight across the eaves, to contemplate the coming year. The staff made it so easy - they worked with me to shift days - and they made me feel absolutely welcome. It was quite humbling to have a key of my very own for the day! I came away with good written words, good philosophy, and a belief in the actuality of personal connection with literary heroes. Thank you for allowing it to happen!

I am so grateful for the writing space at the Writer's Retreat provided by the Thoreau Farm:…read moreBirthplace of Henry David Thoreau. It is a privilege to spend time in the very room that this American author was born. As the author and illustrator of eight children's books on Thoreau, I can attest that the Writer's Retreat has provided me the impetus for creating them during the numerous times I attended the Writer's Retreat. One might say that they were conceived in that room where many of my words and illustrations began. The Writer's Retreat provides a quiet space where one might write, read, and be reflective. It is beneficial to the amateur or professional writer or to anyone who just needs a space to think and read. The Farm is in a rural setting where one may take a meditative walk and is a special treasure. Imagine writing or reading on a replica of Henry's own green desk where he wrote his works. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to have a place to rest and think without any distractions in the room where Henry was born. Rebecca Migdal, Executive Director of the Thoreau Farm: Birthplace of Henry David Thoreau, is warm and welcoming to anyone who visits the Thoreau Farm or uses the Writer's Retreat. During the time I spent at this special place, Rebecca made me feel very comfortable. Rebecca's cheerful demeaner makes any visitor feel special and at ease. I highly encourage anyone who needs a space for quiet reflection or pursue literary endeavors to spend a day or two at the Writer's Retreat.