4 Great Places To Visit In Concord During The Winter
Concord is popular with visitors at any time of year. Some attractions are seasonal, but here are some you can enjoy between the end of October and mid-April.Concord Museum
Concord Museum
The Concord Museum tells the story of Concord’s history in artifacts from the historic battle at the North Bridge (including a lantern that Paul Revere had hung in Boston’s Old North Church), personal possessions of Concord’s literary greats such as Thoreau and Emerson, and tools made by the first people to make their home here thousands of years ago. Check the Museum’s website for special exhibits and lectures—there are new ones each year. Every year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, the Museum presents “Family Trees,” a celebration of children’s literature featuring dozens of trees and wreaths, each inspired by a different book. The Museum features free parking on site, a shop, and rest rooms. Visit https://concordmuseum.org for hours, admission prices, and special exhibits.
Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House
Louisa May Alcott wrote her classic novel, Little Women, in this house, which was already historic when she moved here with her parents and sisters in 1857. Orchard House is open to visitors year-round, and guides in period dress take visitors through rooms of original furniture and personal possessions, while they tell the stories of Louisa and her family, who inspired the March family of Little Women.
Orchard House features free parking on site, a shop, and rest rooms. Visit https://louisamayalcott.org for hours and admission prices.
The Old Manse
The Old Manse was built in 1770, and its original residents witnessed “the shot heard ’round the world” at the North Bridge in 1775. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote his first book, Nature, here in the 1830s, and from 1842-1845 Nathaniel Hawthorne and his wife Sophia made their home here. The Old Manse remained in one family who preserved the original structure and furnishings until 1939, and since then has been preserved and interpreted by The Trustees, a Massachusetts nonprofit. Visitors can tour the house with guides who tell the stories of generations of inspiring men and women who made their mark here (in some cases, literally).
Between November 1 and mid-April, the Old Manse is open for visitors on weekends only. Check the Old Manse website for special winter events, like Full Moon Transcendental Meditation and Poetry at the Manse. The Old Manse features free parking on site and a book and gift shop. Visit www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/metro-west/old manse.html for hours, admission prices, and special events.
Walden Pond State Reservation
Walden Pond and the surrounding Walden Woods nurtured Henry David Thoreau’s passion for nature, and inspired his most popular work, Walden, or Life in the Woods. This site is now a Massachusetts State Reservation, open year-round. Visitors can hike on several trails (wear sturdy, comfortable shoes or boots), and visit the spot where Thoreau built the house where he lived and wrote from 1845-1847. There’s also a replica of Thoreau’s house, and a Visitor Center staffed by park rangers, with exhibits, rest rooms, a book and gift shop, and a short film by Ken Burns. There is a charge for parking at Walden Pond State Reservation. Visit www.mass.gov/locations/walden-pond-state-reservation for hours and parking rates.
