What to See & Do in Concord MA

Concord's many historic sites and buildings (map) provide worthy goals for lots of walks, drives and bike rides. For photos of Concord, see the NETP Concord Photo Gallery.

Monument Square
The center of Concord is a small rectangular park with the Colonial Inn at one end, the historic Wright Tavern at the other, and several historic churches, chief of which is the meetinghouse of the First Parish in Concord.

A 10- to 15-minute walk northeast brings you to Authors' Ridge in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, with the graves of many famous Concordians.

Minuteman National Historical Park
Gathered under this rubric are numerous historic sites important to Revolutionary War history, including Battle Road and Old North Bridge.

Historic Houses
Historic events and notable people fill Concord's past, and many of the houses in which events happened and people lived have been preserved.

Next to Old North Bridge is the Old Manse home to Ralph Waldo Emerson's grandparents and, for several years, to writer Nathaniel Hawthorne and his bride.

On the other side of Monument Square, along Lexington Road, are several other important houses. Ralph Waldo Emerson's House is across the street from the Concord Museum, and both are on the way to Orchard House, home to the Alcott family (including Bronson and Louisa May), and The Wayside, home to several literary figures including Hawthorne.

Concord Museum
A rich collection of colonial, revolutionary and early American artifacts, including Emerson's study (which used to be across the street in Emerson's house).

Walden Pond
Henry David Thoreau's writings and residence here made famous this beautiful glacial pond with an unusual geology and ecology less 2.5 miles (4 km) from Monument Square. You'll like it too.

Canoeing
The Concord River is a fine place for a day's paddling. Glide downriver to Old North Bridge, then paddle back up spotting birds, turtles and other denizens. You can even see where Concord's original Indian inhabitants had lived.

West Concord
Formerly Concord Junction, this "suburb" of Concord center has a surprising number of fine food shops and eateries, as well as Concord's other train station.

Nashoba Winery
Colonial Americans had trouble growing fine wine grapes, but they had no trouble growing fruit trees. This winery near Concord has revived the art of making tasty fruit wines from apples, pears, peaches, blueberries and other local orchard produce. In autumn, it's a good place to pick-your-own apples.

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Sightseeing Map of Concord

Concord Restaurants

Tourist Information

Where to Stay in Concord

Concord Photo Gallery

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