Revolutionary Legacies

Revolutionary LegaciesHow have we remembered April 19, 1775, and the American Revolution over the last 250 years? Featuring commemorative ephemera, unique relics, artworks and personal objects, and contemporary works that respond to the Revolution’s legacy, this special......More

Revolutionary LegaciesHow have we remembered April 19, 1775, and the American Revolution over the last 250 years? Featuring commemorative ephemera, unique relics, artworks and personal objects, and contemporary works that respond to the Revolution’s legacy, this special exhibition asks what we choose to remember—and what has been left out—as the public looks back to the founding of our nation. Visitors will have the unique opportunity to experience how the Revolution was remembered at key moments – in 1824, 1875, 1975, and even 2025. By pairing revelatory historical objects with evocative contemporary works, this dynamic exhibition asks all of us to reflect on our own role in building our nation today and for the future.  Join Curator Gallery Talks at 11 am and 2 pm on opening day with Curator David Wood and Curator and Director of Exhibitions Christie Jackson. No advanced registration required. Free with admission.  Visitors will see: A rare 1823 facsimile of the Declaration of Independence in dialogue with a commissioned poem by contemporary artist Bonney Hartley (Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians) that together ask vital questions about who we include or exclude as we remember the founding of our nation.  Unique historical relics, textiles, clothing, and personal objects that show how Americans imbued objects with historical memory, ranging from cherished family objects used on April 19th, 1775,  to pieces of the North Bridge, to a Revolutionary-era gown repurposed for the centennial, to a relic made from George Washington’s coffin.  A infant’s bootie made from the original red coat of a British soldier who died in battle during the Revolution that provides a poignant example of the ways families repurposed original objects from the Revolution, creating powerful living memories of the past.  Original artworks created by local high school students in response to the 250th anniversary of April 19th, 1775, that bring reflections of our nation’s founding all the way to the present day, highlighting the voices of the next generation and inviting visitors to consider their own role in carrying forward the ideals of the Revolutionary period.  Plan your visit. Featured Objects Images: Infant bootie, England and America, about 1777. Concord Museum Collection, Gift of the Town of Concord 2025.16.1.  Image Courtesy of the Concord Museum. Framed George Washington memorial print, manufacturer by James Crutchett, Washington, D.C., about 1859.  Concord Museum Collection, Gift of Mr. Percy Brown  M2030. WWII Savings Bonds Poster, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1941.  Concord Museum Collection, Gift of the Cummings Davis Society 1999.45.  Image Courtesy of the Concord Museum. Ribbon, unknown maker, Boston, Ma, 1875.  Concord Museum Collection 1997.5  Ribbon, Concord, Ma, 1875.  Concord Museum Collection 2006.67  Ribbon, Thomas Stevens, Coventry, England, 1876.  Concord Museum Collection 2006.68  Sash, unknown maker, United States, 1875.  Concord Museum Collection, Gift of Annie Dakin French Cos64.76.7.  Image Courtesy of the Concord Museum.George Washington miniature coffin, unknown maker, United States, about 1837.  Concord Museum Collection M705.  Image Courtesy of the Concord Museum.  Declaration of Independence, William J. Stone, printer, Washington, D.C., 1823.  Concord Museum Collection, Bequest of Dr. Robert W. Wood D963.1.  Image Courtesy of the Concord Museum.Block Printed Cotton Gown, 1795-1805 remade from 1785-1790 style.  Concord Museum Collection, Gift of Mrs. G. Hollis Blake Cos74.143.  Image Courtesy of the Concord Museum.  Model of the Old North Bridge by Edwin A. Buttrick, Concord, Ma, about 1920.  Concord Museum Collection, Gift of Miss Harriet C. Buttrick M2082a.  Image Courtesy of the Concord Museum. Revolutionary Legacies is made possible, in part, by: Mass Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities the Decorative Arts Trust the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area, the ‘Quin Impact Fund, Concord250, the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati, and by the Massachusetts General Court and Secretary of State William F. Galvin for Veterans’ Heritage Grant Program. The exhibition is also supported by WBUR. 

53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States

Thoreau Gallery Talk 

Tour the heart of the Concord Museum’s collection of objects used and made by Henry David Thoreau in the  galleries, which displays more Thoreau objects than have previously been on permanent display and learn about his life in Concord and two years at Walden Pond. Free......More

Tour the heart of the Concord Museum’s collection of objects used and made by Henry David Thoreau in the  galleries, which displays more Thoreau objects than have previously been on permanent display and learn about his life in Concord and two years at Walden Pond. Free with Museum admission. Members visit free.

53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States

A Walk in Thoreau’s Concord

Henry David Thoreau is known for the two years he spent living at Walden Pond.  Did you know that he lived in other homes in Concord throughout his life?  Take a tour of the domestic side of Thoreau’s wholly human life visiting the homes where he lived and hearing the s......More

Henry David Thoreau is known for the two years he spent living at Walden Pond.  Did you know that he lived in other homes in Concord throughout his life?  Take a tour of the domestic side of Thoreau’s wholly human life visiting the homes where he lived and hearing the stories told of him by family and friends.  $15 Members | $25 Non-Members. Includes same-day admission to the Concord Museum.  Register

53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States

Revolutionary Legacies | History Happy Hour

Celebrate the Museum’s special exhibition, Revolutionary Legacies, with a special guided tour following a festive happy hour of wine, beer, and light refreshments in the Museum’s courtyard. Reflect on the nation’s founding principles, their continuous reinterpretation o......More

Celebrate the Museum’s special exhibition, Revolutionary Legacies, with a special guided tour following a festive happy hour of wine, beer, and light refreshments in the Museum’s courtyard. Reflect on the nation’s founding principles, their continuous reinterpretation over the past 250 years, and consider what they mean today through textiles, ceramics, and relics from the 19th century.  Your ticket includes drinks outside in the courtyard before the tour, which begins at 7:15 pm.  $15 Members | $25 Non-Members Register

53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States

Walt Whitman’s American Dream 

As the country celebrates its 250th Anniversary, enjoy a staged reading and discussion of the new play Walt Whitman’s American Dream by Sarah Vander Schaaff, directed by Brendon Fox, Artistic Director of the renowned Peterborough Players. A juicy biopic, the play stirs ......More

As the country celebrates its 250th Anniversary, enjoy a staged reading and discussion of the new play Walt Whitman’s American Dream by Sarah Vander Schaaff, directed by Brendon Fox, Artistic Director of the renowned Peterborough Players. A juicy biopic, the play stirs the bigger questions still at the heart of our experience  the ensemble of characters includes Concord’s own, Ralph Waldo Emerson. This is a rare chance to see this play as it makes its way across the country. In Partnership with Whitman Crossing and Peterborough Players.  Join us starting at 6:30pm for a reception outside in the courtyard before the performance. Drinks at the reception are included in the tickets.  $15 Members | $25 Non-Members Register

53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States

Old Hill Burial Ground Walking Tour 

Tour Old Hill Burial Ground and learn about the Revolutionary War soldiers buried in Concord’s oldest cemetery. Visit the final resting place of some of the most well-known figures from April 19, 1775 including Emerson Cogswell, Colonel Barrett, and Captain David Brown.......More

Tour Old Hill Burial Ground and learn about the Revolutionary War soldiers buried in Concord’s oldest cemetery. Visit the final resting place of some of the most well-known figures from April 19, 1775 including Emerson Cogswell, Colonel Barrett, and Captain David Brown. This tour includes about 1 mile of walking on hilly, unpaved terrain. $15 Members | $25 Non-Members. Includes same-day admission to the Concord Museum.  Register

53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States

Concord's Literary Lineage | History Happy Hour

Join us for an evening of society to celebrate the illustrious literary and transcendentalist history of Concord with wine, beer, and other beverages in the courtyard, followed by a tour of our singular Thoreau and Emerson collections.  Your ticket includes drinks outsi......More

Join us for an evening of society to celebrate the illustrious literary and transcendentalist history of Concord with wine, beer, and other beverages in the courtyard, followed by a tour of our singular Thoreau and Emerson collections.  Your ticket includes drinks outside in the courtyard before the tour, which begins at 7:15 pm.  Co-sponsored by The Thoreau Alliance. $15 Members | $25 Non-Members Register

53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States

Curator Spotlight Talk: Revolutionary Legacies 

Join Curator and Director of Exhibitions Christie Jackson and Curator David Wood for a gallery talk in the new special exhibition Revolutionary Legacies.  Free with Museum admission. Members visit free.

53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States

We Were Friends: To Bed/Eggs    

Award-winning Firelight Theatre Workshop presents We Were Friends: To Bed/Eggs, an episodic project of Firelight’s playful reimagining of Margaret Fuller and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s profound friendship set in today’s world. A late-night phone conversation between Ralph an......More

Award-winning Firelight Theatre Workshop presents We Were Friends: To Bed/Eggs, an episodic project of Firelight’s playful reimagining of Margaret Fuller and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s profound friendship set in today’s world. A late-night phone conversation between Ralph and Margaret takes the form of a radio play in which music, film, voice, and the hypnotic hum of a sleep apnea machine lead the two friends into territory both more intimate and less certain than any they’ve experienced in each other’s presence. This episode will be followed by a talkback with Firelight’s actors and writers. $15 Members | $25 Non-Members Register

53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States

Staff Picks from the Collection | History Happy Hour

Beat the heat with wine, ice-cold beer, and other beverages in our courtyard, followed by a specially curated tour of staff favorites from the Concord Museum’s collection. From beloved hidden gems to iconic highlights, discover what makes these pieces stand out through ......More

Beat the heat with wine, ice-cold beer, and other beverages in our courtyard, followed by a specially curated tour of staff favorites from the Concord Museum’s collection. From beloved hidden gems to iconic highlights, discover what makes these pieces stand out through the eyes of those who know them best.  Your ticket includes drinks outside in the courtyard before the tour, which begins at 7:15 pm.  $15 Members | $25 Non-Members Register

53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States