1. Concord’S Colonial Inn
City: Concord, MA
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (978) 369-9200
Address: 48 Monument Sq.
Insider Pick:
Description: At this two-plus-century hospitality spot overlooking Concord’s Monument Square, you can stay in cozy colonial-era rooms in the main inn. With exposed beams, original wood flooring, and period furniture, these rooms are as comfortable as they are historic. The rooms in the inn’s newer wing had a major makeover in 2012 and are wonderfully up-to-date with flat-screen TVs and a contemporary style that is anything but fusty. Either way, be sure to spend some time on the inn’s famed front porch whiling away an hour reading or people-watching.
2. Concord Bookshop
City: Concord, MA
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (978) 369-2405
Address: 65 Main St.
Description: Concord has a strong literary heritage and this is reflected in the Concord bookshop’s choice of titles (lots of local-interest and children’s books), its author events, and the knowledge of the staff. Located on Main Street, with pretty window displays (one window changing weekly is always dedicated to a community partner or event like the Concord Orchestra or the elementary school geography bee), the store is popular with locals and tourists alike.
3. Old Manse
City: Concord, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (978) 369-3909
Address: 269 Monument St.
Insider Pick:
Description: On the banks of the Concord River, within sight of the Old North Bridge, this 1770 parsonage belonged to William Emerson, who witnessed the battle of April 19, 1775, as it unfolded nearby. His grandson Ralph Waldo Emerson lived here for a short time and drafted Nature from the study. The house was later rented to Nathaniel Hawthorne and his bride, Sophia. Highlights of the guided tour include the windowpane love poems etched in the glass by the newlyweds. Closed Mon; check website for tour times.
4. Ralph Waldo Emerson House
City: Concord, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (978) 369-2236
Address: 28 Cambridge Turnpike
Description: Philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson was at the center of the transcendentalist movement; he established himself in Concord and lived in this clapboard foursquare home with his family from 1835 until his death in 1882. It was in this house that he wrote most of his work, including the essay “Self-Reliance,” and hosted a stream of distinguished guests. The home is still owned by the Emerson family and except for the contents of his study, which are housed across the street at the Concord Museum, and his library of books, which is at Harvard, much of the furniture and artifacts are original. Open mid-April through mid-October, Thurs through Sat 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sun and holiday Mondays 1 to 4:30 p.m.
5. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
City: Concord, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (978) 318-3233
Insider Pick:
Description: The natural landscape design of Sleepy Hollow, a cemetery founded in 1855, reflects the transcendental aesthetic with curving paths that follow the contours of the hilly woodland. Concord’s literary luminaries—Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Louisa May Alcott—are buried in the section known as Authors’ Ridge. It’s a serene spot beneath tall trees. Thoreau’s grave is a sentimental favorite; admirers often leave small tributes: acorns, pinecones, and pencils (his family owned a pencil factory).
6. The Wayside
City: Concord, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (978) 318-7863
Address: 455 Lexington Rd.
Description: The Wayside is three centuries old and is also known as the “Authors’ House.” Louisa May Alcott lived here with her family as a young girl; she and her sisters would perform their “theatricals” in the barn. When the Alcott family moved to Orchard House across the street, they sold the house to Nathaniel Hawthorne, who enlarged it by adding a study tower, where he wrote his later works. In the 20th century, Harriett Lothrop, author of the Five Little Peppers children’s book series (under the pen name Margaret Sidney), lived here. The Wayside is part of the Minute Man Historical Park, and visits to the home are by ranger-led guided tour. Open mid-April through October, Tues through Sun; check website for hours.
7. Concord Museum
City: Concord, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (978) 369-9763
Address: 58 Cambridge Turnpike
Insider Pick:
Description: Henry James once referred to Concord as the “biggest little place in America.” Visit the Concord Museum and you will understand why. Located in the center of town, the museum is a terrific place to begin a visit to Concord. The museum has an esteemed collection of artifacts relating to Concord’s role in early American history and 19th-century literature, including the contents of Emerson’s study and the desk where Thoreau penned Walden. The museum’s prized possession is one of the lanterns that was hung in the belfry of Boston’s Old North Church on the night of Paul Revere’s midnight ride.
8. Orchard House
City: Concord, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (978) 369-5778
Address: 399 Lexington Rd.
Insider Pick:
Description: Louisa May Alcott’s most well-known work, Little Women, has been a beloved first novel for generations of young American girls. Alcott lived in this unpretentious brown clapboard house with her parents and sisters between 1858 and 1877. She wrote and set Little Women at Orchard House and used her family as the fictionalized characters in the book. Now a museum, the house has been faithfully and lovingly cared for through the years. Look for Alcott’s writing desk (it’s little more than a shelf) between the windows in her bedroom. Guided tours are the only way to see the house. Don’t hesitate to ask questions—the museum guides are passionate about the lives of the Alcott family and their place in American literary history.
9. Walden Pond
City: Concord, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (978) 369-3252
Address: 915 Walden St.
Description: “I went to the woods because I wanted to lived deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life.” Thoreau built his 1-room cabin next to Walden Pond on land that at the time was owned by his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson. Thoreau’s 2-year experiment in solitary living served as the basis for Walden, published in 1854. There is a replica of the cabin next to the parking lot. If you are looking for peace and tranquility, walk the 2-mile trail that circumnavigates the pond. But come early in the summer; the pond is part of a state park and is a popular swimming destination.
10. South Bridge Boat House
City: Concord, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (978) 369-9438
Address: 496 Main St.
Description: As your canoe slices through the calm waters of the Concord River, it’s easy to imagine how this waterway inspired Emerson, Hawthorne, and Thoreau. South Bridge rents a variety of canoes and kayaks and will make sure you know the rudiments before you set out. It’s a leisurely paddle by the Old Manse to reach the Old North Bridge of “shot heard ’round the world” fame. Open mid-April through Oct, hours change seasonally; call in advance.