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Lexington, MA

Local Events

Reenactments, heritage festivals, and living history programs — experience the Revolution where it happened.

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Upcoming This Year

Jul

4

Reenactment

Wayside House Open

Parking located at 28 Hawthorne Lane, Concord, Ma 01742

<p>Over more than three hundred years, The Wayside and its families witnessed and influenced both Concord's and America's recorded history. In 1775 the Wayside was home to Samuel Whitney the muster master for Concord's minute men and a delegate to the Provincial Congress. In the 19th century famed authors Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Margaret Sidney (Harriet Lothrop) lived at this incredible site.</p>

FreeMore info →

Jul

9

Reenactment

"A horrid vision": Death, Destruction, and the Aftermath of Battle on April 19, 1775

Hartwell Tavern, 112 North Great Road, Lincoln MA

<p><span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Tour meets at Hartwell Tavern<br /></span><span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">At sunset on the evening of April 19, 1775 the fighting along the “Battle Road” concluded. As thousands of Militia soldiers marched toward Boston many civilians returned to the homes they fled earlier in the day. For miles in all directions, they discovered scenes of unimaginable horror impressed upon the landscape. Join a park ranger for a 1-hour walking tour exploring how the people of Massachusetts cared for the wounded, buried the dead, and rebuilt their homes following the first battle of the American Revolution.</span></p>

Free

Jul

10

Reenactment

Food and Physick: Colonial Food and Household Medicine

Hartwell Tavern, 112 North Great Road, Lincoln MA

<p>What did colonists eat and when? How did they take care of ailing family members when there were rarely classically trained medical professionals around? Food and Physick uses the Hartwell’s back garden to take a closer look at colonial life through the lens of food and medicine. This special program focuses on the intersection of seasonal food choices and rural colonial herbal medicine in 18<sup>th</sup> century Massachusetts. </p>

Free

Jul

12

Reenactment

The British Redcoat!

North Bridge Visitor Center, 174 Liberty Street, Concord

<p>Imagine a world where a soldier is hated by the very people he is sent to protect. His job is to keep the peace, to stop insurgents from destroying government property and to not harm government employees, yet the very people he is there to protect see him as an invader. Imagine a world where you joined the military just to get a job and two square meals a day. You have been sent halfway around the world to a place where the public spit at you and eventually try to kill you. This is the life of the common British soldier in Boston, and at Lexington and Concord in 1775. Come learn more about the life and experience of the British soldier of 1775 with Park Ranger Roger Fuller, who will be dressed as a British Redcoat, at the North Bridge Visitor Center, 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA, Mo

Free

Jul

17

Reenactment

Memories of Elm Brook Hill

Meet at Hartwell Tavern

<p>Join us for a special walk of the Elm Brook Hill battle site. Edmund Foster, a militiaman from Reading, Massachusetts (portrayed by park volunteer, Ed Hurley) and Mary Hartwell (portrayed by park volunteer, Bev Malone) will lead guests on a guided tour to the Elm Brook Hill (Bloody Angle) Battle Site. Foster will be joined by Lincoln, Massachusetts historian and author Don Hafner.<br /><br />This event is co-sponsored by the <a id="https://friendsofminuteman.org/|" href="https://friendsofminuteman.org/" data-bs-target="#myModal" data-bs-toggle="modal" data-remote="/common/commonspot/customcf/modals/modal_intercept.cfm?targetURL=https%3A%2F%2Ffriendsofminuteman.org%2F" data-target="#myModal" data-toggle="modal">Friends of Minute Man National Park</a></p>

FreeMore info →

Jul

19

Reenactment

Colonists At Work: Work Life of the Colonists and Families in 1775

North Bridge, Concord MA

<p><span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">What was it like working for a living in 1775?  Come learn about the trades of the Revolutionary War era and find out how they were influenced by the events of the time.</span></p>

Free

Jul

24

Reenactment

The King of Battle: Artillery in the American Revolution

Hartwell Tavern, 112 North Great Road, Lincoln MA

<p>See how a cannon was loaded and fired during the American Revolution. Here the roar as it is fired. Learn how such weapons were used in battle and why they were so important to the colonists in the lead-up to the outbreak of war in 1775.</p> <p>This program on June 6 will take the place of the regularly scheduled "Minute Men: Neighbors in Arms" program.</p>

Free

Jul

25

Reenactment

The Minute Men: Neighbors in Arms

The program takes place at the Hartwell Tavern which is located on the Battle Road Trail in Lincoln. The parking area is off of Rt.2A, approximately 1.5 miles west of the I-95/Rt128 ramp.

<p>What did it mean to be a minute man in 1775? How were they trained and armed? Join a park ranger at the historic Hartwell Tavern in Lincoln MA, where John and Isaac Hartwell, two minute men from the town of Lincoln, lived. Discover the motivations and realities faced by those who volunteered to be “ready at a minute’s warning.” This program may include a musket firing demonstration. Visitors with hearing concerns should exercise caution.</p>

FreeMore info →

Jul

30

Reenactment

Food and Physick: Colonial Food and Household Medicine

Hartwell Tavern, 112 North Great Road, Lincoln MA

<p>What did colonists eat and when? How did they take care of ailing family members when there were rarely classically trained medical professionals around? Food and Physick uses the Hartwell’s back garden to take a closer look at colonial life through the lens of food and medicine. This special program focuses on the intersection of seasonal food choices and rural colonial herbal medicine in 18<sup>th</sup> century Massachusetts. </p>

Free

Aug

7

Reenactment

Colonists At Work: Work Life of the Colonists and Families in 1775

North Bridge, Concord MA

<p><span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">What was it like working for a living in 1775?  Come learn about the trades of the Revolutionary War era and find out how they were influenced by the events of the time.</span></p>

Free

Aug

8

Reenactment

Memories of Elm Brook Hill

Meet at Hartwell Tavern

<p>Join us for a special walk of the Elm Brook Hill battle site. Edmund Foster, a militiaman from Reading, Massachusetts (portrayed by park volunteer, Ed Hurley) and Mary Hartwell (portrayed by park volunteer, Bev Malone) will lead guests on a guided tour to the Elm Brook Hill (Bloody Angle) Battle Site. Foster will be joined by Lincoln, Massachusetts historian and author Don Hafner.<br /><br />This event is co-sponsored by the <a id="https://friendsofminuteman.org/|" href="https://friendsofminuteman.org/" data-bs-target="#myModal" data-bs-toggle="modal" data-remote="/common/commonspot/customcf/modals/modal_intercept.cfm?targetURL=https%3A%2F%2Ffriendsofminuteman.org%2F" data-target="#myModal" data-toggle="modal">Friends of Minute Man National Park</a></p>

FreeMore info →

Sep

12

Reenactment

Memories of Elm Brook Hill

Meet at Hartwell Tavern

<p>Join us for a special walk of the Elm Brook Hill battle site. Edmund Foster, a militiaman from Reading, Massachusetts (portrayed by park volunteer, Ed Hurley) and Mary Hartwell (portrayed by park volunteer, Bev Malone) will lead guests on a guided tour to the Elm Brook Hill (Bloody Angle) Battle Site. Foster will be joined by Lincoln, Massachusetts historian and author Don Hafner.<br /><br />This event is co-sponsored by the <a id="https://friendsofminuteman.org/|" href="https://friendsofminuteman.org/" data-bs-target="#myModal" data-bs-toggle="modal" data-remote="/common/commonspot/customcf/modals/modal_intercept.cfm?targetURL=https%3A%2F%2Ffriendsofminuteman.org%2F" data-target="#myModal" data-toggle="modal">Friends of Minute Man National Park</a></p>

FreeMore info →

Sep

25

Reenactment

The King of Battle: Artillery in the American Revolution

Hartwell Tavern, 112 North Great Road, Lincoln MA

<p>See how a cannon was loaded and fired during the American Revolution. Here the roar as it is fired. Learn how such weapons were used in battle and why they were so important to the colonists in the lead-up to the outbreak of war in 1775.</p> <p>This program on June 6 will take the place of the regularly scheduled "Minute Men: Neighbors in Arms" program.</p>

Free

Sep

26

Reenactment

The Minute Men: Neighbors in Arms

The program takes place at the Hartwell Tavern which is located on the Battle Road Trail in Lincoln. The parking area is off of Rt.2A, approximately 1.5 miles west of the I-95/Rt128 ramp.

<p>What did it mean to be a minute man in 1775? How were they trained and armed? Join a park ranger at the historic Hartwell Tavern in Lincoln MA, where John and Isaac Hartwell, two minute men from the town of Lincoln, lived. Discover the motivations and realities faced by those who volunteered to be “ready at a minute’s warning.” This program may include a musket firing demonstration. Visitors with hearing concerns should exercise caution.</p>

FreeMore info →

Oct

30

Reenactment

The King of Battle: Artillery in the American Revolution

Hartwell Tavern, 112 North Great Road, Lincoln MA

<p>See how a cannon was loaded and fired during the American Revolution. Here the roar as it is fired. Learn how such weapons were used in battle and why they were so important to the colonists in the lead-up to the outbreak of war in 1775.</p> <p>This program on June 6 will take the place of the regularly scheduled "Minute Men: Neighbors in Arms" program.</p>

Free

Earlier This Year

Apr

ReenactmentFeatured

Patriots' Day Battle Reenactment on Lexington Green

Lexington Battle Green, Lexington, MA

In the pre-dawn hours of Patriots' Day, costumed reenactors recreate the first battle of the American Revolution on the historic Battle Green. The program begins around 5:30 AM with the assembled militia confronting advancing British regulars, followed by a musket volley and the chaotic skirmish that launched the Revolutionary War. Thousands of spectators gather each year to witness this dramatic living history event, which is preceded by a sunrise parade and followed by wreath-laying ceremonies at the Revolutionary War monuments.

FreeHeld on Patriots' Day, the third Monday in April (dawn reenactment typically around 5:30–6:00 AM)More info →

Apr

19

Ceremony

Commemorative Ceremony and Wreath Laying at the Lexington Minuteman Statue

Minuteman Statue, Lexington Battle Green, Lexington, MA

Each year on or near April 19, town officials, descendants of the original Lexington militia, veterans' organizations, and historical societies gather at the iconic Minuteman Statue on the Battle Green for a formal commemorative ceremony. The event includes speeches, a reading of Captain John Parker's order to the militia, wreath laying at the monuments, and a musket salute honoring the eight militiamen killed in the opening moments of the Revolution.

FreeTypically held on or near April 19; may shift to align with Patriots' Day observance on the third Monday of AprilMore info →

Apr

Ceremony

Patriots' Day Parade in Lexington

Lexington Town Center and Battle Green, Lexington, MA

Following the dawn reenactment on the Battle Green, Lexington hosts a full Patriots' Day parade through the town center featuring colonial militia companies, marching bands, floats, veterans' groups, and local civic organizations. The parade route passes key historical sites and draws large crowds celebrating the anniversary of April 19, 1775.

FreeHeld on Patriots' Day, the third Monday in April, typically mid-morning after the dawn reenactmentMore info →

Apr

Guided Tour

Hancock-Clarke House and Buckman Tavern Seasonal Opening and Tours

Buckman Tavern and Hancock-Clarke House, Lexington, MA

The Lexington Historical Society opens its landmark historic properties — including Buckman Tavern, where the militia gathered before the battle, and the Hancock-Clarke House, where Samuel Adams and John Hancock were warned by Paul Revere — for guided tours during the spring and summer season. Costumed interpreters lead visitors through restored period rooms, sharing stories of the events of April 18–19, 1775. Special programming often coincides with Patriots' Day week.

Admission fee charged; check website for current pricesTours typically run from April through October; check Lexington Historical Society for current scheduleMore info →

May

23

Reenactment

Concord's North Bridge: History and Memory

The program meets at the eastern bank of Concord's North Bridge which is around 400 feet from the North Bridge parking lot located along Monument Street. There is a crosswalk connecting the bridge trail to the parking lot. The program can be accessed via a wide dirt walking trail. The trail is leveled and has a slight slope leading down to the bridge. There are sitting bench options both at the program location and located along the trail. Some program guides may move from one side of the bridge to the other (east to west). The bridge itself is roughly 140 Feet long and slightly arched. There are limited sitting benches on the opposite (west) side of the bridge.

<p>At 11:00 a.m. meet a Park Ranger at the benches by the North Bridge for this daily 30 minute program. Learn about the momentous battle at Concord’s North Bridge, where the British Army suffered its first casualties of the war, and the legacy of this event in American History.</p>

FreeMore info →

May

Festival

Discovery Day at Minute Man National Historical Park

Minute Man National Historical Park, Lexington/Lincoln/Concord, MA

Minute Man National Historical Park, which encompasses the Battle Road between Lexington and Concord, hosts Discovery Day — a family-oriented living history event featuring ranger-led programs, musket firing demonstrations, colonial craft activities, and guided walks along the historic Battle Road Trail. Park rangers and volunteers in period dress interpret the running battle of April 19, 1775, as the British retreated from Concord back through Lexington under withering militia fire.

FreeTypically held on a Saturday in late May or early June; contact Minute Man NHP to confirm datesMore info →

Jun

6

Reenactment

The Minute Men: Neighbors in Arms

The program takes place at the Hartwell Tavern which is located on the Battle Road Trail in Lincoln. The parking area is off of Rt.2A, approximately 1.5 miles west of the I-95/Rt128 ramp.

<p>What did it mean to be a minute man in 1775? How were they trained and armed? Join a park ranger at the historic Hartwell Tavern in Lincoln MA, where John and Isaac Hartwell, two minute men from the town of Lincoln, lived. Discover the motivations and realities faced by those who volunteered to be “ready at a minute’s warning.” This program may include a musket firing demonstration. Visitors with hearing concerns should exercise caution.</p>

FreeMore info →