The Old Manse .. next to North Bridge and other Concord, MA Things to Do Tips

It's the real house and it has been converted into a museum of sorts. Famous authors and philosophers Nathaniel Hawthorne & Ralph Waldo Emerson, the author of Nature, a pivotal book in American literature lived here and it is literally a stone throws away from the side of the North Bridge when the British troop were 'stopped'.
The Alcott's were frequent visitors to the house.
Open mid-April through October 31 Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays and holidays 12 noon to 5 p.m. Guided tours. Museum shop. There is an admission fee.

Leave a Comment

Directions: From Concord center (Monument Square) take Monument Street north .5 mile Entrance on left; ample parking. Borders North Bridge and Minute Man National Historic Park
Website: http://www.concord.org/town/manse/old_manse.html

Concord has managed to keep a downtown village atmosphere. No malls or Walmart here.
It is the perfect size for a stroll around checking out the many stores with their offerings for the local community. It is not a town full of souvenir shops. I shop here for Christmas presents often.

Leave a Comment

This was the bridge where the 'Minutemen' made their stand against the British troops on April 19th, 1775. There is a whole story that goes behind this and it is worth checking out. The bridge is worth a visit not just for its historical significance, but also because it is actually quite picturesque. Take a walk over the bridge and up to the visitors center. Along the way you will go through some lovely gardens with a nice view of the Concord river below.
This area can be crowded in the summer and fall. I took the picture here at 3 pm on a Friday Dec 3rd. No Tourists!

An excerpt from a Minuteman's point of view -
"The troops came into the town, set fire to several carriages for the artillery, destroyed sixty barrels of flour, rifled several houses, took possession of the town-house, destroyed five hundred pounds of balls, set a guard of a hundred men at the North Bridge, and sent up a party to the house of Col. Barrett, where they were in expectation of finding a quantity of warlike stores. But these were happily secured, just before their arrival, by transportation into the woods and other by-places.

In the mean time, the guard sent by the enemy to secure the posts at the North Bridge were alarmed by the approach of our people, who had retreated, as mentioned before, and were now advancing, with special orders not to fire upon the troops unless fired upon. These orders were so punctually observed, that we received the fire of the enemy in three several and separate discharges of their pieces before it was returned by our commanding officer. The firing then soon became general for several minutes, in which skirmish two were killed on each side, and several of the enemy wounded. "

Leave a Comment

Address: Monument Street, Concord.
Directions: From the center of town, go to the Concord Center rotary, turn left along the green until the Colonial Inn is directly in front of you. Turn right at the Inn onto Monument Street. Proceed about 1 mile and the North Bridge parking lot will be in your right
Website: http://www.concordma.com

I only put Walden pond as a must see activity, because it is probably the most popular tourist attraction in Concord.
It is a smallish pond with surrounding area that at one time was chosen by Henry David Thoreau as a place to build a small cabin, get away from it all for a while and write about it. His book, Walden, became quite popular and many of the sentiments of civil disobedience of Thoreau and his contemporaries became popular.
In reality there is no house left on Walden Pond, just the place where it used to be. A replica is nearer the parking lot, which gets completely full in the summer and fall and causes a major traffic jam, causing me to drive an alternate way home.
An other lesser known fact is that the rail line that is there today, just a few 100 feet from the house site, was there back in Thoreau's days and in the same area where Thoreau built his cabin there was a rather large transient community. It is my understanding that Thoreau used to go into town to meet up with his affluent buddies for a meal and drinks every now and then and to visit his family. It was only a short walk away. He didn't live as a hermit in the middle of nowhere as some may think.

The beach on the pond it not the best beach around, but one of the very few public ones, hence the crowds on the hot summer days.
You are not allowed to swim in the pond outside of the roped in area by the beach.

There is a prettier and smaller pond at the back of the parking lot.

Leave a Comment

Address: Just off Rt 2, on the border of Concord & Lincoln
Directions: Walden Pond State Reservation is located near Lincoln and Concord in the Greater Boston Area.
From east or west: Take Rte. 2 to Rte. 126 south. Parking is 0.3 miles down on the left.
Website: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/northeast/wldn.htm

It is a long winter in Massachusetts, but by getting out and walking or cross-country skiing you can get through it.
Here is a picture of what is left after the corn fields have been harvested.

Leave a Comment

Just off Rt 62 is an area that is set aside as conservation land for migrating waterfowl. You can easily walk to it from the North bridge, if you know the way, but it is probably best reached by car or canoe.
There are actually separate areas that make up Great Meadows, the larger is about 10 miles away in Sudbury.
Open from sunrise to sunset.

Leave a Comment

Phone: 978-443-4661
Address: Monsen Road, off of Route 62, in Concord, Massachu
Website: http://www.recreation.gov/detail.cfm?ID=1407
Other Contact: fw5rw_emnwr@fws.gov