Make this winter a season of discovery. Inspired by Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area’s Galleries and Collections itinerary, these museums, libraries, and galleries invite you to explore fascinating exhibitions, remarkable works of art, and unexpected connections to the past. Choose a familiar favorite or venture somewhere new— you may be surprised by the treasures waiting just beyond your doorstep. Check each site’s winter hours and current exhibitions before heading out.
Acton Memorial Library—Civil War Archives
486 Main Street, Acton, MA | ActonMemorialLibrary.org/civilwar
The Acton Memorial Library houses Civil War archives documenting the town’s soldiers and sailors. The library’s collection includes photographs, pension files, obituaries, cemetery records, and more. The collection serves as a valuable genealogical and educational resource while also honoring the legacy of Acton’s veterans.
The exhibition Not Afraid to Go is on permanent display at the library and features an audio tour and artifacts owned by the library as well as replicas from the Acton Historical Society.
American Heritage Museum
568 Main Street, Hudson, MA | AmericanHeritageMuseum.org
Housed in a building of more than 65,000 square feet at the Collings Foundation’s headquarters on the Hudson–Stow town line, the American Heritage Museum maintains a historically important collection of military artifacts, tanks, and armored vehicles donated by the family of Jacques M. Littlefield in 2013. The museum features more than eighty tanks and major artifacts, including several that are the only examples on public display in North America.
Ashby Free Public Library—The Gallery of Art
812 Main Street, Ashby, MA | AshbyLibrary.org
The upper floor of the Ashby Free Public Library hosts a rotating gallery featuring work by local artists. The gallery is open to visitors during regular library hours. The library is also home to a town quilt created by Ashby residents that is permanently on display at the library.
Bolton Public Library—The Program Room
738 Main Street, Bolton, MA | BoltonPublicLibrary.org
The Program Room hosts rotating exhibitions of work by local artists. Visit the library’s website for a schedule of exhibitions through 2028.
Cary Library
|Cary Library—Collections & Galleries
1874 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA | CaryLibrary.org
Cary Memorial Library is home to an impressive art collection that revolves around Lexington-themed portraits, landscapes, and objects. Most works can be viewed while perusing the library during regular hours—the majority are located on the library’s main floor just inside the Massachusetts Avenue entrance. Special exhibitions are frequently on display in the Meeting Room Gallery. In addition to the art collection, the library provides three gallery spaces that feature rotating works from local artists.
Charlotte and William Bloomberg
Medford Public Library
111 High Street, Medford, MA | MedfordLibrary.org
The Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library maintains a collection centered on local history, including materials relating to Amelia Earhart, who once lived in Medford.
Concord Art—Concord Center for the Visual Arts
37 Lexington Road, Concord, MA | ConcordArt.org
Concord Center for the Visual Arts was founded in 1922 by Elizabeth Wentworth Roberts, an American Impressionist and philanthropist. Her mission to promote and advance the visual arts and artists and to sustain Concord’s cultural community remains relevant today. With more than one thousand members, Concord Art provides a place for contemporary art exhibitions, art education, and relevant programming for everyone.
Concord Free Public Library
|Concord Free Public Library—William Munroe Special Collections
129 Main Street, Concord, MA | ConcordLibrary.org
The Concord Free Public Library is home to a unique art collection that emphasizes the history, people, and culture of Concord, Massachusetts. Founded in 1873 by William Munroe, the library has included art from its beginning. Early acquisitions included David Scott’s portrait of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Daniel Chester French’s bust of Simon Brown, and William James Stillman’s painting The Philosophers’ Camp in the Adirondacks, setting a precedent for the library’s prestigious collection.
Today, the collection consists of more than two hundred pieces of art, including sculptures, paintings, and lithographs. The library also houses Concord-related historical documents, histories, and an extensive Concord authors collection. The William Munroe Special Collections are open to the public; check the website for research hours and access requirements. Select materials and exhibitions are also available online.
Concord Museum
53 Cambridge Turnpike, Concord, MA | ConcordMuseum.org
The Concord Museum houses one of the oldest and most treasured collections of Americana in the country, and its nationally significant collection serves as a catalyst for changing exhibitions, extended classroom learning, dynamic programs, and publications relevant to an ever-changing world. Founded in 1886 as the Concord Antiquarian Society, the Museum is a center of cultural enjoyment for the region and a gateway to the Town of Concord for visitors from around the world.
Collection highlights include Ralph Waldo Emerson’s study; Henry David Thoreau’s desk, spyglass, and snowshoes; and one of the lanterns hung from Old North Church on the night of Paul Revere’s ride. Three permanent galleries chronicle the events of April 19, 1775, and their revolutionary effect on American history.
Paul Revere statue by Cyrus Dallin at Cyrus Dallin Art Museum
|Cyrus Dallin Art Museum
611 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA | Dallin.org
Discover the art and life of celebrated American sculptor, educator, and Indigenous rights activist Cyrus E. Dallin (1861–1944), who lived and worked in Arlington, Massachusetts, for more than forty years, at the only museum in the country solely dedicated to preserving his legacy.
Dallin’s public sculptures honoring Indigenous peoples, Anglo-American figures, and historical events bring beauty and a unique perspective to shared spaces across the nation. The museum’s comprehensive exhibitions ground Dallin’s distinctive body of work within the context of his commitment to artistic expression, education, and social justice.
deCordova Sculpture Park & Museum
51 Sandy Pond Road, Lincoln, MA | TheTrustees.org/place/decordova
Established in 1950, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is the largest park of its kind in New England, encompassing thirty acres. Providing a constantly changing landscape of large-scale outdoor modern and contemporary sculpture and site-specific installations, the sculpture park hosts more than sixty works. The museum also offers public programs and interpretive activities. Note: The indoor galleries are currently closed for renovation. Check the website for updates on their reopening and winter park hours.
Discovery Museum
177 Main Street, Acton, MA | DiscoveryActon.org
Discovery Museum brings science, nature, and play together through interactive exhibits that invite children and adults to explore and learn alongside one another. Visitors can experiment with air, water, sound, and light or put their imaginations to work in the da Vinci Workshop, creating art and inventions with recycled materials. Outdoors, Discovery Woods offers an accessible nature playscape and tree house, open year-round, where families can observe, investigate, and connect with the natural world.
Fitchburg Art Museum
185 Elm Street, Fitchburg, MA | FitchburgArtMuseum.org
The Fitchburg Art Museum (FAM) was founded in 1925 through a bequest from Eleanor Norcross. Its complex, with more than 20,000 square feet of exhibition space, features exhibitions from its art historical collections as well as special loan exhibitions focused on regional contemporary art. Collections include 19th-century American art; photography; and African, Greek, Roman, and Egyptian art.
Forbush Memorial Library
|Forbush Memorial Library—Eloranta Room
118 Main Street, Westminster, MA | ForbushLibrary.org
Throughout the walls of Forbush Memorial Library, visitors will find a selection of paintings by acclaimed Westminster artist Deacon Robert Peckham. The library’s prized painting, Westminster Village in 1831, hangs in the main lobby and was restored at the Williamstown Art Conservation Center with funds generously donated to the library by the Dawley family.
Other works include Peckham’s portraits of Phineas and Sally Sanderson Reed, who once lived on the corner where the library stands today, and a selection of Peckham’s paintings for his children that are displayed in the Eloranta Room Special Collections on the third floor.
The library is also home to a hand-stitched quilt commemorating the first hundred years of Forbush’s permanent home.
The Gardner Museum
|The Gardner Museum
28 Pearl Street, Gardner, MA | GardnerMuseumInc.com
The Gardner Museum collects and preserves materials pertaining to the rich history of the city of Gardner, also known as the “chair city of the world” and “furniture capital of New England.” Established in 1978, the museum is located in the Levi Heywood Memorial Library building. Designed by Fuller and Delano of Worcester, the building was completed in 1886 and is an excellent example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. A video tour of the museum is available online. Note: The Gardner Museum is closed in January and February.
Goodnow Library
|Goodnow Library Art Exhibitions
21 Concord Road, Sudbury, MA | GoodnowLibrary.org
The Goodnow Library in Sudbury has five exhibition areas that display works of art on a rotating basis. In addition to two display cases where small collections can be shown, the library features art in the McQueen Gallery, the Community Room, and the Atkinson Wing Ramp.
Groton Public Library
|Groton Public Library—The Owen Smith
Shuman Art Gallery
99 Main Street, Groton, MA | Gpl.org
Groton Public Library has an art scene of its very own. In addition to the Owen Smith Shuman Art Gallery, which exhibits contemporary work from local residents, the library houses custom ironwork, wall sculptures, and a variety of paintings. Chief among those are the works of Boston School painter Edmund C. Tarbell, which are on long-term loan to the library and viewable during regular hours.
Hazen Memorial Library
3 Keady Way, Shirley, MA | Shirley.Cwmars.org
Hazen Memorial Library combines art with local history through collections displayed throughout the library and in its Historical Room. A collection of works by Shirley artist and historian Sandy Farnsworth, donated by the artist’s family, includes acrylic paintings. The Historical Room preserves photographs, artifacts, and two large oil portraits of Samuel and Betsy Hazen, the family for whom the library is named.
A highlight is Shirley’s 250th-anniversary quilt, created by twenty-two local participants and presented to the town in 2003. Measuring approximately eighty by ninety-six inches, its twenty-seven panels depict historic buildings and landmarks throughout Shirley. The quilt is permanently displayed in a custom case in the library lobby.
Hollis Social Library
|Hollis Social Library Art & Exhibitions
2 Monument Square, Hollis, NH | HollisLibrary.org
Art is always on display in the Hollis Social Library’s gallery. The Charles, Eva, and Paul L. Tringoson Endowment Fund has allowed the library to obtain a collection of art by local artists, artwork with subjects of local and historical significance, and artwork funded or donated by patrons. You can download a PDF guide from the library’s website showing the artwork and its display locations.
The Jason Russell House & Museum Exhibit Hall
7 Jason Street, Arlington, MA | ArlingtonHistorical.org
Completed in 1980 with funds contributed by Elizabeth Smith in memory of her father, George A. Smith, and grandfather, Samuel Abbot Smith, the exhibit hall at the Jason Russell House & Museum houses the Arlington Historical Society’s exhibits and collection of artifacts, manuscripts, and memorabilia. Check the website or contact the Historical Society for seasonal access.
Lawrence Library
|Lawrence Library—Shattuck Bird Room & Art Gallery
15 Main Street, Pepperell, MA | LawrenceLibrary.org
The centerpiece of the special collections at the Lawrence Library is the Shattuck Bird Room—a showcase of over one hundred unique bird specimens that Sidney M. Shattuck (1876–1917) collected, preserved, and mounted. All species were reportedly found within a five-mile radius of Shattuck’s Pepperell, Massachusetts, home before the collector was twenty years old. The collection was donated to the library by an unknown group of townspeople.
The Lawrence Library has hosted art exhibitions and live music performances since 1901. The Art Gallery hosts new exhibitions year-round, including the Squanicook Colonial Quilt Guild show each spring and a student art show in the summer. In December, the gallery transforms into a winter wonderland.
Shattuck Bird Room & Art Gallery
|Leominster Public Library—The Galleries
30 West Street, Leominster, MA | LeominsterLibrary.org
The sizable Leominster Public Library has gallery and exhibition spaces throughout its two floors. These spaces are provided for educational, cultural, intellectual, charitable, and recreational displays, including work by local artists and craftspeople. The library also uses these spaces to exhibit materials from its own collections. For information on featured art exhibitions, visit the library website.
Levi Heywood Memorial Library
|Levi Heywood Memorial Library
55 West Lynde Street, Gardner, MA | Lhml.org
The Levi Heywood Memorial Library gallery space features rotating work by local artists. Visitors can also stop by the library’s local history room, which includes materials from Gardner’s industrial past; a broadside entitled Soldier’s Memorial that lists the members and engagements of Company H, 36th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers; and a record book of the members of D. G. Farragut Post No. 116, Grand Army of the Republic. A facsimile of the broadside is displayed on the first floor. Check the website for local history room hours.
Lincoln Public Library—The Gallery
3 Bedford Road, Lincoln, MA | LincolnPl.org
The Gallery at Lincoln Public Library features works by local artists and students. Exhibits change frequently, and you can find a schedule of past and upcoming events on the library’s website.
Malden Public Library—Converse Art Galleries
36 Salem Street, Malden, MA | MaldenPublicLibrary.org
The Malden Public Library curates a varied collection of artwork, which is housed in the Converse Memorial Building. The original art collection exists through the generosity of Elisha and Mary Slade Converse. The Converse family financed the library building, and Elisha’s 1904 bequest established a fund specifically for the purchase of works of art. The first purchase was made in 1892: Cape Ann Pasture by Malden artist Albion Bicknell. The collection features a number of artists, with an emphasis on those with Malden-area connections. Represented artists include Albion Bicknell, Perle Fine, Katsushika Hokusai, Frank Stella, J. M. W. Turner, and James Abbott McNeill Whistler. A link to an online tour of the galleries is on the library’s website. Check the website for open hours of the archives, art galleries, and local history materials.
Maynard Public Library
|Maynard Public Library—The Roosevelt Room
77 Nason Street, Maynard, MA | MaynardPublicLibrary.org
As part of its special programming, the Maynard Public Library hosts art talks and art classes. The Roosevelt Room often hosts rotating exhibitions that feature the work of local artists and craftspeople. Exhibition schedules vary; artwork can be viewed during regular library hours when the room is not reserved for a meeting or program.
Nashua Public Library
2 Court Street, Nashua, NH | NashuaLibrary.org
Walk through any area of the library, and you’ll notice an array of original paintings, photographs, and sculptures that have been carefully acquired and curated through a trust established in 1932. The collection now includes more than 112 high-quality artworks representing diverse perspectives and styles. You can browse the online catalog of art through the website.
In addition to art, the Nashua Public Library includes collections on local history and genealogy as well as works by local authors.
Reuben Hoar Library—Gallery Once
35 Shattuck Street, Littleton, MA | LittletonMa.org/269/Gallery-Once
Gallery Once, on the ground floor of the Reuben Hoar Library, celebrates local talent with rotating exhibitions of artwork and photography by artists from the surrounding community. The walls feature a diverse mix of media, from paintings and drawings to photographs and mixed-media pieces.
Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library
|Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library
33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA | Srmml.org
Established in 1975 by the Scottish Rite Freemasons of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library tells the story of Freemasonry and fraternalism in the context of American history. Unique in the nation, the museum aims to be the “historical society” of American Freemasonry by collecting, preserving, interpreting, and celebrating the history of fraternalism. The Museum pays special attention to the history of the Scottish Rite and strives to serve the Masonic community. The collections also include decorative arts, artifacts, photographs, and fine art connected to American history.
Thayer Memorial Library—Special Collections & Historical Museum
717 Main Street, Lancaster, MA | ThayerMemorialLibrary.org
Lancaster’s Thayer Memorial Library has a multitude of special collections in the Constance V. R. Dexter Special Collections Room, including the John C. L. Clark Botanical Collection, local manuscripts, and rare books. The library’s Historical Museum, which was established in 1863, is a permanent exhibit of Civil War memorabilia, prehistoric tools, 19th-century physician’s instruments, and other artifacts relating to the town’s history. Access to both the Special Collections Room and the Historical Museum must be arranged with the library in advance.
Tufts University Art Galleries—Aidekman Arts Center
40 Talbot Avenue, Medford, MA | ArtGalleries.Tufts.edu
With locations in the Aidekman Arts Center on the university’s main Medford campus and at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts in Boston, the art galleries engage with artists, scholars, and works of art to provoke conversation around today’s pressing cultural and social issues. Through exhibitions and programming focused on contemporary art, alongside broader research and collecting, Tufts University Art Galleries provide a pedagogical space for the university’s community and wider public.
Umbrella Arts
|Umbrella Arts
40 Stow Street, Concord, MA | TheUmbrellaArts.org
Umbrella Arts (formerly The Umbrella Arts Center) enriches lives and builds a vibrant and inclusive community rooted in the arts by promoting creativity, learning, personal growth, and cultural exchange through accessible arts education programs, performing and visual arts presentations, and community collaborations.
Housed in the former Emerson School, Umbrella Arts provides studio space for more than fifty artists, three galleries of exhibition space, and two theater spaces for the performing arts. It sponsors community arts initiatives, outdoor art installations, and regional celebrations, including an Arts & Environment program as well as classes and workshops for children and adults, arts summer camps, and vacation-week programs for youth.
Woburn Public Library
|Woburn Public Library—Archives & Collections
45 Pleasant Street, Woburn, MA | WoburnPublicLibrary.org
The Woburn Public Library’s archives contain a variety of artifacts and documents, from a letter written by George Washington to a collection of Confederate money. The library also has a sizable art collection, including paintings collected by benefactor Charles Bowers Winn, with works displayed throughout the building, and a photography collection focused on Woburn photographers. The library’s museum area on the mezzanine includes exhibits of historical artifacts that tell the story of the city’s history.
*This article was made possible with the support of Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area.
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