Things to See & Do

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.

Join us for a presentation on Brian Donahue’s latest book, "Slow Wood: Greener Building from Local Forests."

About the presentation: Can we reconnect housing to sustainably managed local and regional forests? Through the colonial period, houses were mostly constructed and heated directly from local woodlands—Walden Woods was a notable example.

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

Join the Friends of Minute Man for a visit from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Plantmobile at the beautiful Buttrick Gardens! This fun, hands-on program invites children and families to explore the fascinating world of pollinators and the important role they play in our environment. Through interactive activities, children will discover how flowers and pollinators work together, learn about the parts of a flower, and meet some of nature’s hardest-working helpers, including bees, butterflies, and more. Perfect for children in grades K–5 and their families.

Step into 1776 and become part of the decision that changed history. What did it feel like to hear the words of the Declaration of Independence for the very first time? Join us for Declaring Independence: Then and Now in Concord, an immersive living-history experience where you become part of the story. Hear the Declaration read aloud as citizens once did, learn about the debates and doubts that surrounded independence, join the discussion, and cast your own vote: Would you have said yes to independence?

Reception to follow at the Wright Tavern, next to First Parish.

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.

Tour the heart of the Concord Museum’s collection of objects used and made by Henry David Thoreau in the galleries, which display 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.

Goodwin will be performing their third studio release: “Then Rain, Then Wind.” Collaborating with poets across time and space, this album brings aged yet ever salient words to a new generation. Setting the poetry of Emily Dickinson, Rabindranath Tagore, Charles Baudelaire, Langston Hughes, and Li Qinghzhao to music,

The Student Summer Showcase, S³, returns for its second year as The Umbrella’s annual celebration of the work our student community is creating in our classrooms. Come appreciate the wonders Umbrella student artists create! Admission is free, and the galleries are open to all, as is the opening reception (RSVP).

Visitors can enjoy free admission to the Concord Museum on the Fourth of July and enjoy special family activities and food trucks. Hear a gallery talk on with Museum staff on the Revolution and its legacy at 12pm. Visitors will: - Enjoy free admission to see the original Paul Revere lantern and dozens of objects that witnessed the founding of our nation, - Explore the new special exhibition, Revolutionary Legacies, - Listen in on a gallery talk with museum staff, - Join fun family activities and enjoy food trucks.