Friday and Saturday, June 1 and 2, 2018 – Celebrating 29 Years of a New England Tradition

The famed Concord spokesman for individualism and self-reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson, once wrote: “When I go into a good garden, I think, if it were mine, I should never go out of it.” This year the Concord Museum is celebrating 29 years of “going into good gardens” on the annual Concord Garden Tour.

The Museum’s Guild of Volunteers has organized this pre-eminent garden tour, an unequalled opportunity both to share in the delights of beautiful and historic private gardens in Concord and to support the Museum’s Education Programs which annually serve over 12,000 students from 85 Massachusetts communities and 22 states.

The Museum’s Garden Tour has become a New England tradition for garden lovers from near and far. The Garden Tour will take place on two days, Friday and Saturday, June 1 and June 2, rain or shine. Each of the private gardens reflects the individual interests and passions of the owners and their families and will inspire both new gardeners designing their first perennial bed and accomplished landscapers with acres of “garden rooms.”

The tour of Concord-area gardens is self-guided and self-paced, beginning each day at 9:00 a.m. and continuing until 4:00 p.m. Garden-goers should arrive at the Museum to pick up their maps prior to starting out. Tickets are good for either or both days, but each garden may only be visited once.  No refunds; no photography.

The 2018 Garden Tour will feature six exceptional private gardens in Concord, plus two historic site gardens. A prevalent theme of this year’s tour is the famous Concord grape known the world over for its distinctive sweet flavor. The historic landmark Grapevine Cottage, owned by Concord grape’s founder, Ephraim Wales Bull, is one of the special gardens on the tour. The ancestral vines of the original Concord grapes dating back to 1849 still can be seen. Wine lovers and horticulturists from all over the world still flock to the site to admire the history of wine, jelly and jam making in America. Three of the properties on the tour include Concord grapes.

Check out four pop-up garden shops by Tina Labadini, Callie & Fen, Holiday, and Copp Family Farms, and the popular ‘Ask an Arborist’ booth! Support the Museum by shopping in town at J.McLaughlin and Sara Campbell and enjoy light refreshments; partial proceeds donated to the Museum.

New for 2018: Enjoy a special Garden Tour lunch at Fiorella’s! Whether you’d like to grab and go or enjoy a sit-down meal, visit Fiorella’s at 24 Walden Street for the perfect Garden Tour dining experience all while supporting the Concord Museum! 20% of proceeds are donated to the Museum.

Early bird tickets purchased on or before May 28th are: $30 Concord Museum Members, $35 Non-Members. Tickets purchased after May 28 or at the door are $35 Concord Museum Members, $40 Non-Members.

Thank you to all our 2018 Garden Tour Sponsors!!