Concord Museum

Grave Detectives Walking Tour
2023-06-10 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | MA
Tour the first burial ground in Concord dating to c. 1636 learning about past Concordians with a Museum educator. Explore the classic iconography of New England headstones that feature winged skulls or “death’s head,” urns, willows, and others. About 1 1/2 miles on paved terrain. Rain or shine.
Includes same-day admission to the Concord Museum.
Please register using the form below.

Disunion Among Ourselves: The Perilous Politics of the American Revolution
2023-06-10 15:00 - 16:00 | MA
This program has been canceled. Please visit our Calendar for other upcoming Forums.

Vanderbilt political historian and best-selling author Eli Merritt reveals the deep political divisions that almost tore the Union apart during the American Revolution. Despite their differences, the nation’s founders united for the sake of liberty and self-preservation, forging grueling compromises to hold the nation together. Merritt’s book serves as a reminder that commitment to ethical constitutional democracy and compromise helped the founders overcome far tougher times than our own, and it resonates with our present era of political hyperpolarization and serves as a touchstone for contemporary politics.
“Eli Merritt deftly explores a revolutionary America rife with divisions and driven by a fear of civil wars on multiple fronts. Deeply researched, wide-ranging, and insightful, Disunion Among Ourselves persuades that our national Union began from, and still depends on, fending off the many demons of disunion.”—Alan Taylor, author of American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804
This forum is supported in part by the Sally Lanagan Fund and the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati.
Please register using the form below.

Concord Birds, Then and Now
2023-06-15 19:00 - 20:00 | MA
The detailed records of bird sightings and phenological observations around Concord from the last 170 years—from Thoreau’s notes to today’s studies by scientists at Boston University—provide a key to studying how climate change is affecting bird migration. Boston University professor Richard Primack and Colby College visiting assistant professor Amanda Gallinat present their recent research and unexpected new findings from eBird data collected in Concord.
Following their presentation, Professors Primack and Gallinat will be joined in conversation by a panel of ornithologists.
Tickets are free for Concord Museum and Mass Audubon members.
This event is co-sponsored by Mass. Audubon. Please register using the form below.

A Perpetual Invitation Gallery Talk with the Curators
2023-06-16 12:00 - 13:00, 2023-07-14 12:00 - 13:00, 2023-08-18 12:00 - 13:00 | 53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Curators from the Concord Museum and the Concord Free Public Library lead guided tours of the special exhibition A Perpetual Invitation: 150 Years of Art at the Concord Free Public Library.
No advanced registration necessary. Free with Museum admission. Members visit free.

FULL! Juneteenth Family Program
2023-06-19 10:00 - 11:00 | MA
This program is full. Please consider joining us for another program.
Join us for a celebratory Juneteenth performance with Illstyle & Peace Productions. The group creates work rooted in West African Dance, contemporary and old school hip hop blended with an eclectic mix of dance and performance disciplines including tap, ballet, DJing, and beatboxing. Illstyle & Peace Productions is dedicated to delivering a positive message that showcases the many creative ways that hip hop can be explored, deconstructed, and built back up again.
This program is free and open to the public. We kindly request that you register in advance with the form below, as participation is limited.
Co-sponsored by The Robbins House.

FULL! Antislavery Walking Tour
2023-06-19 11:00 - 12:30 | MA
The 11:00 am walking tour is full. Please consider registering for our 2:00 pm tour.
Coinciding with the celebration of Juneteenth, join us for a walking tour introducing participants to the Concord women and men who played a crucial role in the abolitionist movement in the years leading up to the Civil War.
1.5-mile walk on flat terrain. Rain or shine.
Includes same-day admission to the Concord Museum.
In partnership with The Robbins House.
Advance registration is required.

FULL! Antislavery Walking Tour
2023-06-19 14:00 - 15:30 | MA
This program is full. Please consider joining us for another program.
Coinciding with the celebration of Juneteenth, join us for a walking tour introducing participants to the Concord women and men who played a crucial role in the abolitionist movement in the years leading up to the Civil War.
1.5-mile walk on flat terrain. Rain or shine.
Includes same-day admission to the Concord Museum.
In partnership with The Robbins House.
Advance registration required. Please register using the form below.

Henry at Work: A Conversation with John Kaag and Robert A. Gross
2023-06-20 19:00 - 20:00 | MA
What can Thoreau teach us about working? How can we make our work more meaningful? Professor John Kaag and Professor Robert A. Gross will discuss Kaag’s new book Henry at Work: Thoreau on Making a Living — why we do it, what it does to us, and how to create more meaning in our work.
John Kaag is the Donohue Professor of Ethics and the Arts at UMass Lowell, External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute, and author of numerous books on philosophy and history. Robert A. Gross is the James L. and Shirley A. Draper Professor of Early American History Emeritus at the University of Connecticut and is the author of The Transcendentalists and Their World, one of The Wall Street Journal’s Top 10 Best Books of 2021, and The Minutemen and Their World, winner of the Bancroft Prize.
“An inspiring book that will give you the succor you need to reconsider—and possibly change—the way you work.” –Kirkus Reviews, March 11, 2023
Tickets are free for Concord Museum and Thoreau Society Members.
Forums are supported in part by the Sally Lanagan Fund. Co-sponsored by The Thoreau Society.
Please register using the form below.

Appraisal Day with Bonhams Skinner
2023-06-21 14:00 - 19:00 | MA
Advanced registration is now closed. Please purchase a ticket in-person at the Concord Museum if you wish to participate in the appraisal day.
Do you have a family heirloom passed down through generations? Maybe a great yard sale item or flea market find that might be a treasure? Would you like to know what it is worth? Bring your special items to Bonhams Skinner appraisers Karen Keane, CEO, and Christopher Fox, Vice President, at the Concord Museum for a verbal appraisal.
Tickets are $20/item or $50/three items for Members and $25/item or $65/three items for Non-Members.

History Detective Cart
2023-07-07 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-07-21 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-08-04 10:00 - 16:00, 2023-08-18 10:00 - 16:00 | 53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Located in the April 19, 1775 gallery, this drop-in program offers visitors an opportunity to explore objects and uncover clues about stories and people connected to the first battle of the American Revolution.
Free with Museum admission. Members visit free.

A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save Our Vanishing Birds
2023-07-11 19:00 - 20:00 | MA
Join us for a conversation with Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal on their new book, A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save Our Vanishing Birds. The book is the result of a 25,000-mile journey across the Americas in 2021, which they spent documenting the efforts of ornithologists and conservationists to save the world’s birds, almost universally threatened by anthropogenic forces like habitat destruction and climate change. Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal relay what is being done to save birds in the midst of dramatic downturns in North American populations.
Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal are veteran journalists who’ve worked for decades as reporters and editors. Beverly was a feature writer, then food editor, and finally syndicated columnist and cookbook author. Her Desperation Dinners series has a quarter million copies in print. Anders was an investigative reporter at The Miami Herald, then went on to lead newsrooms in Raleigh, Minneapolis, Miami and Washington. He’s long been active in journalism circles, serving on the board of the Pulitzer Prizes, Society of Newspaper Editors and Journalism Funding Partners. As their work slowed down, they started following birds and photographing and writing about them for magazines and newspapers around the country. They also publish a photo-rich website, FlyingLessons.US: What We’re Learning from the Birds.
Co-Sponsored by Mass Audubon.
The Gyllenhaals will be signing books after their talk. Copies of A Wing and a Prayer may be purchased at the Forum or in advance from the Mass Audubon online store and picked up at the event (please select “Pick up in-store” and add an order note “Bring to July 11th event”).
Forums are supported in part by the Sally Lanagan Fund. Please register using the form below.

A Walk In Thoreau's Concord
2023-07-15 09:00 - 10:00 | MA
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.
The tour includes walking about 1-mile on paved terrain.
Includes same-day admission to the Concord Museum.
Please register using the form below.

Object Spotlight Talks
2023-07-15 11:00 - 14:00, 2023-07-29 11:00 - 14:00, 2023-08-12 11:00 - 14:00 | 53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Discover the fascinating stories that our collection can tell us. Interpreters will lead Object Spotlight Talks that highlight objects in our collection. Talks will be given on the hour from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Ask at the Front Desk about today’s highlighted object and where it is located.
Free with Museum admission. Members visit free.

Mindfulness in Art
2023-07-26 18:00 - 19:00 | MA
In partnership with Be Well Be Here, join us for a mindfulness program in the special exhibition A Perpetual Invitation: 150 Years of Art at the Concord Free Public Library. Be Well Be Here Founder and Executive Director Lara Wilson will lead a guided conversation and casual journaling activity in the special exhibit. Participants will come away with the tools to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and anger through the artistic resources readily available in Concord. Bring your own journal or use the provided materials.
Please register online in advance using the form below.

The Concordians Behind the Art Walking Tour
2023-07-29 11:00 - 12:30 | MA
Many of the works of art in the Concord Free Public Library’s collection and displayed at the Concord Museum were made by, of, and for Concordians. Join a Concord Museum Guide on a walking tour that delves into the lives of the artists and subjects featured in the special exhibition A Perpetual Invitation: 150 Years of Art at the Concord Free Public Library.
1-mile walk, mostly flat terrain, rain or shine. Meet at the Concord Museum.
Includes same-day admission to the Concord Museum.
Participation is limited. Please register using the form below.

SOLD OUT Watercolor Landscape Workshop
2023-08-22 17:30 - 19:30 | MA
This program is sold out. Please consider joining us at another program this fall.
Unleash your inner artist in a watercolor paint night at the Museum! This special evening begins with a visit to the exhibition A Perpetual Invitation: 150 Years of Art at the Concord Free Public Library, where the instructor will introduce a selection of paintings that exemplify artistic inspiration from the New England landscape. In the second part of the workshop, observe a watercolor demonstration and experiment with brushes, washes, and mark-making as you create a landscape of your own. Bring a friend or make a few as you discover the fun of watercolor.
In partnership with the Umbrella Arts Center.

CANCELLED Object Spotlight Talks
2023-08-26 11:00 - 14:00 | 53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Object Spotlight Talks planned for August 26th have been cancelled.
Discover the fascinating stories that our collection can tell us. Interpreters will lead Object Spotlight Talks that highlight objects in our collection. Talks will be given on the hour from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Ask at the Front Desk about today’s highlighted object and where it is located.
Free with Museum admission. Members visit free.

Spotlight Talk - The History of a Desk: John Cuming, Brister Freeman, and the Power of Writing
2023-08-29 12:00 - 12:30, 2023-09-01 12:00 - 12:30 | 53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Thomas Dugan Public History intern Jas Wheeler discusses Concord’s history of enslavement and self-emancipation by examining how Brister Freeman, a man enslaved by Colonel John Cuming, found personal liberty through service in the Revolutionary War. Using John Cuming’s desk and Brister Freeman’s muster rolls, Wheeler draws attention to how Americans leveraged the power of writing and documentation to both enslave and self-emancipate.
Free with Museum admission. No advanced registration is required.
Banner image: Block Front Desk. Concord Museum Collection, Gift of Cummings E. Davis; F1407.
The Thomas Dugan Internship in Public History is supported by Ralph Earle and Jane Mendillo and Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area.

Object Spotlight Talk: Wooden Spoons
2023-09-16 10:00 - 16:00 | 53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Discover the fascinating stories that our collection can tell us. Interpreters will lead Object Spotlight Talks that highlight objects in our collection.
Today’s Object Spotlight Talk will focus on the Wooden Spoons in our collection and will take place in the April 19, 1775 gallery. Ask at the front desk what time the talks will start.
Free with Museum admission. Members visit free.

Object Spotlight Talk: Geological Specimen Box
2023-09-22 10:00 - 16:00 | 53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Discover the fascinating stories that our collection can tell us. Interpreters will lead Object Spotlight Talks that highlight objects in our collection.
Today’s Object Spotlight Talk will focus on a Geological Specimen Box constructed by Henry David Thoreau and will take place in the Thoreau gallery. Talks will take place at 11:05 am and 2:05 pm.
Free with Museum admission. Members visit free.

Concord Museum Contemporary Leaders Launch Event
2023-09-22 19:30 - 22:00 | MA
Tickets are now only available at the door. See you tonight!
We are excited to announce the launch of the Museum’s newest patron program for people under 55 with a passion for the Museum and an interest in shaping its future. Join us for an evening of camaraderie, drinks, and dancing to beckon in the fall and the next generation of Museum leaders.
Tickets are free for members of the Concord Museum Contemporary Leaders. Learn more about the levels and benefits of a Contemporary Leaders membership here.
Not ready to commit to a membership at the Concord Contemporary Leaders level, yet? No problem! Tickets for non-Contemporaries are $75. Following the event, if you decide to become a member, your ticket price can be deducted from the cost of membership.

FULL! Women of Sleepy Hollow Walking Tour
2023-09-23 11:00 - 12:30 | 53 Cambridge Tpke, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
This walking tour is full. Thank you for your interest in our programs. Please consider joining us for another walking tour this fall.
Social justice advocate, Army nurse, celebrated author, radical abolitionist, and the first woman licensed to drive a car in America
These are just some of the remarkable women buried in Concord’s Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Visit Sleepy Hollow with a Museum guide to learn more about these women and their legacies. 1 mile walk, mostly flat sidewalk or pavement; rain or shine.
$10 for members | $20 for non-members. Please reserve tickets with the form below.
