Adults
What makes the Concord Museum worth the stop?
We offer special tours in a special place!
As the gateway to historic Concord, Massachusetts, with one of the oldest and most treasured collections of Americana in the country, the Concord Museum is the best place to begin your exploration of this remarkable town. Combine your Museum visit with all that Concord has to offer – elegant streets, charming cafes and shops, historic sites – an experience to be remembered for years to come.
The Concord Museum is home to Revere's famous 1775 lantern, Thoreau's Walden desk and Emerson's Study, as well as furniture, clocks, silver and needlework. The Museum's distinctive architecture with two floors of intriguing galleries, an elegant lobby and garden courtyard serves group tours well. The Museum Shop features unique gifts, books, music and remembrances of Concord and a rustic function room for catered meals and local restaurants offer New England hospitality.
Enjoy a "Gateway Tour" or let us design an experience to match your group’s interest. Focused tours explore Colonial Concord, Concord's Role in the American Revolution, The Town of Emerson and Thoreau, Concord's Literary History, and Women in Concord's History. Guided tours are usually one hour in length and include the inspiring introductory film, Exploring Concord.
Guided-Tour rates for groups of 10 or more:
$10 per Adult; $10 per Senior (62 & over).
Self-Guided rates for groups of 10 or more:
$8 per Adult; $8 per Senior
In addition to a guided experience in the Museum galleries, at an additional fee, tours can include:
- Living history presentations in which costumed interpreters charm your group in lively conversation
- Walking tours into the center of town and/or Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
- Popular step-on bus guide service
The Museum also offers these popular combination packages (prices upon request):
- Museum Tour & La Provence Lunch
The Phantom Gourmet calls La Provence "a hidden jewel" that "masters scrumptious French food without the expense or attitude." Select a meal of quiche or chicken complete with dessert specially prepared by Chef Robert Didier.
- Museum Tour & Colonial Inn Afternoon Tea
Offered with your Museum tour is the delightful experience of Afternoon Tea at the Colonial Inn, one of the prestigious "Historic Hotels of America." This 1716 landmark is rich in history and elegance. In this lovely setting enjoy a selection of fine English, Chinese and Indian Teas, homemade scones served with preserves & whipped butter and fresh berries topped with sweet cream. The hotel also offers a short talk on the history of the buildings that make up the hotel - including the Inn's Thoreau collection.
To schedule a group visit and for itinerary assistance email: grouptours@concordmuseum.org or call the Group Tour Coordinator at (978) 369-9763. The Concord Museum is open year round, is climate controlled and has front door bus parking convenient to Concord Center and major highways.
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Students in Kindergarten through College
It has been said that Concord is a small town with a big history. And nowhere is that important story told more dramatically than at the Concord Museum. From the shot heard round the world, to the literary revolution of Emerson and Thoreau, the Concord Museum brings Concord's remarkable story to life through an inspiring collection of historical, literary and decorative arts including Revere's famous 1775 lantern, Thoreau's Walden desk and Emerson's Study. In engaging, well-designed tours and hands-on programs for students of all ages, Concord Museum educators present intriguing ideas relevant to today – concepts of liberty, turning beliefs into actions, self-reliance, independent thinking and the preservation of the environment.
Tours
Enjoy a guided Gateway Tour or let us design an experience to match your student group's interest and grade level. Focused tours explore Colonial Concord, Concord's Role in the American Revolution, The Town of Emerson and Thoreau, Concord's Literary History, and Women in Concord's History. Guided tours are usually one hour in length.
Guided-Tour rates: $7 per student Kindergarten -– grade 12; $10 per college/adult student
Self-Tour Rates: $5 per student Kindergarten - grade 12; $8 per college/adult student
In addition to a guided experience in the Museum galleries, at an additional fee, tours can include:
- The fourteen-minute Exploring Concord film
- Living history presentations in which costumed interpreters engage and challenge your group in lively conversation
- Hands-on activities related to focus of the tour
- Walking tours into the center of town and/or Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
- Step-on guide service
To find out more about our student group tours, to make a reservation or for itinerary assistance email: grouptours@concordmuseum.org with your contact information, including name, address and phone number and a preferred date, or call the Group Tour Coordinator at (978) 369-9763. The Concord Museum is open year round, is climate controlled and has front door bus parking convenient to Concord Center and major highways.
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Programs and Tours for Scouts
The Concord Museum in historic Concord, Massachusetts invites Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of all ages to join us for fun, hands-on programs that assist in fulfilling badge and belt loop requirements while sharing the lessons of history.
Girl Scouts
The Museum offers the tours and programs listed below, as well as additional programs that correspond with special exhibitions and events. To begin the booking process, click here for a printable Scout Program General Information Sheet (PDF) and then contact us by phone (978) 369-9763 or email grouptours@concordmuseum.org to reserve a date for your Scout program. We look forward to your visit!
Tours:
General Highlights Tour, offered January 2 – November 30
The Concord Museum is the one place where all of Concord's remarkable past is brought to life through an inspiring collection of historical, literary and decorative arts treasures. The Scouts can use a treasure hunt to search for objects during their visit. Some of the objects they will see are the famous "one if by land, and two if by sea" lantern immortalized by Longfellow's Paul Revere's Ride, the desk of Henry David Thoreau where he penned Walden, the rocking chair from Ralph Waldo Emerson's study where he sat to write his inspiring prose, as well as Native American stone tools, and everyday items that give us a glimpse into 17th, 18th & 19th-century life.
Cost: $7 per Scout, chaperones per 10 Scouts free. (1 hour)
Family Trees Tour, offered December 5 – January 4
Family Trees: A Celebration of Children's Literature fills the Concord Museum galleries with trees of all shapes and sizes! Each one is hand-dressed for the occasion with original ornaments inspired by a stellar selection of cherished storybooks, contemporary children's favorites and beloved holiday tales. The focus on literature makes Family Trees unique among the many holiday events in the Great Boston Area. A favorite for children of all ages! Call for group rates.
(1 hour)
Programs:
Please reference your official Girl Scout Activity, Try-Its and Badge Books. Museum Programs are listed by Girl Scout category, however, most can be adapted to meet any age.
Especially for Daisy Scouts
Visit the Museum
While earning their Promise Center and Learning Petals, your Daisy Scouts can enjoy a visit to the Museum. Select one activity and one craft. Activity choices: go on a special scavenger hunt throughout the Museum to find artifacts that span 300 years of history; explore Native American life and stone tools and join in a Native American game; or explore Colonial Life and try on colonial clothing. Craft choices: create and decorate a book; create a colonial Popsicle-stick puppet; create a Native American shell necklace. Cost: $75.00 for up to 10 participants, each additional participant is $7.00 (1.5 hours)
Meet Henry Thoreau
If your Daisy troop's Activity focus is the natural world (Nature in Action) you may want to consider this program unique to the Concord Museum, Meet Henry Thoreau. Scouts will be introduced to the world famous Massachusetts writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau by exploring the Museum's collection of Thoreau artifacts, sharing a story of Henry the Bear in Henry Builds a Cabin by D. B. Johnson, and decorating their own field journal to record their observations. Cost: $75.00 for up to 10 participants, each additional participant is $7.00 (1.5 hours)
Especially for Brownie Try-Its
To assist your Girl Scout Troop in completing partial or all activities for a Try It Badge the Museum offers the following programs:
Listening to the Past
Join us for games and activities as we travel back to the 18th century. Search for treasures in the Museum, unwrap objects from the past, take a close look at colonial clothing, enjoy colonial games and dances, and leave with a special take-home craft project. Cost: $75.00 for up to 10 participants, each additional participant is $7.00 (1.5 - 2 hours) Be sure to ask about the Museum's annual Warm Words Storytelling Festival.
Watching Wildlife
Similar to the program for Daisy Scouts, in Meet Henry Thoreau the Brownie Girl Scouts will be introduced to the world famous Massachusetts writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau. Scouts will explore the Museum's collection of Thoreau artifacts, share a story of Henry the Bear in Henry Builds a Cabin by D. B. Johnson, create and decorate their own field journal, and step outside to observe nature and record notes in their journal. Cost: $75.00 for up to 10 participants, each additional participant is $7.00 (1.5 - 2 hours)
Especially for Junior Girls Scouts:
The Museum offers the following programs to assist your Junior Girl Scout Troop complete partial or all activities needed to fulfill a badge requirement. Please reference your official Junior Girl Scout Badge Book for activity descriptions. Time allowed for each program will depend on the number of activities selected.
Theme: Family Friends
Badge: Local Lore
Every town has a story and for a small town Concord has many stories to tell. From 'the shot heard round the world' to the writers of the American literary renaissance, things have happened here, words have been spoken here and books have been written here which have changed the face of a nation. Explore this town by taking a tour of the Museum and looking at objects that interpret Concord through different historical periods. Look at maps of the town to see the growth and changes from the 17th century to the 19th century. Consider a walking tour to compare Concord then and now. Cost: $75.00 for up to 10 participants, each additional participant is $7.00 (1.5 - 2 hours)
Theme: Let's Get Outdoors
Badge: Outdoor Creativity
Poets, writers, artists and musicians have been inspired by nature to create some of their most famous works. Using quotes and other published materials, discover how Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson were inspired by the natural beauty of the town of Concord. Create and decorate a nature journal to record your own observations. Cost: $85.00 for up to 10 participants, each additional participant is $7.00 (1.5 -2 hours). Also, consider the Museum's annual Garden Affairs garden tour.
Theme: Create and Invent
Badge: "Collecting" Hobbies
The Concord Museum's collection started with one man's desire to preserve the unique history of the Town. Find out who Cummings E. Davis was and how the Museum began. Go on a treasure hunt to see the ‘stars’ of the Museum’s collection and learn how a Museum acquires and organizes the collection. Bring a sample from your own collection to share and organize. Cost: $75.00 for up to 10 participants, each additional participant is $7.00 (1.5 - 2 hours)
Badge: Folk Arts
Visit the Museum's collection of traditional folk art to explore how everyday people expressed creativity. During your visit you will find out how these items were made and used. What stories do these objects tell us? What is Theorem painting? Find out about this traditional art form and make a theorem to take home. Cost: $85.00 for up to 10 participants, each additional participant is $7.00 (2 hours). Also, to hear folk tales please ask about the Museum's annual Warm Words Storytelling Festival.
Theme: Explore and Discover
Badge: Let's Get Cooking – Colonial Style
In a setting evocative of a colonial home, gather around a roaring fire and explore the lives of a colonial family. Discuss how food was obtained, preserved and prepared. With the technology available in the 1700s, prepare gingerbread, applesauce, rose wafers, mulled cider and churn butter - and then taste it all! Cost: $85.00 for up to 10 Scouts, each additional Scout is $7.00 (Maximum of 20). (2 hours) Dependent upon availability.
Badge: Rocks Rock
How can we learn about a civilization that left no written records? Assume the role of an archaeologist and participate in the investigation of 4,000 year-old stone tools. Participants will explore the role of an archaeologist and their methods, take part in a simulated dig and tabulate and analyze their finds. Explore the Museum collection of Native American Stone Tools. Cost: $75.00 for up to 10 participants, each additional participant is $7.00 (2 hours)
Especially for Cadette & Senior Girl Scouts:
The following programs have been developed specifically for older Girl Scouts to investigate their interests further.
Collecting
In My Collections and Me, you'll share your personal history as we explore the idea of collecting and collections. Examine the history of the Concord Museum and the collections of Cummings E. Davis. Be sure to bring a sample, 5 items preferably, of your own collection to share. How would you describe your perfect museum? With the Museum staff, take on the role of the curator and create a floor plan for your museum. Spend time with a member of the curatorial staff to learn first-hand how they preserve, store and display the Museum’s collection. Cost: $85.00 for up to 10 Scouts, each additional Scout is $7.00 (2 hours)
Museum Discovery
Take a behind-the-scenes, first-hand look at a history museum. Learn how the Concord Museum develops and meets its mission, how the Museum leadership develops and organizes the collection, and how the Museum tries to meet the needs and expectations of all visitors. Meet a member of the Museum leadership staff. Cost: $85.00 for up to 10 Scouts, each additional Scout is $7.00 (2 hours)
Women Through Time
Take a look back into history to discover the dramatically changing roles of women and the many contributions they have made. The Scouts will tour the Museum’s collection with emphasis on objects made by girls and women and their significance. While sitting around a band box packed with layers of history, the Scouts will unpack and discuss carefully wrapped objects that span 300 years of women’s lives. Starting with the 20th century and working our way back to the 17th century, we will unpack objects to help us discover the challenges of each century for the women who lived through them. Lastly, the Scouts will try their cross-stitch skills by decorating a women's hankie. Cost: $85.00 for up to 10 Scouts, each additional Scout is $7.00 (2.5 hours)
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Boy Scouts
The Museum offers the tours and programs listed below for Go See Its and to earn Belt Loops. Additional programs correspond with special exhibitions and events. Most programs can be adapted to meet any age; let us know what your specific needs are. To begin the booking process, click here for a printable Scout Program General Information Sheet (PDF) and then contact us by phone (978) 369-9763 or email grouptours@concordmuseum.org to reserve a date for your Scout program. We look forward to your visit!
Tours:
General Highlights Tour
The Concord Museum is the one place where all of Concord's remarkable past is brought to life through an inspiring collection of historical, literary and decorative arts treasures. The Scouts can use a treasure hunt to search for objects during their visit. Some of the objects they will see are the famous "one if by land, and two if by sea" lantern immortalized by Longfellow's Paul Revere's Ride, the desk of Henry David Thoreau where he penned Walden, the rocking chair from Ralph Waldo Emerson's study where he sat to write his inspiring prose, as well as Native American stone tools, and everyday items that give us a glimpse into 17th, 18th & 19th-century life. Cost: $7 per Scout, chaperones per 10 Scouts free. (1 hour)
Family Trees Tour
Family Trees: A Celebration of Children's Literature fills the Concord Museum galleries with trees of all shapes and sizes! Each one is hand-dressed for the occasion with original ornaments inspired by a stellar selection of cherished storybooks, contemporary children's favorites and beloved holiday tales. The focus on literature makes Family Trees unique among the many holiday events in the Greater Boston Area. A favorite for children of all ages! Call for group rates.
(1 hour)
Programs:
Colonial Cooking
In a setting evocative of a colonial home, gather around a roaring fire and explore the lives of a colonial family. Discuss how food was obtained, preserved and prepared. With the technology available in the 1700s, prepare gingerbread, applesauce, rose wafers, mulled cider and churn butter - and then taste it all! Cost: $85.00 for up to 10 Scouts, each additional Scout is $7.00 (with a maximum of 20).
(2 hours)
Listening to the Past
Join us for games and activities as we travel back to the 18th century. Search for treasures in the Museum, unwrap objects from the past, take a close look at colonial clothing, enjoy colonial games, and leave with a special take-home craft project. Cost: $75 for up to 10 Scouts, each additional Scout is $7.00 (1 Ω - 2 hours)
Meet Henry Thoreau
If your den's focus is the natural world you may want to consider this program unique to the Concord Museum, Meet Henry Thoreau. Scouts will be introduced to the world famous Massachusetts writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau by exploring the Museum's collection of Thoreau artifacts, sharing an age-appropriate story of Thoreau (Cub Scouts will hear Henry Hikes To Fitchburg by D. B. Johnson), and creating their own field journal to record their observations. Cost: $75 for up to 10 Scouts, each additional Scout is $7.00 (1 Ω hours)
My Collections and Me
The Concord Museum's collection started with one man's desire to preserve the unique history of the Town. Find out who Cummings E. Davis was and how the Museum began. Go on a treasure hunt to see the 'stars' of the Museum's collection and learn how a Museum acquires and organizes the collection. Bring a sample from your own collection to share and organize. Cost: $75 for up to 10 Scouts, each additional Scout is $7.00 (2 hours)
Rocks Rock
How can we learn about a civilization that left no written records? Assume the role of an archaeologist and participate in the investigation of 4,000 year-old stone tools. Participants will explore the role of an archaeologist and their methods, take part in a simulated dig and tabulate and analyze their finds. Explore the Museum collection of Native American Stone Tools. Cost: $75 for up to 10 Scouts, each additional Scout is $7.00 (2 hours)
School Yard Games: Nineteenth-Century Style
Play has always been a vital part of childhood. Although children in the early 1800s were responsible for many household chores, leisure activities were a common part of life. Many games that we know and play today were just as popular in the 1800s. Visit the Museum and learn the 19th-century version of tag, tug of war, and follow the leader. In schoolyards, shooting marbles was also very popular so 'Knuckle Down Your Taw' and have your den learn games like Spans and Snops and Holes. Cost: $85.00 for up to 10 participants, each additional participant is $7.00 (1 Ω hours)
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