Battle of Lexington and Concord: Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

Things to do on the Tour Include:

• Welcome:North Bridge Visitor Center & Buttrick Mansion

  The North Bridge Visitor Center, situated at 174 Liberty St. in Concord, MA, occupies a historic brick mansion constructed in 1911 by descendants of the Buttrick family. Major John Buttrick, a colonial officer, famously commanded his militia to open fire on British soldiers during the pivotal North Bridge fight. At the North Bridge Visitor Center, visitors can enjoy a brief video about this significant event, explore a bookstore, and view engaging exhibits.

• Meriam's Corner

  Once you’ve parked, pick up the Battle Road Trail trail at the end of the lot farthest from the entrance. Once you walk a few hundred feet, you’ll come to Meriam’s Corner. It might not look like much, but this was the site of a disaster for the British.

• Paul Revere Capture Site

  This is the site where Paul Revere was captured, and a great opportunity to reflect on how the British ended up in such a predicament. Remember, their mission to confiscate weapons was supposed to be secret.

• Lexington Common National Historic Site/Conclusion

  The Battles of Lexington and Concord left 73 British dead and 174 wounded. 49 Americans died and 39 were wounded. But the aftershocks of the battle went far deeper than that. The American victory was all the proof the colonists needed that they could win a war against Britain.

• Ralph Waldo Emerson House

  Almost in the Concord Museum’s backyard, you can find the former home of Ralph Waldo Emerson.

• Concord Museum

  This museum’s collection explores the area’s revolutionary and literary history. If you want to learn more about the town and see some unique artifacts, be sure to stop by!

• Authors Ridge

  Many famous authors lived in Concord, and several found their final resting place here in Authors Ridge. Thoreau, Alcott family members, Emerson, Nathaniel, and Sophie Hawthorne, and others are buried there.

• Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House

  This 1650 house is where Alcott wrote Little Women in 1868. At Orchard house, you can learn about Louisa May and the rest of her family, who were known for their commitments to abolition, women’s suffrage, and social reform.

• The Wayside Home of Authors

  The Wayside, built-in 1700, became home to several of these famous figures. The Alcotts bought the house in 1845, naming it Hillside. The experiences of the Alcott sisters in the home were later written into her classic Little Women.

• Walden Pond and Thoreau Cabin Site

  Just a mile outside of town, off Walden Street, is another site of literary history -- Walden Pond. This is where Thoreau lived for two years beginning in 1845, in a cabin he built, collecting his thoughts for his 1854 classic on self-reliance, Walden, or Life in the Woods.

• Samuel Hartwell House

  Just ahead on the left is what remains of the home of Ephriam and Elizabeth’s son Samuel. Samuel was a sergeant in the Lincoln Minute Men on April 19 and saw action up to and down the road. His wife Mary is said to have helped bury dead British soldiers.

• Josiah Nelson House Site & Battle Road Trail

  At the far end of the visitor’s center parking lot is a path leading to Battle Road Trail, which runs the length of Minute Man park. It follows what remains of the original Bay Road, which is the route the British took to Concord and back. It passes many historic sites.