One of the most important decisions we can make is where to spend our time – either on a visit, or when thinking about where to put down roots and build a family and community. One of the aspects of Concord that attracts so many people from around the world to come here – to spend time, or to stay – is the unique essence of ‘place.’
Museums do not often get to reinvent themselves, but the Concord Museum seized this once-in-a-generation opportunity after renovating their main building and constructing a new Education Center in 2018. Years in the making, the curatorial team took advantage of over a dozen empty galleries and a world-class collection and embarked on a major project that would transform the Concord Museum and visitor experience. This August, that exciting and challenging process concluded with the opening of ten new permanent galleries.
On a cold winter’s day in 1982, Loring Wilkins Coleman (1918-2015) embarked on one of his favorite activities: driving around Massachusetts to look at old barns and houses. On the recommendation of his son Andrew, Coleman went to the town of Sterling in search of a “superb grouping of buildings,” and struck gold. “It was indeed one of the most handsome New England farms I had ever seen,” recalled Coleman. It took ten days to complete a detailed pencil drawing of the farm buildings, but it wasn’t until 2003 that Coleman finished his painting of the view.
Concord is a town steeped in history. From the American Revolution that began here in 1775, to the beginnings of transcendentalism in the 1830’s. From ground-breaking social justice activists who opposed slavery and supported women’s rights, to authors whose works are pillars of the American literary canon. While we could happily spend a lifetime studying the myriad aspects of Concord’s history and its vibrant contemporary society, here are just a few of our favorite places to visit.
The Concord Museum’s Guild of Volunteers were heartbroken when COVID-19 restrictions cancelled their 31st Annual Garden Tour. This beloved tradition provides a peek behind the garden gate at some of Concord’s most stunning homes, and is a sort of unofficial opening of Spring in the town. It was a deep disappointment in the community to miss such an anticipated event.
A love of books and reading is a lifelong treasure passed from adult to child, from generation to generation. The 24th annual Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature at the Concord Museum gives Concord’s renowned literary tradition a creative twist. From November 27, 2019 through January 5, 2020, the Museum’s newly renovated galleries are filled with 39 fanciful trees and wreaths, decorated with original ornaments inspired by acclaimed children’s storybooks and contemporary picture book favorites.
The Concord Museum is unveiling a portion of its newly renovated and redesigned galleries on October 11, 2019. This is the first part of a multi-phased project that traces the lives of the people of Concord for over 10,000 years, beginning with the people of Musketaquid. The new galleries will also chronicle other key moments in Concord’s history –igniting the war for our nation’s independence, the blossoming in the American literary renaissance, and debates over slavery and women’s rights.
Henry David Thoreau accumulated a variety of tools, art, and natural specimens throughout his life as a homebuilder, surveyor, and collector. Ivan Gaskell, professor of cultural history and museum studies at Bard Graduate Center and author of Mindprints: Thoreau’s Material World, will be joined by Concord Museum Curator David Wood for a conversation on Thoreau’s interactions with everyday objects and how they shaped his thoughts.
