Lincoln, MA Road Trips

The Massachusett people lived here for thousands of years prior to European arrival. This site at the confluence of the Sudbury and Assabet rivers was chosen, as the floodplains created abundant arable land and opportunities for fishing. The area was known as Musketaquid, an Algonquian word meaning "grassy plain". The vast majority of the first inhabitants were killed off by smallpox and other plagues at the dawn of the 17th century. Survivors sold their land to the colonists, and began to assimilate into the prevailing Puritanical culture. Those who did not "bend the knee", were exterminated during wars and other conflicts throughout the 1600s. The American Revolution essentially began here at the Battle of Lexington and Concord, April 19, 1775. Paul Revere had ridden to Lexington the previous night, raising the alarm and giving Massachusetts Minutemen time to prepare for battle. By around noontime the British Army had advanced to the Old North Bridge, where they were finally repelled by Minutemen and forced into retreat. From here the Redcoats returned to Boston while under fire and barricaded themselves inside. Thus began the siege of Boston, and in turn, the Revolutionary War. During the mid-19th century, Concord was a hotspot of activity for Transcendentalist authors. Rounding things out, Concord’s literary excellence is palmary. Ralph Waldo Emerson is perhaps the town's most famous author, however: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, and Henry David Thoreau were all strong voices inside his circle.

1 Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Bedford St, ☏ +1 978 318-3233. 7AM–5PM daily. Visit the final resting place of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, and Henry David Thoreau. The largest of Concord's municipal cemeteries; not related to the much more famous Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York. Free. (updated Jun 2022) 2 Wright's Tavern, 2 Lexington Rd, ☏ +1 (978) 369-9602. A National Historic Landmark owned by the Society of the First Parish. (updated Jun 2022) 3 Thoreau Farm (Wheeler-Minot Farmhouse), 341 Virginia Rd, ☏ +1 978-451-0300. May-Oct; Sa, Su; 11AM, 1PM, 3PM. Built around 1730 by John Wheeler, this 2½-story wooden home is the birthplace of Henry David Thoreau in 1817. Over the years the building has seen extensive modifications, and after a non-profit purchase in 1995, underwent comprehensive restorative work. The 20 acres of grounds are free and open year-round. House visits by guided tour only. During the warmer months "saunters" of the grounds can be organized, and writers retreats are offered as well. Free, suggested donation $5. (updated Jun 2022) 4 Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Turnpike, ☏ +1 978 369-9763. Tu-Su 10AM-4PM. Emerson, Thoreau and more. $15, seniors $12, children $8. (updated Jun 2022) 5 The Olde Manse, 269 Monument St, ☏ +1 978 369-3909. House: W-M, 11AM-5PM, grounds: sunrise-sunset daily. Built in 1770 by the Reverend William Emerson. Later residents include his grandson Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Nathanial Hawthorne.

1 Concord Scout House, 74 Walden Street, ☏ +1 978 369-3455. M & Th 7:30-10:30PM. A community hall and home to local boy scout and girl scout troops. The Scout House is a regional center for "contra dancing," a common New England folk dance that is easy to learn and highly social. Several groups conduct contra dance and square dance evenings to live music at the hall. Two weekly series happen year-round, one on Monday nights and a more popular one on Thursday nights. For both, there's a different band and dance caller each week. $10-20. (updated Oct 2022) 1 FOPAC (Friends of the Performings Arts in Concord), 51 Walden Street, ☏ +1 978 369-7911. Various evenings. At the FOPAC hall a diverse assortment of concerts and plays can be seen year round. Mostly classical and operatic pieces from around the world. The resident groups are the Concord Players, the Concord Band, the Concord Orchestra, and Opera51. $20-30. (updated Jun 2022) Liberty Ride Trolley Tours, 1875 Massachusetts Avenue (Lexington), ☏ +1 (781) 862-1450. Jun-Oct, F-M, 10 & 11:30AM. A seasonal trolley between Lexington and Concord that stops at many tourist attractions. $28. (updated Jun 2022) 2 Brewster's Woods Wildlife Sanctuary, Balls Hill Rd. sunrise to sunset daily. 130 acres alongside the banks of the Concord River. This area was once belonged to William Brewster, the Mass Audubon society's first president and an early ornithologist. The wetlands here attract plentiful ducks, herons, bluebirds, and woodpeckers, and other breeding and migrating water birds. Limited parking, no restrooms.

1 Verrill Farm, 11 Wheeler Road, ☏ +1 978 369-4494. Farm stand with bakery, prepared foods. open year around (updated Sep 2019) 2 Nashoba Brook Bakery, 152 Commonwealth Ave, ☏ +1 978 318-1999. M-F 6:30AM-5:30PM, Sa Su 8AM-5PM. Bakery using homegrown yeast and slow-rise breads. 3 Club Car Cafe, 20 Commonwealth Ave, ☏ +1 978 371 9282. Comfort food, breakfast, lunch, near West Concord train station (updated Sep 2019) 4 Rossini's, 206 Fitchburg Turnpike, ☏ +1 978 371-3280. pizza/Italian food 5 Main Streets Market and Cafe, 42 Main Street, ☏ +1 978 369-9948. Th-Sa 8AM-9PM; Su-W 8AM-4PM. Classic spot in a storied building. Various options for meals and baked goods offered throughout the day, for dine in or takeaway. Eclectic indoor and outdoor seating options. Friendly folks, Full bar, and dog friendly to boot. Entertainment many evenings with no cover charge. $12-25. (updated Jun 2022) 6 Twin Seafood, 2 Church Street, ☏ +1 978 371-9030. Primarily a seafood market, but offers a few options for outdoor dining. Seating is limited. (updated Jun 2022) 7 Rapscallion Kitchen & Bar, 208 Fitchburg Turnpike, ☏ +1 978 610-6111. brewpub (updated Sep 2019) 8 Trail's End Cafe, 97 Lowell Road, ☏ +1 978 610-6633. Cafe, breakfast, lunch, dinner, bar (updated Sep 2019) 9 Asian Gourmet, 794 Elm St, ☏ +1 978 369-8114. Taiwanese/Chinese restaurant with hibachi (1st floor), Japanese (2nd floor) (updated Sep 2019) 10 Fiorella's Concord, 24 Walden St, ☏ +1 978 341-9999. Italian Restaurant (updated Sep 2019) 11 Adelita, 1200 Main St, ☏ +1 978 254-0710.

16 Papa Razzi, 768 Elm Street, ☏ +1 978 371-0030. noon-9PM daily. Family friendly small chain offering wood fired pizzas and a wine program. Where the kayakers go drinking on Friday afternoons. $20-30. (updated Jun 2022)

1 Best Western at Historic Concord, 740 Elm Street, ☏ +1 978 369-6100, fax: +1 978 371-1656. 2 Concord's Colonial Inn, 48 Monument Square, ☏ +1 978 369-9200, toll-free: +1 800-370-9200, fax: +1 978-371-1533. Charming old inn with 56 rooms and a restaurant. 3 Hawthorne Inn Bed and Breakfast, 462 Lexington Road, ☏ +1 978 369-5610, fax: +1 978-287-4949, [email protected]. Recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of New England's 10 best inns. $125-$285.. 4 North Bridge Inn, 21 Monument St., ☏ +1 978 371-0014, fax: +1 978-371-6460. 5 Mill Brook Inn, 69 Walden Street, ☏ +1 978 369-5515. Lovingly restored and updated, the house was built in 1758 and added onto in 1828, after being moved to its current location. Steps away from downtown Concord. 6 Residence Inn by Marriott, 320 Baker Ave Extension, ☏ +1 978 341-0003. (updated Sep 2019)

The only major road in the area is MA Route 2, it cuts through the area from north-west to south-east. From Rt 2, several "feeder" roads all run in to Concord center, like spokes on a wheel. The road names all describe where they go, so depending on your next destination you'll wind up using: Elm Street, Main Street, Sudbury Road, Walden Street, Cambridge Turnpike, Lexington Road, Bedford Street, or Lowell Road. Bedford and Main streets are also called MA Route 62, but it would never be confused for a highway. Most parking at the train stations is reserved for Concord residents only. Concord is blessed with extensive cycling infrastructure, and the relative closeness of attractions can make biking an attractive option. The Reformatory Branch Trail is roughly 4 mi (6.4 km) of unpaved path connecting the wildly popular Minuteman Commuter Bikeway in Bedford with Concord center. It can get muddy after a rainfall, but generally speaking all but the skinniest of tires can roll along this path. Next, the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail passes through West Concord station. This 10-foot-wide paved trail runs you over 13 mi (21 km) north into the city of Lowell, or a few miles south into Sudbury conservation land. If you'd like to travel between them, you'll have to ride in the street for a mile or two. Use the Fitchburg Line from Boston's North Station to arrive in Lincoln, Concord center or West Concord. You can walk to a few attractions from any station, but you'll need to connect with a car or bicycle to do any real exploring from the train.

Traveling by car is easiest, but many of the tourist attractions are within walking distance of each other. There are extensive walking trails in Lincoln that go through conservation land, and also connect with the Lincoln MBTA commuter rail station.