CONCORD Museum - 1 of 3

After arriving at the Concord Museum, 1886, we thoroughly enjoyed a few hours there. There are 16 galleries and additional exhibitions that provide a look at life in the land that was the first place to fight for political, intellectual and religious freedom for our Country and our history begins. In addition to recounting the beginning days of the Revolution, and North Bridge "shot heard 'round the world", it includes collections from 1850 onward. This includes: the "one if by land, and two if by sea" lantern from the Old North Church (Paul Revere's Ride on April 18), American Revolution artifacts (powder horns, muskets, cannonballs, and fifes), a recreation of Ralph Waldo Emerson's study (including his books and furnishings), the largest collection of Thoreau possessions (over 250 objects including the bed, desk and chair from his cabin at Walden Pond, where Thoreau wrote his 1849 book “A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers”, “Civil Disobedience” and his 1854 book “Walden”). There was a very interesting exhibits on the stories we did not know about the lives of indigenous people and the enslaved people and the social justice movements to free them.

In addition, the museum has a collection of 17th, 18th, and 19th-century decorative arts includes furniture, clocks, looking glasses, textiles, ceramics, and metalware. One very different exhibit (see photo) was of beautifully decorated fireplace bellows. The Ebenezer Davis Bellows Factory employed numerous Black and women workers in the 1840s to make fireplace bellows. Another exhibit was of powder horns of the type used at the North Bridge to play music to compete with the British Regular fifes and drums marching into town. We found our time in this museum so interesting and the displays were very well done and lighted and included exhibits and interactive activities for all ages.Read more