Lexington: Liberty Ride

The Liberty Ride offers stops at:

• Lexington Battle Green, where the Lexington militia confronted 800 British Regulars as the sun rose on April 19, 1775.
• Buckman Tavern, where the Lexington militia gathered the night before the Battle. (Free admission with Liberty Ride ticket)
• Hancock-Clarke House, which was Paul Revere and William Dawes' destination on the night of April 18th, 1775, to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock of the coming of British troops.(Free admission with Liberty Ride ticket.)
• Munroe Tavern, which served as the British headquarters and field hospital. (Washington really dined here in 1789!) Beautiful garden with Colonial flowers. (Free admission with Liberty Ride ticket.)
• Lexington Visitors Center, offering information and hospitality, a diorama of the Battle of Lexington, and a memorial to the U.S. Navy ships bearing the USS Lexington name.
• National Heritage Museum, which presents permanent and changing exhibits celebrating American history and culture from Colonial times to the present. Includes Heritage Café and Museum Shop. (Free admission and parking.)
• Minute Man National Historical Park. View "The Road to Revolution" (a moving multimedia presentation) and exhibits at the Visitor Center. Free admission and parking. The park includes the site of Paul Revere's Capture, Hartwell Tavern, Battle Road, Meriam’s Corner (where British regulars first came under fire as they retreated to Boston), North Bridge (where colonial militia men first fired upon British regulars), Daniel Chester French’s Minute Man statue, the grave of British soldiers, and other battle monuments.
• North Bridge Visitor Center at Buttrick Mansion, which features exhibits detailing the events in 1775, an information center and bookstore located in a home built by the descendents of Major John Buttrick, the colonial officer who gave the command to fire at the North Bridge.
• Orchard House, the home of Louisa May Alcott and her family and setting for the beloved Little Women. (Free admission with a Go Boston Card)
• Colonial Inn, a functioning inn and historic landmark at the heart of the village green, the Inn was a part of the events of April 19, 1775 and was later home to Henry David Thoreau.
• Old Manse, home of minister William Emerson, his grandson Ralph Waldo Emerson, and the honeymoon home of Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne. (Free admission with a Go Boston Card)
• Concord Visitor Center, located close to restaurants and shops, offers information, guided walking tours of Concord, and public restrooms.
• Concord Museum holds a nationally significant historical collection including the famed Revere lantern, Emerson’s study, and Thoreau’s Walden desk. Hands-on family activities, period rooms, and film “Exploring Concord.” (free with a Go Boston Card)
• The Wayside was home to the Alcotts, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Margaret Sidney. $$
• Emerson House, where Ralph Waldo Emerson, foremost 19th century literary figure, lived and wrote from 1835 until his death in 1882. Original furnishings and family memorabilia are on display. $$

The Liberty Ride and Go Boston Card are the perfect combo to take in the many sights of this history rich area just outside of Boston.