UNFOLD
The names are like a Mount Rushmore of 19th-century American literature: Thoreau, Alcott, Hawthorne, and Emerson. All four of these legendary authors—among others—spent part of their lives in Concord, and they’re the reason this small community in Greater Boston is known as a literary mecca. The bookworms among your group can tour the homes of these icons and see where some of the greatest literary works of all time took shape. All four are also buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (not to be confused with the final resting place of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” author Washington Irving. That one is in New York).
GO DEEPER
Concord’s literary reputation is just one part of its storied past. The town was founded in 1635 and was the site of “the shot heard ‘round the world,” in the first battle of the Revolutionary War. Groups can visit the Old North Bridge, where the battle kicked off 250 years ago, and see Paul Revere’s lantern at the Concord Museum. Nature calls at Brewster’s Woods Wildlife Sanctuary, a 130-acre unspoiled expanse along the Concord River.
RELAX & RECHARGE
Your group won’t go hungry in Concord. Visit local favorites like Helen’s, the 1780 House, or Fiorella’s. The historic Concord’s Colonial Inn features both indoor and outdoor dining, or boxed lunches available to go if you want to eat on the go. The Inn also is a great place to rest your head, with 54 historically decorated guest rooms. No two are alike; each one offers charming period details but with all the modern amenities you would expect.
LEARN MORE
Visit Concord
visitconcord.org
Main Image: Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House; Credit: Trey Powers
