Concord Museum Hosting Free Family Programs
on Patriots’ Day, April 17, 2023
Visit the Concord Museum on Patriots’ Day, Monday, April 17, to take part in free family activities on the Museum lawn and inside the Museum. All activities are free, and museum admission is free all day thanks to the support of the Highland Street Foundation.
Visit the Acton Minutemen in an encampment outside the Concord Museum on Patriots’ Day and see them drilling with muskets to prepare for battle, cooking over a firepit, and demonstrating colonial spinning and sewing. This program is generously supported by the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati.
Inside the Museum, families can celebrate the start of the American Revolution by exploring artifacts in the galleries and visiting our drop-in activities to learn about life and craft in the colonies. Visit a craftsperson demonstrating various objects that were made of horn during the colonial period, including powder horns and everyday items like cups and combs. Beware of a Redcoat from the British Army roaming the galleries looking for Provincial rebels! Talk with him about the experiences of the Redcoats on April 19, 1775.
View the animated wall map in the April 19, 1775 gallery depicting the series of events leading to the start of the American Revolution. According to John Morton’s review in The Public Historian (Aug 2022), “This was the best presentation of the events of April 19th that I have ever seen. I thought I knew this story by heart, but I was mistaken. As the early morning hours tick by, the alerted towns are illuminated, and the map displays a running tally of the soldiers involved. Animated lines trace the routes Minutemen took from the illuminated towns. Although the British sent reinforcements from Boston, by noon they were hopelessly outnumbered. I always imagined the Minutemen hiding behind walls and trees, sniping at the regulars as they retreated. The map tells a different tale, of a chaotic, sprawling battle that raged for miles.”
The Minutemen encampment and Museum activities will begin following Concord’s Patriots’ Day parade (ending approximately 10:00 a.m.) and run until 4:00 p.m. Parking is limited at the Museum; additional parking can be found along Lexington Road or in downtown Concord, an easy quarter-mile walk.
About the Concord Museum
The Concord Museum educates visitors of all ages about the history of Concord and its continuing influence on American political, literary and cultural life. The Museum’s nationally significant collection serves as a catalyst for changing exhibitions, extended classroom learning, dynamic programs and publications relevant to an ever-changing world. Founded in 1886, the Museum is the center of cultural enjoyment for the region and a gateway to the town of Concord for visitors from around the world. In 2021, the Museum completed a decade-long renovation project, including a complete redesign of its 16 permanent galleries and construction of the Rasmussen Education Center. https://www.concordmuseum.org
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