          
 Property Description | 9 acres | Established 1939 | | "Between two tall gateposts of roughhewn stone . . . we behold the gray front of the old parsonage, terminating the vista of an avenue of black ash trees." So begins Mosses from an Old Manse, the set of short stories Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote while living at The Old Manse. The landscape Hawthorne describes is still recognizable to a present-day visitor more than 160 years later. A recreation of Henry David Thoreau's vegetable garden, planted in 1842 as a wedding gift to the Hawthornes, still flourishes in the same location. The Concord River flows serenely past the Manse and under its neighbor, the North Bridge, site of the famous "shot heard 'round the world" that started the American Revolution on April 19, 1775. A self-guided tour brings visitors by the reconstructed nineteenth-century boathouse and along the eighteenth-century stone walls lining the fields still kept as pastureland. A guided house tour unfolds the story of those who lived here, beginning in 1770 with the Reverend William Emerson and including his grandson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, who drafted his essay "Nature" while living in The Old Manse. This home contains over 200 years of family furnishings, including a Steinway cross-strung grand piano, eighteenth-century Cantonware, William Emerson's clock, and Nathaniel Hawthorne's writing desk. The Old Manse is a National Historic Landmark and a link in the Bay Circuit Trail. | | | Trails | | A short network of footpaths connect the Old Manse to the North Bridge and boathouse on the Concord River. Easy walking. |
| | Facilities | The museum shop is open the same hours as the house. The shop specializes in books but also sells stationery, activities workbooks, games, toys, and assorted souvenirs. We also offer exclusive editions of Wee Forest Folk collectible figurines. All merchandise is designed to educate visitors about the Old Manse, 19th-century Concord authors, women's history, and the American Revolution. Members of The Trustees of Reservations receive a 10% discount on all merchandise in the museum shop (except Wee Forest Folk). |
| | Tours | Guided house tours offered Monday – Saturday, April 19 – Columbus Day | 10am – 5pm, Sundays & Holidays | 12noon – 5pm. Tours depart every 30 minutes. Last tour departs at 4:30 pm. House tours: Trustees Members: FREE. Nonmembers: adult $8, child (6-12) $5, senior/student (with ID) $7. Group tours by appointment, and groups of 15 or more receive a discount; call 978/369-3909. Download the Tour Reservation Form. |
| | Special Events | The Old Manse hosts an annual Patriot's Day Celebration in April and a variety of other special events, including a number of indoor and outdoor music concerts. Join us this summer, when we will be offering historical paddling tours on the Concord River, visits from Henry David Thoreau, and a Civil War reenactment. Consult the Events Calendar for more details. | | Literature | | Self-guided landscape tour brochure sold in museum shop. You may also mail order this brochure as well as Nathaniel Hawthorne's Mosses from an Old Manse in advance of your visit. |
| | Property Acquisition History | Purchased in 1939.
For more information, please contact the Historic Site Manager.
Tom Beardsley
Historic Site Manager
978-369-3909 (phone)
978-287-6154 (fax)
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Telephone:
978-369-3909 E-mail:
oldmanse@ttor.org When to Visit:
Grounds: Year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. House: Mid-April to October 31, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except holidays), Sunday and holidays, 12 noon to 5 p.m. Allow a minimum of 1 hour, 2 hours if also taking house tour, more if combining with a visit to the adjacent North Bridge, part of the Minuteman National Historic Park. Admission Fees & Permits:
Grounds: free. House tours: Trustees Members free. Non-members: Adult $8, child (6-12) $5, senior $7, student (with valid ID) $7, family (2 adults and up to 3 minor children) $25 (25% savings). Group tours by prior appointment (min. of 10 people): $6 per person. Regulations / Advisories:
Canoes or kayaks may not be launched from the property. Landing only.Photography is not permitted inside the house. How to Get There:
From Concord Center (Monument Square), take Monument Street north 0.5 mile. Entrance and parking area (20 cars) are on the left side of road just before the North Bridge. Road Map:
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