It's easy to take the historical parts of Concord for granted when you have lived in the area for a while. Anyone who has spent enough time in New England tends to learn about the Old North Church, The Boston Massacre, "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" - we are continually surrounded by the historic evidence of the birth of our nation.
When I visited the Concord Museum, I expected what I'd learned over the years to come rushing back. What I didn't expect was how much I didn't know about Concord's (and early America's) tumumltuos history.
The Concord Museum, located on 53 Cambridge Turnpike (200 Lexington Road) has an incredible wealth of information about the early Americas and the 18th and 19th centuries, all directly connected to the town.
A brief rundown of the galleries includes: Native Americans in Concord, Intellectuals in Concord covering Emerson, Thoreau, the Alcotts and Hawthorne, Revolutionary and Anti-Slavery Movements, complete recreations of 18th and 19th century rooms, ceramics and textiles in Concord, West Concord's storied Cattle Shows,and even a room dedicated to early clock-making with interactive displays to show off the impressive, early technology.
The galleries themselves are just the icing on this historical cake. Interactive segments litter the museum. A table in the museum's special section, "When Duty Whispers – Concord and the Civil War" (on the second floor in the Wallace-Kane Gallery and running now until Sept. 18), provides a detailed look at the importance of correspondence in the Civil War and urges patrons to write a postcard to soldiers currently fighting overseas, which the museum later mails.
Director of Education, Susan Foster, explained that the Concord Museum also functions as a hot spot for field trips. "We have about 7,000 school children come through each year," she said.
“Our audience is broken up into two groups,” continued Foster. “One- visitors from around the world come here to look at Concord's history. Our second audience comes for our regional and special exhibitions like re-enactments, crafts projects, lectures and tea.”
The Concord Museum offers between two and three changing exhibits every year along with a host of public programs in the main museum and their events hall located next door.
David Wood, curator of the Concord Museum for over 25 years, explained his passion for Concord and what draws people to the museum year after year.
“It is a small town with a lot of history packed in. People expect lots of things to happen in a big city, but more than a fair share of memorable events happen in this little town," he said. "Concord has a way of making it seems that it is happening over and over again.”
For more information on this gem of historical preservation, visit the museum's website.
