Minute Man National Historic Park

Before the sun rose on April 19, 1775, years of simmering tension came to a head in the fields of Lexington and Concord, where the “shot heard ’round the world” ignited the American Revolution. Today, visitors to Minute Man National Historical Park can walk the ground where these first clashes took place and retrace the steps of the men who dared to challenge an empire.

Established in 1959, the park preserves and interprets the battlefields and landscapes tied to the opening of the Revolution, including the Old North Bridge in Concord, where fighting occurred on that April morning. It is also home to The Wayside, a historic home that once housed authors Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne and more. Spanning more than 970 acres, the park stretches throughout the Massachusetts countryside and around the towns of Lexington, Lincoln and Concord.

The park’s visitor center offers educational programs family-friendly activities and presentations that offer a deeper look into the events that day. The Road to Revolution, an award-winning multimedia theater presentation, immerses guests of all ages in the drama of the Revolution’s first day.

A five-mile trail connecting sites from Meriam’s Corner in Concord to the eastern boundary of the park in Lexington, the Battle Road Trail follows the remnants of the original route where the colonial militia and British regulars fought. Along the trail, original houses and taverns adorn the way for visitors to envision the landscape as it appeared in the 1700s, while markers and interpretive panels provide insight into the action that unfolded there.