Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site preserves a remarkable Georgian house whose occupants shaped our nation. It was a site of colonial enslavement and community activism, George Washington’s first long-term headquarters of the American Revolution, and the place where Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote his canon of 19th-century American literature.
About under an hour from Boston, 1 hours from Providence and 2 hours from Hartford by car.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Operating Hours | Varies by day ▾
|
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow |
|
| Oct 29, 2026 to May 21, 2027Closed October 2025 through late May 2026 | Closed |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Visitor CenterPassport stamp
Visitor center and bookstore at the rear of the historic house. All house tours enter through this main entrance.
Explore
Things to do
- Guided Tour of the Vassall-Craigie-Longfellow House30-50 Minutes
Join a ranger in exploring the layers of history and significance in the Vassall-Craigie-Longfellow House.
Opens on the Park Service site - Watch "The Past and Present Here Unite"14 Minutes
"The Past and Present Here Unite," the park film for Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, explores the house's deep connections to our nation's past.
Opens on the Park Service site - Explore Temporary Exhibits in the Longfellow House10-20 Minutes
Temporary exhibits in a gallery inside the historic house use the rich museum collections at the site, including objects usually in storage, to explore theme's related to the site's history.
Opens on the Park Service site - Summer Festival60-90 Minutes
The Longfellow Summer Arts Festival brings music, poetry, and community to the East Lawn of the Longfellow House on Sunday afternoons through the summer. All events are free and open to the public.
Opens on the Park Service site - Art in the Landscape
The landscape around Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters has inspired artists for generations. Bring your own preferred materials to paint or draw en plain air!
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Victorian Science and the Beyond: Ethereal Evening Tours10/1505:00 PM · free · registration required
- 11:30 AM · runs through Oct 31 · free
- Express Tour10/1610:30 AM · runs through Oct 31 · free
- Hourly Tour10/1610:00 AM · runs through Oct 31 · free
- A Closer Look at Charley Longfellow’s “Japan Room"10/2906:00 PM · free · registration required
- Longfellow Trick-or-Treat Kickoff10/3103:00 PM · free
Show all 7Hide
- Hiawatha Performances and the Garden River First Nation11/1206:00 PM · free · registration required
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
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Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for New England
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Activities
Weather & climate
New England weather is highly variable. Temperatures in the winter can be very cold with high snowfall. Fall and spring are generally pleasant. Summer temperatures are generally mild, with periods of heat and humidity. However, the house is air conditioned and heated for collection care and the comfort of the visitor.
Questions people ask
Does Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters charge an entrance fee?
No. Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters?
Standard hours are 9:30AM - 5:00PM on Sunday, Monday, Friday, and Saturday, and it is closed on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters?
54,912 recreation visits in 2025, number 256 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters?
New England weather is highly variable. Temperatures in the winter can be very cold with high snowfall.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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