Minute Man National Historical Park
At Minute Man National Historical Park the opening battle of the Revolution is brought to life as visitors explore the battlefields and structures associated with April 19, 1775, and witness the American revolutionary spirit through the writings of the Concord authors.
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
| Minute Man National Historical Park (Park Grounds) | Daily · Sunrise to Sunset |
When to go
October draws the most visits here and February the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- North Bridge Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The North Bridge Visitor Center will open May 1, 2026 It is located about 500 yards from the North Bridge battle site. Here you can see exhibits about the battle, watch a short film, get park information and shop in the park store.
- Minute Man Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Minute Man Visitor Center is located near the eastern entrance of the park just off I-95 on Rt 2A. The visitor center exhibits include a forty-foot mural that portrays the fighting between Colonists and British Regulars and artifacts from the Parker's Revenge Archaeological investigation.
- Hartwell Tavern ↗
Hartwell Tavern is open seasonally on select dates between June and October each year.
- The Wayside: Home of Authors ↗
Over more than three hundred years, The Wayside and its families witnessed and influenced both Concord's and America's recorded history. In 1775 the Wayside was home to Samuel Whitney the muster master for Concord's minute men and a delegate to the Provincial Congress.
Explore
Things to do
- Guided Tours & Special Programs30-120 Minutes
Minute Man offers a variety of special events and ranger programs to the visiting public. These programs run from Memorial Day weekend in May through the end of October.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit Hartwell Tavern5-90 Minutes
Hartwell Tavern is a restored 18th century home located along the Battle Road in Minute Man National Historical Park. Hartwell Tavern is open in June and July 2025 Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit the Wayside: Home of Authors, Wed & Sun, July 5 - Sept 5, 202630-45 Minutes
Explore this unique home, witness to over 300 years of history! From revolutionary patriots to famous authors, the Wayside has played host to many influential thinkers in American History. Guided tours at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00 pm.
Opens on the Park Service site - Bike The Battle Road Trail1-4 Hours
The Battle Road Trail is a five mile trail connecting historic sites from Meriam’s Corner in Concord to the eastern boundary of the park in Lexington.
Opens on the Park Service site - Patriots Day in Minute Man National Historical Park
Patriots' Day is a state holiday in Massachusetts commemorating the first battle of the American Revolution on April 19, 1775. Although Patriots' Day occurs annually on the third Monday of April, Minute Man National Historical Park host special…
Opens on the Park Service site - Junior Ranger Activity at Minute Man NHP1-4 Hours
Pick up a Junior Ranger booklet to guide your exploration of the park at Minute Man Visitor Center in Lexington or North Bridge Visitor Center in Concord. Complete the activities as you visit different sites in the park.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 7Hide
- Hike the Battle Road Trail1-4 Hours
The Battle Road Trail is a five mile trail connecting historic sites from Meriam’s Corner in Concord to the eastern boundary of the park in Lexington.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Concord's North Bridge: History and Memory10/1411:00 AM · runs through Oct 16 · freeThe program meets at the eastern bank of Concord's North Bridge which is around 400 feet from the North Bridge parking lot…
- 11:00 AM · runs through Oct 29 · freeThe program takes place at the Hartwell Tavern which is located on the Battle Road Trail in Lincoln.
- Cider making at Hartwell Tavern10/1710:00 AM · runs through Oct 24 · freeHartwell Tavern
- Archaeology Day10/1710:00 AM · free174 Liberty Street, Concord, Ma
- Memories of Elm Brook Hill10/1801:00 PM · freeMeet at Hartwell Tavern
- Wayside Halloween10/2406:00 PM · freeThe Wayside: Home of Authors
Show all 10Hide
- Calling all pumpkin art for Hartwell Halloween!10/2909:00 AM · freeMinute Man Visitor Center 210 North Great Road, Lincoln, Ma.
- Care for the wounded and dead10/3003:00 PM · freeHartwell Tavern
- Hartwell Halloween & Trick or Treat10/3106:00 PM · freeHartwell Tavern
- The King of Battle: Artillery in the American Revolution10/3111:00 AM · freeHartwell Tavern, 112 North Great Road, Lincoln MA
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
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthMute Swan 65× · Coyote 21× · Belted Kingfisher 18× · Barred Owl 18× · Bald Eagle 14× · Osprey 13× · Great Horned Owl 4× · Long-tailed Weasel 4×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 101 birds, 40 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Barred Owl · Broad-winged Hawk · Cooper's Hawk · Great Horned Owl · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Bittern · American Black Duck · American Coot · Black-crowned Night Heron · Canada Goose · Double-crested Cormorant · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Green Heron · King Rail · Virginia Rail · Wood Duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Woodcock · European Herring Gull · Killdeer · Ring-billed Gull · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Upland Sandpiper
Gamebirds & dovesCommon Pheasant · Common Pigeon · Mourning Dove · Ruffed Grouse · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Pileated Woodpecker · Red-bellied Woodpecker
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift · Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAlder Flycatcher · American Crow · American Goldfinch · American Redstart · American Robin · Baltimore Oriole · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Cuckoo · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Blue-headed Vireo · Bobolink · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Chipping Sparrow · Common Grackle · Common Moorhen · Common Starling · Common Yellowthroat · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Towhee · Eastern Wood Pewee · Field Sparrow · Grasshopper Sparrow · Gray Catbird · Great Crested Flycatcher · Hermit Thrush · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Least Flycatcher · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Northern Cardinal · Northern Goshawk · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Purple Finch · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Scarlet Tanager · Song Sparrow · Swamp Sparrow · Tree Swallow · Veery · Warbling Vireo · White-breasted Nuthatch · Willow Flycatcher · Winter Wren · Wood Thrush · Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · Brewer's mole · Brown Rat · Cinereus Shrew · Common Muskrat · Eastern Chipmunk · Eastern Cottontail · Eastern Gray Squirrel · Meadow Jumping Mouse · Meadow Vole · Pine Vole · Red Squirrel · Southern Flying Squirrel · Southern Red-backed Vole · Star-nosed Mole · White-footed Deermouse · common porcupine · mole shrew
PredatorsAmerican Black Bear · American Mink · Common Gray Fox · Common Otter · Coyote · Cross Fox · Ermine · Long-tailed Weasel · River Otter · Striped Skunk · common raccoon
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed Deer
BatsBig Brown Bat · Black Bat · Eastern Red Bat · Hoary Bat · Little Brown Bat · Northern Bat
Also on the checklistDomestic Cat · Groundhog · Virginia Opossum · domestic dog
Activities
Activity guides for this park Hiking in the national parks
Weather & climate
New England weather can be quite unpredictable, so check the regional weather forecasts before you plan your trip. Winters can range in temperature from 20 - 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Summers are quite humid and range in temperature from 60 - 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Beware of ticks as they can be active year round.
Questions people ask
Does Minute Man charge an entrance fee?
No. Minute Man is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Minute Man?
Standard hours are Sunrise to Sunset, every day.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Minute Man?
993,124 recreation visits in 2025, number 72 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Minute Man?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE and AT&T 4G LTE. No reported coverage for T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Minute Man established?
1959. It covers about 1.5 square miles.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Minute Man?
New England weather can be quite unpredictable, so check the regional weather forecasts before you plan your trip. Winters can range in temperature from 20 - 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
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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