Minute Man National Historical Park

Minute Man National Historical Park in Massachusetts, USA commemorates the start of the American Revolution.

History of Minute Man National Historical Park

The American Revolution began as a protest against the treatment of the Americans as British subjects and turned into an eight year war for American independence.

At Minute Man National Historical Park, the Battles of Lexington and Concord are brought to life through the preservation, restoration and interpretation of significant sites from “that famous day and year” when Colonists took up arms in defense of liberty and touched off the American Revolution.

At Concord’s North Bridge, visitors can see the place where, on April 19, 1775, Colonial militia men fired the famous “shot heard ’round the world.” Minute Man National Park includes the Battle Road Trail, the site of the first battle of the American Revolution which took place on 19 April 1775. Visitors can hike this trail or drive parts of it and a guided walk starts every day at 12:30pm from the Minute Man Visitor Centre. The next site along the way is Hartwell Tavern, a traditional pre-revolution homestead followed by The Wayside, the former home of Louisa May Alcott and other literary giants. You can only visit the Wayside with a guided tour.

Minute Man National Park is named after the Minute Men, the volunteer American militia who fought for their country. Also found at Minute Man National Park is the North Bridge, the site of a famous battle commemorated in a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson as the location of the “shot heard round the world”. Rangers are on hand here to offer a twenty minute talk.

Minute Man National Historical Park Today

Visitors can plan their itinerary by starting their day at the Minute Man Visitor Centre, which also includes an introduction to the war via a multimedia presentation. There is also a North Bridge Visitor Centre, which holds a brass cannon called The Hancock. Guided tours and ranger programs are also available as are audio guides.

Getting to Minute Man National Historical Park

The address of Minute Man National Historical Park is 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA. Most visitors travel to this location from the city of Boston.

The drive from Boston takes roughly 18 minutes. If travelling via public transport it is advised to take the Red Line on the subway to Alewife before transferring onto the 62/76 bus to the National Historical Park.