Getting to Concord
There are plethora of things to do in Concord, MA that make for the perfect day trip from Boston. If you’ve rented a car, it’s about a 40 minute drive and there is free parking available behind the Visitor’s Center in the Concord Town Lot. (If you cannot find a spot there, you can pay for metered parking along Main Street). For those looking to get to Concord via public transportation, the MBTA Commuter Rail runs from North Station to Concord. The journey takes about 40 minutes and costs $19.50 round trip. From the station, it will be a 10 minute walk to downtown. If you’re looking for something more guided, you may want to consider this full day tour from Boston that includes transportation: Historical Lexington & Concord*.
Breakfast at Main Streets Market & Cafe
Once you arrive to Concord, we recommend grabbing breakfast at Main Streets Market & Cafe. It’s less than 5 minutes walking from the visitor’s center (or 10 minutes from the train station). They have outdoor seating along the side of the building if you’re visiting in the Summer months! Occasionally there will be a line but the wait moves quickly as the space is larger than it looks! The best part? They serve their breakfast menu all day. If you’ve already eaten breakfast, then it could be worth popping in for a coffee or iced tea before heading out to explore the town!
- Cost: $15-$25 (per person)
- More Information: Main Streets Market & Cafe
Shopping Downtown
Main Streets Market & Cafe is a great jumping off point for some shopping downtown. We recommended starting upstairs at Nesting. This is the perfect spot to find artisan goods that make great gifts for friends! A few of our other favorite shops include: Best of British, The Dotted i, Jack & Toba, Concord Bookshop and Patina Green. All of these are within 5 minutes walking distance of each other!
Antiquing
Shopping at cute boutiques isn’t the only option while downtown: One of the best things to do in Concord, MA is to go antiquing! We always love popping into these shops since you never know what type of treasure you may find. Be warned – these stores can feel very overwhelming as there is SO much to look at, but it can be fun to simply explore! Two of the best antique shops happen to be right next to each other: Walden Street Antiques & Thoreauly Antiques.
Lunch at The Cheese Shop
After exploring downtown, you may be starting to get hungry. We recommend grabbing lunch to go from the famous Cheese Shop. If you’re not in the mood for a sandwich, they have a variety of meats and cheeses so you can assemble a charcuterie board to go! There are also other items available – wine, beer, crackers, jams, etc. Don’t make the same mistake we did when first visiting and be sure to grab a laminated number from the front of the deli to ensure your spot in line. Even if there are a lot of people, it moves relatively quickly and is worth the wait!
- Cost: $10-$15 (per person)
- More Information: The Cheese Shop
Gräem Chocolate & Nuts
After you’ve got your sandwiches, be sure to pop across the street for a sweet treat from Gräem Chocolate & Nuts. We love their dark chocolate caramels the best, which they offer in small sizes by the cash register and are perfect for a picnic! This is also a great spot to grab some family or friends a gift.
- Cost: $5-$10
- More Information: Gräem Chocolate & Nuts
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Before you dig into your lunch, we recommend taking a walk to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery to visit Author’s Ridge. This is essentially an area of the cemetery where Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott and Ralph Waldo Emerson are all buried. If you’re driving, use the second gate and follow signs for Authors Ridge. If you’re walking, it will take about 15 minutes from downtown to get here. The famous graves are easy to spot since many leave pencils to honor the writers!
- Cost: Free
- Time Needed: 30 minutes
Orchard House
The next stop is a bit of a hike (30 minutes walking), so if you are traveling on foot it may be worth it to call a ride share if you’d like to visit here. For those driving, there is free parking in front of the house and in a lot across the street.
Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women, lived in Concord and you can visit her house where she is said to have written the famous book. It’s free to visit the outside & gardens but will cost $15 if you want to tour the inside.
- Cost: $15
- More Information: Orchard House
- Time Needed: 30 minutes – 1 hour
Minute Man National Park
About 5 minutes driving up the road from Orchard House is Minute Man National Park. As the park is massive, we recommend using this address to get there: 174 Liberty St, Concord, MA. There is free parking at the visitors center there for those arriving by car!
One of the reasons we love this particular section of the National Park is because of Old North Bridge! This is the location where the “shot heard around the world” was first fired, beginning the American Revolution! Minute Man National Park is also where Paul Revere was captured on his famous midnight ride to warn colonists about the Red Coats marching.
The Park is open from sunrise to sunset daily and has 5 miles of trails to walk, with historical landmarks & buildings along the way. This is a great spot to enjoy your sandwiches on a bench or blanket in the grass, and take in the natural beauty of this historic area!
- Cost: Free
- More Information: Minute Man National Park
- Time Needed: 1-2 hours
Walden Pond
If it’s too hot to walk the trails at Minute Man National Park, another option is Walden Pond (which is about a 5-10 minute drive). It costs $8 to park for cars with MA plates & $30 to park for cars without MA plates. There is a beach area to swim in, as well as bathrooms. They also have a replica of the house that Henry David Thoreau lived in when he wrote his famous book Walden. This is also a great option for a picnic lunch as well!
- Cost: $8-$30 (Parking)
- More Information: Walden Pond
- Time Needed: 1-2 hours
These are our favorite things to do in Concord, MA – so we’ve curated a one day itinerary for those visiting Boston (or even locals to Massachusetts) so you can maximize your time there. Between its charming downtown, literary legends and revolutionary history – there is something for everyone here!
