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Check out all of our special events from historic trades demonstrations to walking tours
NPS Photo
Check back often for summer 2025 special events as we enter the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution!
September 2025
Memories of Elm Brook Hill
Saturday, September 20
1:00 and 3:00 pm
Meet at Hartwell Tavern
Join us for a special walk of the Elm Brook Hill battle site. Edmund Foster, a militiaman from Reading, Massachusetts (portrayed by park volunteer, Ed Hurley), will lead guests on a guided tour to the Elm Brook Hill (Bloody Angle) Battle Site where he fought on April 19, 1775. Foster will be joined by Lincoln, Massachusetts historian and author Don Hafner.
Captain William Smith Open House
Saturday, September 20
10am - 4pm
(Parking available at the Hartwell Tavern parking lot, 112 North Great Road, Lincoln MA)
The Captain William Smith House, built circa 1692, sits on the Bay Road in Lincoln. It was home to William, wife Catherine, three young children and an enslaved man named Cato. On April 19, 1775 the British column passed by here on their way to Concord and again during their fighting retreat to Boston in the afternoon. William commanded the Lincoln minute man company and led them into battle that day.
The restored house will be open and staffed my members of the Ladies Association of Revolutionary America, a researched-based 18th century living history group that encourages, supports, and promotes increased women’s voices and stories at historical sites and events.
The King of Battle: Artillery and the Siege of Boston
Hartwell Tavern
September 20, 2025
10am - 4:30 pm
On the afternoon of April 19, 1775 a reinforcement column led by British Brigadier General Hugh Percy arrived in Lexington to rescue the battered British Soldiers retreating from Concord. As Militia soldiers swarmed through Lexington the boom of two 6-pounder British Artillery pieces echoed across the town and sent the militiamen scattering for cover.
In the days and weeks that followed, provincial militia soldiers brought their own artillery to bare on the city of Boston.
Join Park Rangers and Living History Volunteers to learn about these important weapons. Programs will be held at 11am and 2pm. Firing will be dependent on weather and cannon crew. Hartwell Tavern will be open from 10am - 4:30 pm.
The British Redcoat
Sunday, September 28
1:00 and 3:00pm
North Bridge Visitor Center
Far from home, faced with declining budgets, lack of manpower and supplies, a rebellious populace and unclear mandates, the British soldier in the American Revolution had a tough job! Join Ranger Roger Fuller, dressed as a British soldier of 1775, for a half-hour program to learn about the “bad guys” of 1775; who they were, how they did their job, and what April 19, 1775 was like for them. (You'll learn why red was actually a good color to wear on a battlefield!)
Archeology Day at Minute Man Saturday, October 4th
October is Archeology Month! To mark the occasion Park Rangers will offer special tours of two key battle sites: Elm Brook Hill and Parker’s Revenge, where recent archeological investigations have revealed new details of the battle action. Also, the musket balls discovered at the North Bridge battle site in Concord will be on display at North Bridge Visitor Center. Parker’s Revenge tours: 10:30am and 2:00pm. Meet at Minute Man Visitor Center
Elm Brook Hill tours: 11:30am and 3pm. Meet at Hartwell Tavern
Cider Making Demonstration'
Saturday, October 4, 11 and 18
Hartwell Tavern
10am - 4:30pm
In 18th century New England, making cider was the primary way to preserve your apple harvest. Park Volunteers Chris and Clare Hurley will be at Hartwell Tavern with their cider press to show you how it was made. You can even help smash apples!
Supplying the Siege / Surviving the Siege Saturday, October 11 and Sunday, October 12 Hartwell Tavern 10am – 4:30pm
Following the outbreak of war on April 19, 1775, the British Army was trapped in Boston and the town besieged by thousands of provincial troops that slowly merged into the fledgling Continental Army. On Saturday, October 11, learn what was going on in the Massachusetts countryside as communities like the town of Lincoln had to adjust to life during wartime, with the frontlines less than 14 miles away! On Sunday, October 12, explore the plight of the British Army in Boston and the hundreds of loyalist civilians who fled there for protection from their rebellious neighbors. This event will feature living history demonstrations, musket and cannon firing.
Halloween at The Wayside Saturday, October 18 The Wayside: Home of Authors 6 – 9pm
From dark and twisted tales to romantic fortune telling, modern Halloween owes much to the late Victorian era. Join us for an evening of spooky history at The Wayside: Home of Authors. Learn about the superstitions of Hallowe’en in the late 19th century or enjoy the haunting words of selected Nathaniel Hawthorne short stories.
The King of Battle: Artillery and the Siege of Boston Saturday, October 25 Hartwell Tavern 10am - 4:30 pm
On the afternoon of April 19, 1775 a reinforcement column led by British Brigadier General Hugh Percy arrived in Lexington to rescue the battered British Soldiers retreating from Concord. As Militia soldiers swarmed through Lexington the boom of two 6-pounder British Artillery pieces echoed across the town and sent the militiamen scattering for cover. In the days and weeks that followed, provincial militia soldiers brought their own artillery to bare on the city of Boston. Join Park Rangers and Living History Volunteers to learn about these important weapons. Programs will be held at 11am and 2pm. Firing will be dependent on weather and cannon crew. Hartwell Tavern will be open from 10am - 4:30 pm.
Hartwell Halloween
Saturday, October 25 Hartwell Tavern 5:30 – 9pm
Do you believe in ghosts? Do you like history? Jack o’ Lanterns? Colonial music and dancing? Walk down a path lighted by dozens of jack-o-lanterns. Talk with rangers and volunteers about ghostly folklore and how the people of Colonial New England protected themselves from evil spirits and witches. Enjoy authentic music and dancing of the colonial period while sipping on a cup of fresh apple cider.
For trick-or-treaters of all ages the Friends of Minute Man will be offering individually wrapped candy so don your costumes and come trick-or-treating at an 18th century Tavern! This program will be both outdoors and indoors. All visitors should dress for the weather, bring a flashlight and use caution on dark paths.
The British Redcoat
Sunday, October 26
Thursday, October 30
1:00 and 3:00pm
North Bridge Visitor Center
Far from home, faced with declining budgets, lack of manpower and supplies, a rebellious populace and unclear mandates, the British soldier in the American Revolution had a tough job! Join Ranger Roger Fuller, dressed as a British soldier of 1775, for a half-hour program to learn about the “bad guys” of 1775; who they were, how they did their job, and what April 19, 1775 was like for them. (You'll learn why red was actually a good color to wear on a battlefield!)
