In order to preserve the natural environment, visitors are limited at this site, where Thoreau wrote his famous essays.

The first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired nearby – and, less than a century later, Emerson, Hawthorne, and Thoreau spawned a revolution in American philosophy from here.

The "shot heard round the world," which signaled the start of the Revolutionary War, was fired from this spot.

Immortalized by Louisa May Alcott in the beloved classic, Little Women, Orchard House (c. 1650) is best known for being where the groundbreaking novel was written and set in 1868. One of the oldest, most authentically-preserved historic sites in the country, Orchard House has, for over a century, provided inspirational accounts of the Alcott family’s contributions to the fields of literature, education, philosophy, the arts, and social justice through award-winning guided tours, unique educational programs for students of all ages, and lively living history events . The Concord School of Philosophy and a Museum Store are also on the premises.

Nineteenth-century luminaries such as Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are buried here.

This route follows the trail taken by the British on their retreat to Boston after the battle of Lexington and Concord.