minuteman national historical park

Note that the photo of the bridge and statute shows a site in Concord. In Concord, park up by the house, or on the other side of the river. Easy parking in both places. Again, in Concord, try to arrive during the daytime when you can see the movie in the house, and talk to a Ranger dressed in colonial garb. The Lincoln part of the Park has a purpose-built building and easy parking -- and a great video to explain what it was all about.

It was awesome. In spite of visiting the area for other reasons, the Minuteman Park and Battle Road Trail was our favorite part of the trip.

I visited recently with my 4 kids, ages 9-14. If you are not familiar with the park, it is really a series of attractions and you have to bike, drive or take a trolley from one to another. Many of the stops don't have a lot to see. the big ones (which we did) are the visitor center, the Buckman Tavern and the Old North Bridge in Concord. It is all free. The visitor center has a presentation -- part video but with other things drawn into -- that is very nice and really gives a feel for what happened in both Lexington and Concord. It is a great place to start. Near the Tavern they have musket demonstrations. That was also enjoyable and informative. They do fire a musket but also give a lot more info about how we came to have minutemen. I learned stuff I didn't know. Lastly, there is another ranger presentation at the Old North Bridge, also very good. Their rangers are very friendly and really know their stuff. I am not giving this 5 stars only because of the hassle of driving from one place to another, but it really is a must see experience and great for kids too.

Any U.S. history enthusiast needs to spend some time here. The buildings are well preserved, and a lot of the ground is left the way it stood at the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

We came to this National Park on recommendation. We hiked the old dirt road that was originally the Concord to Boston Road, saw where Paul Revere was captured and visited one of the historic houses/tavern on that road. It was opened and attended by costumed park rangers. Also on the road was the Smith Road. Interesting to note that Mr Smith was the brother to Dolly Madison. The road is good for biking, hiking, and walking with small children or kids in strollers. Watch out for the poison ivy that borders the road.

This is where it all started...But you should start your visit at one of the 2 visitor centers (on North Great rd in Lincoln or on Liberty st. in Concord).The walk from on end of the park to the other (from one visitor center to the other) is about 5 miles one way.You can also ride your car to different stops along the old Lexington-Concord road. Parkings are available at those stops.Both visitor centers are interesting.The beautiful and famous Minute man monument is located by the North Bridge in Concord, only a short walk from the visitor center.You can walk or ride your bike on the old Lexington-Concord road (dirt road).There are still some historic houses standing.The park rangers offers explanations about the Minute man and the battles that took place here.The rangers are aften dressed in historic costumes.The National Park is free. The only fee (5$) is if you wish to visit the Wayside house (but the house is closed for restauration in 2014).It is also pet friendly (on leash of course :)

Only a mile or two from the Interstate, this park is definitely work a visit for those who have interest in American history. Very informative and well done multimedia show at the visitor center is worth attending. Historic homes and sites along the trail, and if you're there at the right time you'll find some re-enactors on the scene. Kids aged 8 and 6 seemed to get something out of it, and you can't beat the price.

Pros: Visitor center (clean, informative staff, amazing video/production of history of the events which took place there, clean park, lots of historic sites and homes, paved path, ample parking at all sitesCons: No washrooms along pathsThis is a great park - especially for those who aren't familiar with the details of the Revolutionary War. Having visited from Canada, we weren't taught much of American history in school, so our knowledge of the war was limited before visiting MA. This park did an amazing job teaching us. I highly recommend sticking around the visitor center (after getting a site map) for the video. Its held and shown in a little stage area. The presentation in neat, and very impressive for a historical site. It gives you a great intro into the basics of the history before heading out.When you leave the center and go to the path to see the houses make sure you don't get confused with us. You'll see the Jacob Whittemore house on the right. Go visit that, but don't keep going. You'll walk 15-20 minutes only to come to the end of the park where you can see the site of an old house (no actual house). So go left where you can see the majority of the park.I liked the variation of the homes in the area. Although you cannot go inside the homes (At least when we went) you can peer into the windows to see the interior, and view some of the rooms they have set up. The path through the park is paved and clean. Be prepared to share it with people on bikes.Bring water and go to the washroom before heading on the path since there are none along the way. That was the only thing preventing me from giving this a perfect review. Its warm in the summer. We were very glad to have our water bottles with us.Let me know if this was helpful by clicking "like". Thanks and feel free to ask any questions about the site!

We visited the park on April 19th, and loved it. We learned so much about the beginnings of the American Revolution. We loved seeing all the volunteers wearing the traditional costumes of the day and the soldiers re-enactments.

This is where you come to experience Revolutionary America as it was in 1776. The park has been mostly restored to its 18th Century self. The Battle Road on which British regulars marched is still there, well-maintained and dirt, and the farmsteads look like they looked over two hundred years ago. Make sure you visit when the re-enactors are here in uniform, practicing drills and musket volleys.

At the Visitor Center, a multimedia presentation of the events leading up to the start of the Revolutionary War. Very interesting. You can walk to the site where Paul Revere was captured, then drive a short distance to Hartwell Tavern, where park rangers conduct family-friendly activities in season. My 8-year old grandson was duly impressed after participating in a musket drill (with wooden muskets) and watching real muskets being shot. For children, I recommend first reading a children's book on the beginning of the war, but not critical to their enjoying the site. I doubt that children under 8 would love this place or understand its significance.The 5-mile Battle Road follows the route taken by the Redcoats into and out of Lexington to the Old South Bridge and another visitor center. It's a lovely accessible walk through woods and fields--you can walk just part of it by parking at one of several parking areas along the way. On a nice day, you'll have plenty of company from the locals. Patriot's Day, third Monday in April, has reenactments of the battle, but it starts early.

The five miles of trails in the Minuteman National Historical Park are lovely. They're wonderful for walking spring through fall, and are filled with joggers and bikers on weekends. There are small historical markers and sites along the way, so this can be a nice, low key intro to New England history for kids. You can choose your level of interest in history, with doing the full tour, starting at the visitors center, or just go for a walk. The reenactments during Patriots Day weekend are quite good, with cannons and horses, and bring history to life right before your eyes.

We actually started our visit at the Concord visitors center. Important to watch the film if you aren't familiar with the events of the opening of the Revolution. Wear comfortable shoes and taken in the Ranger presentations.

My husband really wanted to see this site so, we went for a visit. We started in the visitor centre and waited for the movie to start. We then walked around the site for a little while. Worth a visit if you are in the area and enjoy history.

The Minuteman Park, one of our National Parks, is located between Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. There are two different visitor centers, one at each end of the park. The visitor center at the Lexington end is by far the most interesting. They have a short video describing all the events surrounding the cry by Paul Revere that “The British are coming!” The video is an amazing creation incorporating a “theater-like” stage setting along with two video screens and a lighted map that shows the movements of British troops and Colonists. One of the video screens looks like a doorway into someone’s home and the person in the video speaks to another person “sitting on the stage.” I included a photo to give you an idea of the theatrical stage setting. It really is quite unique and very well done. The other visitor center has a different video shown on a flat screen TV. The park itself includes the actual road between Lexington and Concord where the British troops marched. It is a beautiful place to walk thru and to visit the tavern where costumed interpreters explain the history. In actuality, it was kind of eerie visiting here because this is where The American Revolution began over 200 years ago. With all the crazy government shutdowns, check the website for dates and times the park is open. Also, be sure to visit the little village of Concord. It is a charming community with nice shops and restaurants.