Minute Man National Historical Park offers a variety of free in-person Patriots’ Day events with support from the Friends of Minute Man National Park, our donors, members, and sponsors, including the National Park Foundation, Save Our Heritage, Foundation for MetroWest, Robinson+Cole, MA Society of the Cincinnati, Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area, Carleton-Willard Village, Tough Ruck, Middlesex Savings Bank, and Marquis Tree Service.
Please consult the Minute Man National Historical Park Patriots Day event listings for more information on each event. To help find your way, please visit the park Directions page for maps and GPS coordinates. For accessibility information, please visit the Accessibility page.
Support Minute Man National Historical Park in 2026 for the 250th Anniversary of our nation’s founding!
- Individuals: Give $250 for the 250th. Donate today – your support makes free events possible!
- Businesses: Become a Sponsor. Support park events by becoming a sponsor.
Saturday, April 11, 2026
Open House at Meriam’s Corner
Nathan Meriam House, 24 Old Bedford Road, Concord, MA
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Visit the Nathan Meriam witness house and learn about the Meriam family history and the importance of the crossroad near their home on April 19, 1775. In the early afternoon of that fateful day, Militia soldiers arriving from Reading, Chelmsford, and Billerica attacked retreating British soldiers near this home. Limited parking is available at the National Park Service Meriam’s Corner Lot at 751 Lexington Road, Concord, MA and at the Ripley School, located at 120 Meriam Road, Concord, MA 01742. Both lots will offer limited parking, so spectators are highly encouraged to carpool to the event.
Free event. Come for the open house and stay for the Meriam’s Corner Exercises! Meriam’s Corner Exercises is a partner event organized by the Town of Concord. For more information on Meriam’s Corner Exercises, click here.
Friday April 17, 2026
Patriot Vigil
North Bridge, Monument St, Concord, MA
Luminaria 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Ceremony 7:45 pm – 8:30 pm
As darkness descends upon the North Bridge battlefield, we invite you to come and reflect on the events of April 19, 1775, and the meaning of liberty. The evening ceremony will feature a lantern-light procession, poetry, music, and a recitation of the names of the soldiers who gave their lives on that “ever-memorable” 19th of April. The path from the North Bridge Visitor Center to the North Bridge will be lighted with 122 luminaries to honor those who lost their lives in the battle.
If you would like to participate in the procession, please bring your own enclosed candle lantern – real candles only – no flashlights or LED lights. Gather at 7:30 pm in front of the North Bridge Visitor Center to join the lantern light procession, 174 Liberty St, Concord, MA. From there, we will march down the quarter-mile path to the North Bridge, where the ceremony will occur. Participants are welcome to wear 18th-century clothing if they choose, but please do not bring muskets.
Free event. Please refer to the park event listing for any updates. Parking is available at the North Bridge Visitor Center at 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA, and the North Bridge Parking Lot at 280 Monument Street, Concord, MA.
Saturday April 18, 2026
Witness Houses Open
Hartwell Tavern, 112 North Great Road, Lincoln, MA
William Smith House, 185 North Great Road, Lincoln, MA
Colonel James Barrett House, 448 Barrett’s Mill Rd, Concord, MA
10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Explore the interiors of Hartwell Tavern, the William Smith House, and the Colonel James Barrett House. Talk with living history interpreters dressed in eighteenth-century attire and learn about Massachusetts on the brink of war in 1774 and 1775. Free event. Please visit the park event listing for updates.
The King of Battle: Artillery Demonstration
North Bridge Visitor Center, 174 Liberty St. Concord MA
11:00 am and 1:00 pm
Between September 1774 and April 1775, the people of Massachusetts raced British soldiers to secure large quantities of artillery and ammunition. Overall, the Patriot forces moved scores of cannon from the coast of Massachusetts to inland stockpiles, including one located in Concord. Come experience the devastating power of artillery in 1775 and learn why the threat of patriot cannon ultimately spurred the British Army into action.
Programs will be held at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm and last 30 minutes. Firing will be dependent on the weather and the cannon crew. Free event. Please visit the park event listing for updates.
Preparing for War 1775
Hartwell Tavern, 112 North Great Road, Lincoln, MA
2:00 pm – 2:45 pm
In the lead up to the American Revolution, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress called for the creation of a provincial army to oppose British Regular forces in Boston. The Provincial Congress knew that a successful army required not just men, but an incredible amount of supplies. Join park staff and living history interpreters as they talk through the incredible efforts of the people to build a Massachusetts Army in 1775. Free event. Please visit the park event listing for updates.
Neighbors in Arms: Immersive Militia Program
Hartwell Tavern, 112 North Great Road, Lincoln, MA
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Join a Park Ranger to learn about the Massachusetts Militia of 1775 and see if you have what it takes to be an eighteenth-century militia soldier. Free event. Please visit the park event listing for updates.
Sunday, April 19, 2026
North Bridge Real-Time Battle Walk
North Bridge Visitor Center, 174 Liberty St. Concord, MA
8:30 am – 9:30 am
Commemorate the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” in real time during this one hour Ranger-led battle walk. Explore the story of the North Bridge and the soldiers who fought and died on this ground 251 years ago. Meet at the North Bridge Visitor Center at 174 Liberty St., Concord, MA. Free event. Please visit the park event listing for updates.
Witness Houses Open
Hartwell Tavern, 112 North Great Road, Lincoln, MA
William Smith House, 185 North Great Road, Lincoln, MA
Nathan Meriam House, 24 Old Bedford Road, Concord MA
10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Explore the interiors of Hartwell Tavern, the William Smith House, and the Nathan Meriam House. Talk with living history interpreters dressed in eighteenth century attire and learn about the fighting that swept through these houses on April 19, 1775. Free event. Please visit the park event listing for updates.
British Army Camp Followers Display
Minute Man Visitor Center, 210 North Great Road, Lincoln, MA
10:00 am – 4:30 pm
When British Regular Soldiers arrived in Boston during the summer of 1774, they brought hundreds of civilians and the families of soldiers stationed in North America. Join living history volunteers as they discuss the experiences of civilians following the British Army during its campaigns in North America. Free event. Please visit the park event listing for updates.
Caught in the Storm of War: The Civilian Experience
William Smith House, 185 North Great Road, Lincoln, MA
10:00 am – 10:45 am
Learn about the experiences of non-combatants on April 19, 1775 and the incredible stories of those who struggled to protect their families from the horrors of war. Free event. Please visit the park event listing for updates.
Elm Brook Hill Immersive Battle Walk
Hartwell Tavern, 112 North Great Road, Lincoln, MA
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Join us for an immersive battle walk through the fighting around Elm Brook Hill on April 19, 1775. Participate in the experience as you walk the Battle Road and learn about the recent archaeological investigations that unlocked the stories of soldiers who fought and died across this battlefield.
This program will cover a roughly 1-mile loop along the Battle Road Trail. At times, it will include musket firing and require visitors to move briskly. Please bring water and sturdy walking shoes. Free event. Please visit the park event listing for updates.
Care of the Wounded
Hartwell Tavern, 112 North Great Road, Lincoln, MA
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
When the fighting ended on April 19, 1775 a road of carnage stretched over 16 miles from Concord to Boston. On the 250th Anniversary of the battle, join park staff at the historic Hartwell Tavern in Lincoln Ma, to learn the harrowing stories of those who cared for the wounded and faced an uncertain world in the days following. Free event. Please visit the park event listing for updates.
Parker’s Revenge Immersive Battle Walk
Minute Man Visitor Center, 210 North Great Road, Lincoln, MA
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Join us for an immersive battle walk at the site of Parker’s Revenge on April 19, 1775. Participate in the experience as you walk the Battle Road and learn about the recent archaeological investigations that unlocked the stories of soldiers who fought and died across this battlefield.
This program will cover a loop of roughly 0.5 miles along the Battle Road Trail. At times, it will include musket firing and require visitors to move briskly. Please bring water and sturdy walking shoes. Free event. Please visit the park event listing for updates.
Support Patriots’ Day at Minute Man
Huzzah for 1776 – give $250 for the 250th today!
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nations’ birth in 2026, and we need your support now more than ever! Donate to the Friends of Minute Man National Park today.
Your gift supports the park, volunteer reenactors, free Patriots’ Day activities, and ongoing 250th-anniversary events.
Thank You for Your Support!
Thank You to our 2026 Sponsors
