The Old North Bridge, Massachusetts, United States

4NsMommy 5:00 PM Jan 14, 2022

History, Beauty & Relaxation
This is the location of the "shot heard round the world," and the beginning of the American War for Independence. However, you don’t have to be a history lover to enjoy Old North Bridge and Minuteman National Historic Park. In the spring, summer, and fall the scenery is beautiful & ever changing. There are gardens and paths to walk and the Concord River flows through. And for those of you who want to learn more history, there is a museum on the site with friendly and informative national park service ranger/staff who will help you learn as little or as much as you would like. I had not expected to be as engaged as I had come for my father but the ranger really knew how to make it interesting for everyone. North Bridge Visitor Center is located in a brick mansion & features a short video about the North Bridge fight, a bookstore and exhibits. This is a great place to go to while away a few hours or even have a picnic and then you can head into Concord for a great lunch, stroll around the town and do a little shopping.

4WJW0126 5:00 PM Oct 4, 2020

Short Visit To Minuteman National Park
Driving into Concord, you come to Minuteman National Park on route 2A. We decided to stop in, going into the entrance at the New Visitor Center. It actually is a parking area with a small bridge to a walking track that takes you through a beautiful park setting, before getting to the visitor's center. We were met by a pleasant park ranger, Jen, who told us all about the National Park and then invited us to either take a walk around the Park, or go into the Visitor Center and take a self-guided tour through the displays. We used the hand sanitizer and then entered the building. There are several displays, discussing the events of April 1775, and the "shot heard round the world". There is normally a small video that is played in a little theater, but that was not available when we were there. We spent about 20 minutes reading the information and looking at the pictures and displays dealing with those opening events to our countries fight for Independence. A great place for families to get to know our nations important history. I only give it 4 out of 5, because at this point, so many things were shut down, like the theater and the gift shop, it made our stay a little shorter than we would have liked. And as an older couple, we were not desiring to walk around the park. But I will say it is a beautiful area and being free, worth the time to stop and learn and appreciate how blessed we are to live in a country where we benefit from the sacrifices of those who have gone before us.