Carlisle MA Historical Society

04/19/2026

To kick off our celebration of the Nation's 250th Anniversary, join the Carlisle Historical Society and the Carlisle Colonial Minutemen tomorrow to honor those who participated in the Battle of Lexington and Concord. A muster re-enactment will begin on the Carlisle Town Common at 6:30 AM followed by the flag raising ceremony and a parade to the Old North Bridge in Concord!

11/23/2025

Please join us for the Society’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, December 4th - 7:00 PM at Town Hall. After a brief meeting to elect officers of the Board, we are pleased to welcome forensic anthropologist Dr. Sarah Kiley Schoff who will present a lecture on the Charlestown 1775 Archaeology Project. Dr. Schoff will share discoveries from excavations conducted last summer in Charlestown with the City of Boston Archeology Team. Together they are working to unearth new perspectives from the American Revolution and the Battle of Bunker Hill. This is a free event, and all are welcome! Refreshments will be provided.

11/20/2025

A few weeks ago, the Carlisle Historical Society welcomed dozens of Third Grade students to the Heald House Museum for their Carlisle Investigation Project. Through the project, students have an opportunity to learn about our town’s rich history. We always love to showcase our historical collections, but it is especially rewarding to help students discover Carlisle’s past!

07/30/2025

Thank you to everyone who attended the Carlisle flag dedication ceremony at the State House yesterday! 🇺🇸 We want to recognize the tremendous efforts of Beverly Heath (who designed the town's original flag for the bicentennial in 1975) as well as Barbara Lewis, Katy Scholten, Susan Emmons, and Mary Beth Stevenson who produced the flag which now hangs at the State House. We also want to thank Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and State Representative Simon Cataldo for hosting this ceremony.

07/17/2025

Join us in making history! The next Carlisle Patriots' Day 250 event will be the dedication of the Carlisle Town Flag at the Massachusetts State House in Boston. Our town's flag will be permanently displayed in the Great Hall of Flags alongside the flags from over 350+ communities across Massachusetts.

The event will take place Tuesday, July 29th at 11:00 AM and feature the Carlisle Minutemen and remarks by town officials and State Representative Simon Cataldo.

The event is free and open to the public. To RSVP, please email [email protected]

05/28/2025

Special thanks to everyone who attended the Red Lion Tavern tour earlier this month! Check out the article that appeared in last week's Carlisle Mosquito to learn more about this historic establishment and other local taverns that operated during colonial times:

https://carlislemosquito.org/exotic-drinks-carlisle-cider-and-more-at-the-former-red-lion-tavern

05/17/2025

The Red Lion Tavern Tour is taking place this afternoon! We are thrilled that the event has been featured by MA250. Visit their website for more details - we hope to see you there!!

The Carlisle Historical Society is excited to offer a special tour of the historic Red Lion Tavern in Carlisle, Massachusetts. The tavern is still in private hands after nearly 250 […]

05/12/2025

Join us Saturday, May 17th for a special tour of the historic Red Lion Tavern on West Street! The colonial tavern is still in private hands after nearly 250 years and this tour marks the first time in recent history that it has been open to the public.

Visitors will have a chance to learn about taverns in colonial times and also learn about John Heald (the Tavern's proprietor) and his father who both served in the Revolutionary War. The tour will include the history of the building as well as colonial architectural practices. After touring the tavern, visitors can explore the 65 acre property including the site of the old "powder mill", rumored to be where Carlisle's militiamen produced and stored their supply of gun powder in 1775. Militiamen re-enactors will also be drilling and firing muskets on the lawn.

Attendees can drop in between 2:00-5:00 pm. The event is free and complimentary food and drinks will be provided. The tour is supported in part with grant funding from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, MA250, and the Carlisle Cultural Council.

05/10/2025

Mark your calendar - Carlisle Town Meeting is Sunday, May 18th, at 1:00pm!

We hope you'll attend and join us in voting "YES" on Article #22 to support the final phase of the Heald House Museum restoration project.

Estabrook Trail Walk 250th Anniversary commemorative coins will also be available for purchase and pick-up beginning at 12:00pm before the meeting starts.

04/27/2025

Patriots' Day 250th trail walk commemorative coins are available for purchase at Town Hall - Coins sales will be going on until 5:00pm today!

04/13/2025

The Carlisle Patriots' Day 250th Parade is only one week away!! Join us as we re-enact the Carlisle Minutemen's march to the Old North Bridge in 1775. The event will begin at Town Common at 6:00 AM and the parade will proceed down School Street and Bellows Hill Road to the Estabrook Trail and end at the North Bridge in Concord. You can join the parade at town common or mid-march along the parade route. Parking will be limited so please plan accordingly. Visit carlisle250.org for more information and to reserve a resident / visitor parking pass!