Concord Museum

10/22/2026

Get ready to enjoy the holiday season with some of your favorite Museum traditions. From the delights of the Holiday House Tour, to the magic of Family Trees, to the celebration of the Fête, there is something for everyone to enjoy!

Tickets will go on sale later this fall. Mark you calendars now to save the dates, and visit concordmuseum.org to plan your visit.

Family Trees: A Celebration of Children's Literature
November 21 - January 3
Experience a playful installation of dozens of story trees crafted by talented local volunteers. Each tree brings a beloved picture book to life through elaborate, handmade decorations - celebrating children's books and the simple joy of reading together.

The Fête
December 11
Enjoy festive drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and an exclusive evening view of our stunning Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature installation. Hosted by our Guild of Volunteers, your presence also helps support essential educational programs for local children. Come celebrate the season with friends, supporters, and fellow museum champions!

The Holiday House Tour
December 12
Take a peek inside a curated lineup of beautiful private homes throughout the Concord area – ranging form charming historic residences to stunning modern designs. Each home is beautifully decorated for the season by talented local designers, florists, and homeowners.

10/21/2026

With over a thousand boxes to explore, which one catches your eye?

Created in partnership with contemporary artist Mark Dion, our new special exhibition explores why we collect, what we choose to save and display, and how museums transform the meaning of objects.

We invite you to step inside a world of discovery, lift these boxes off the shelves, and get curious about how museums do what they do.

Now on view!
Mark Dion: Eccentric Collectors Like Us
At the Concord Museum

Plan your visit at concordmuseum.org.



Photo by Mike Ritter.

10/19/2026

Step into the world of eccentric collctors - visit Mark Dion: Eccentric Collectors Like Us the Concord Museum. Visit concordmuseum.org to plan your visit.

10/14/2026

"Museums have front-of the house exhibitions. They are beautiful, they are well-installed, they are incredibly informative, and they show the best of the best. But for me, it's the back of the house that's really exciting - to see the potentiality of all the objects that maybe don't make it to the front of the house." - Mark Dion

The wait is finally over! 🎉 Mark Dion: Eccentric Collectors Like Us is officially open at the Concord Museum.

Step into an extraordinary space of discovery where contemporary art meets historical obsession, exploring the fascinating worlds of eclectic collectors and the objects they amass.

Pictured here: a glimpse into the gallery with Dion himself.

Plan your visit today at concordmuseum.org.

Photo by Mike Ritter.

10/13/2026

How do you tell a sweeping history of a continent?

This is exactly what Peter Mancall has offered in his new book, Contested Continent, which chronicles the history of North America from 1000 to 1680, tracing crucial developments to the eventual founding of the United States.

On October 20, join us for a Concord Museum Forum with Mancall as part of the Concord Festival of Authors.

Contested Continent
CONCORD MUSEUM FORUM
Members Free | Non-Members $10
October 20 | 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Concord Festival of Authors

In his new book, Contested Continent, historian Peter Mancall offers a sweeping history of North America from 1000 to 1680, chronicling crucial developments to the eventual founding of the United […]

10/07/2026

👀Nothing to see here, just an eccentric collector busy at work installing his new exhibition at the Concord Museum!

Experience the Concord Museum collection like never before through a new special exhibition – Mark Dion: Eccentric Collectors Like Us – opening this week on October 9, 2026.

Contemporary artist Mark Dion has teamed up with the Museum to create something truly unique – a gallery space mischievously transformed into an interactive world of discovery.

Why do we collect? What do we choose to save and display? And how do museums transform the meaning of objects?

Mark your calendars for the October 9th opening and get ready to step into the world of eccentric collectors. Plan your visit at concordmuseum.org.

To our eccentric collectors out there – what do you save? Let us know in the comments!

10/06/2026

Join us for a FREE program and performance with the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers, a group of musicians and artisans from the tribal communities of Mashpee on Cape Cod and Aquinnah on Martha’s Vineyard on Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Participate in the performance of eastern social songs and dances. Family fun for all ages!

October 12 at 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Free | Registration Required
At the Concord Museum

Indigenous Peoples’ Day Family Program with the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers  Join us for a program and performance with the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers, a group of musicians […]

10/05/2026

What do these two eccentrics have in common? They both built extraordinary worlds out of the objects they gathered.

This week, we are THRILLED to share a new exhibition created in partnership with internationally acclaimed conceptual artist Mark Dion – "Mark Dion: Eccentric Collectors Like Us."

Inspired by Cummings E. Davis (pictured right), the visionary and eccentric Concord resident whose curiosity laid the foundation for the Museum's collection, this new exhibition explores why we collect, what we choose to save and display, and how museums transform the meaning of objects.

See rarely-displayed Museum objects, explore the gallery with a unique Field Guide, and step inside Dion's interactive Memory Box.

Mark your calendars for the October 9th opening and get ready to step into the world of eccentric collectors. On view through March 7.

Learn more: https://concordmuseum.org/event/mark-dion-eccentric-collectors-like-us/



Photo by Jeffrey Jenkins.

Cummings E. Davis standing in the doorway of the Concord Antiquarian Society by Alfred W. Hosmer (detail), Concord, MA, 1890. Concord Museum Collection; Ph1169a.

10/01/2026

Get a sneak peek - learn about the internationally acclaimed artist behind our upcoming exhibition, Mark Dion: Eccentric Collectors Like Us.

"Mark Dion has a passion for collecting. He collects all sorts of relics from the past — not only memorabilia, historical artifacts and collectables, but books, toys, tools, bric-a-brac, antique detritus, and organic curiosities from the natural environment."

Inspired by Cummings E. Davis, the visionary and eccentric Concord resident whose curiosity laid the foundation for the Museum's collection, this new exhibition will explore why we collect, what we choose to save and display, and how museums transform the meaning of objects.

Together, Dion and our curators created a mischievous gallery experience featuring:

➡ rarely seen historic objects - the "oddballs," quirky portraits, and historic ephemera from the Museum's vast collection

➡ Dion's original interactive installation - a Memory Box - that blurs the lines between visitor and Museum

➡ a Field Guide in place of traditional wall labels to invite creative exploration

📆Mark your calendar: October 9, 2026, and get ready to experience our collection like never before.

Mark Dion's upcoming exhibit 'Mark Dion: Eccentric Collectors Like Us,' opens on Oct. 9 and runs through Feb. 22, '27 at the Concord Museum is curated by David Wood and Christie Jackson. Words David Ebony. Photo Carlton Davis.

09/30/2026

What changes when we recast Thoreau as a philosopher?

Join us for a conversation with the editors and essayists of Thoreau & Philosophy as they discuss how Thoreau’s work engages philosophical questions that remain deeply relevant today, shaping conversations about ethics, freedom, society, and the environment. Explore how this new lens reveals the full depth of his thought.

October 1 at 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Members Free | $10 Non-Members | Free Virtual

Register to save your seat!

Co-sponsored by the Thoreau Alliance.

Join the editors and essayists of Thoreau & Philosophy for a conversation exploring Thoreau as one of America’s most profound philosophical thinkers. Beyond his literary and naturalist legacy, Thoreau’s work […]