Concord Museum

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 […]

09/29/2026

The ultimate autumn accessory.👌

Shaped like a full chrysanthemum in bloom, this late-19th-century hand fan turns fall florals into art. Its painted wood handle curves like a delicate stem, finished with a soft tassel at the end.

While this piece is currently resting behind the scenes in our collections storage, it’s just one of thousands of historic fashion items preserved at the Concord Museum!

What is your favorite fall accessory?

📍 Visit us this fall to explore our galleries and see real objects from our shared past.

Fixed Hand Fan, late 19th century. Concord Museum Collection, Gift of Mrs. Joanna Ballou Savery; 1995.20.31

09/28/2026

“Museums are brilliant motivators of curiosity [....] I hope that Eccentric Collectors Like Us functions like the match of inspiration and wonder, which lights the fuse of curiosity.” - Mark Dion

We are THRILLED to share Mark Dion: Eccentric Collectors Like Us – a new exhibition opening at the Concord Museum on October 9, 2026.

Explore an interactive installation in conversation with an eccentric array of objects from the Museum’s collection. See the oddballs, the quirky pieces, and get ready to even unbox a few objects yourself.

Who is ready to get curious? Tag a friend who needs to see this exhibition, right here at the Concord Museum.

Plan your visit at concordmuseum.org.

09/24/2026

Fall is for book lovers. 💖🍂📖

There’s nothing quite like crisp autumn air to make a good story feel even cozier. Pictured here is Concord’s own Louisa May Alcott absorbed in a good book.

Looking for another cozy seasonal ritual? Step inside the Concord Museum to see the real objects and stories that shaped our town's larger-than-life literary history, from Alcott to Thoreau to Emerson.

📖 What book are you diving into this season? Drop your recommendations below!

Photograph of Louisa May Alcott by Warren's Portraits, 1875. Concord Museum Collection, Gift of Mr. Charles P. Munroe and Mr. William M. Munroe; 2009.4.172