Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House

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Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House To find out more, 24/7, visit louisamayalcott.org and orchardhousedocumentary.org! You've read the book . . . You've seen the movie . . .
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Now visit the place where it all began. The Home of Little Women -- and so much more! Regular Hours of Operation
April - October: M - Sat 10:00 - 5:00; Sun 11:00 - 5:00
November - March: M - F 11:00 - 3:30, Sat 10:00 - 5:00; Sun 1:00 - 5:00
Closed: Easter; Thanksgiving; Christmas; December 24 & 31; January 1, 2, 3
Open at Noon: Third Monday in April (Patriots' Day in Massachusetts)

08/03/2026

Just a rainy day in Concord Town . . .

Ever wish you could experience a beloved tourist destination beyond regular hours of operation? Thursday, May 21st is y...
05/20/2026

Ever wish you could experience a beloved tourist destination beyond regular hours of operation? Thursday, May 21st is your chance!

In fact, once monthly we are pleased to offer "Orchard House After-Hours" — when, as the dust of the day settles, you may tour at 4:45, 5:15, 5:45, or 6:15 pm, engage in scintillating conversations with Staff, master a beguiling 19th Century craft, play Colonial and Victorian games, embrace the restorative evening ambiance of our historic landscape, peruse and purchase in our carefully curated Museum Store, and delight in a Meet-and-Greet with Concord Minute Men re-enactors.

Tickets for after-hours guided tours are available on a first-come/first-served basis in our Admission area. Shopping in our Store, strolling the grounds, and engaging with Staff and our special visitors from the past are always free to all. First time and frequent visitors alike are in for a rare treat — we look forward to seeing you!

Aspire. Encourage. Embrace. These may be apt sobriquets for our three new -- or should we say *renewed to our landsca...
05/12/2026

Aspire. Encourage. Embrace. These may be apt sobriquets for our three new -- or should we say *renewed to our landscape* (single and double guyot and single cordon) -- grape vines grown from original cuttings established by neighbor and grape cultivator extraordinaire Ephraim Wales Bull after 37 years of experimentation with over 22,000 seedlings from wild Vitis labrusca plants. Talk about determined!

Our “new” vines are located along the North stone wall adjacent to the accessible path that leads to The School of Philosophy's accessible entry. Prior to The School’s construction (1880), this area of Orchard House was variously described by Mr. Alcott in his journal as “the driveway behind the House” or “the garden by the walk,” and headed 11 additional acres of land originally owned by the Alcotts and used for terraced gardens, orchards, and grazing land. It is especially thrilling to see these beautifully sculptural grape vines back home 167 years to the day -- May 12, 1859 -- that Mr. Bull gifted their “ancestors” to the Alcotts!

Mr. Bull lived three houses East of Orchard House, now 491 Lexington Road, in a circa 1716 home that author and Wayside owner Harriet Lothrop eventually christened “Grapevine Cottage” (she also restored the home and ran a tearoom out of it in the late 1920s and 30s). The Grapevine Cottage has been a private residence for many decades, but a plaque on the house and a large arched stone marker along the front fence pay homage to the horticultural significance of the “Concord” grape cultivar. Trellises on its Southeast lawn (clearly visible from the sidewalk) also still have vines derived from original cuttings.

Although the Alcotts were involved in the Temperance Movement and objected to distilled spirits like wh**ky and gin, they did imbibe fermented drinks such as hard c***r and w**e. Mr. Bull eventually provided 12 additional grape vines to the Alcotts in the Fall of 1859, which formed border trellises with raspberries and peas between Orchard House and The Wayside. By 1866, Mr. Alcott was also able to transplant several grape vines to create a trellised partition between Orchard House and John B. Moore’s property to the West.

And continuing the theme of the verdure of vines: Recent water mitigation efforts around our Admission entrance feature utilitarian trench drains embellished with lovely vines -- a conscious choice in keeping with Mr. Alcott’s belief that, “The garden is the tie uniting man and nature” (Concord Days, 1872), and wonderfully compliments our Little Women Garden and the shade-loving perennials all visitors encounter on their way in or out.

Work also continues by Massachusetts Master Gardeners on the Native Plant Border Garden along Alcott Road, as well as the re-creation of the Alcott Kitchen Garden. We hope you stop by and see for yourself how our gardens grow this Summer and Fall!

Many examples of Mrs. Alcott’s reasoned advice and unyielding encouragement are found among Louisa's journals, reflectin...
05/10/2026

Many examples of Mrs. Alcott’s reasoned advice and unyielding encouragement are found among Louisa's journals, reflecting an intense affinity between mother and daughter. To her beloved Marmee Louisa entrusted her tenderest thoughts, while the empathetic mother well understood her tempestuous child as no one else could.

In Louisa’s youthful periods of despondency, she looked upon her fledgling poems and stories as wasted efforts, for they provided no tangible benefit to her family. Indefatigably, Marmee rescued Louisa from her own thoughts, continually reminding her to believe in the power of the pen and written word. “Do write a little each day, dear, if but a line, to show me how bravely you begin the battle, how patiently you wait for the rewards sure to come when the victory is nobly won.” Carefully scaffolding motherly faith and pride in her daughter's talent, Mrs. Alcott eventually launched a literary career that would know no earthly bounds.

As Louisa celebrated her fourteenth birthday (1846) during the prologue to a self-described “Sentimental Period,” Mrs. Alcott stirred the creative and maternal pots once more by presenting her literary offspring with the gift of a pen accompanied by an original poem (below). Ednah Dow Cheney, family friend and first biographer of Louisa May Alcott, noted that Marmee’s own intellectual example and emotional influence revealed a wealth of motherly wisdom and care that we would all be so fortunate to receive.

To all the Marmees in our lives – actual, aspirational, or fictional – we offer gratitude for uplifting us in our darkest times, and hope they rest easy in our ceaseless love on this day, and always.

Apparently, someone neglected to let Mother Nature know that April Fools' Day was last week . . .Many thanks to Gardener...
04/07/2026

Apparently, someone neglected to let Mother Nature know that April Fools' Day was last week . . .

Many thanks to Gardener Lorraine and her cheery tulips and daffodils on our doorstep for reminding us that Spring is, indeed, here!

02/25/2026

Well, Mother Nature apparently feels we haven't had enough snow . . . but undaunted, we will open at 11 am today!

It's a snowy Saturday in our neck of the woods, so for the safety of our visitors and Staff, Orchard House will be CLOSE...
02/07/2026

It's a snowy Saturday in our neck of the woods, so for the safety of our visitors and Staff, Orchard House will be CLOSED today, February 7, 2026. We will re-open as usual at 1:00 pm tomorrow, Sunday, February 8th.

Although we are unavailable for in-person cultural edification today, there's no reason not indulge in "the fifth pillar of health," as The New York Times called engaging in the arts and creativity in a recent article about enhancing personal happiness. If you are not a fan of snow, wind, and cold, why not pick up an Alcott book (or any book!), grab a hot beverage, and curl up under a warm blanket to add to your happiness quota!

Do you want to build a snowman? Long before Anna, Elsa, and Olaf, there was Kate -- Hepburn, that is. 1932. Orchard H...
01/25/2026

Do you want to build a snowman? Long before Anna, Elsa, and Olaf, there was Kate -- Hepburn, that is. 1932. Orchard House. Due to the predicted long-duration impact of Winter Storm Fern, Orchard House will be closed on Sunday & Monday, January 25th & 26th. Enjoy plenty of [safe] fun outdoors, or curl up with a favorite book and beverage, and we'll see you on Tuesday!

Although the dear old House looks especially appealing in the snow, we'll need a little extra time to clear our pathways...
01/19/2026

Although the dear old House looks especially appealing in the snow, we'll need a little extra time to clear our pathways and parking areas, so we have delayed opening until noon today, Monday, January 19, 2026. We look forward to welcoming many of you this afternoon, and honor the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, a kindred spirit to the Alcotts:

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant." (M. L. King Jr Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1964)

11/30/2025

It's always a good day to celebrate a birth anniversary at Orchard House! When visitors on tour yesterday realized that November 29th was the natal day of not only Louisa May Alcott, but also her father, A. Bronson Alcott, they went all-in when Executive Director Jan suggested joining their voices in a very familiar tune within Mr. Alcott's Study. Feel free to show your love as well by singing along to wish a happy 193rd and 226th birthday, respectively, to Louisa and her father!

Address

399 Lexington Road
Concord, MA
01742

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Telephone

(978)3694118

Website

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