The best things to do west of Boston are in Concord and Lexington, about 20 miles out: the Revolutionary War sites of Minute Man National Historical Park, the loop around Walden Pond, and Orchard House, where Louisa May Alcott wrote and set Little Women. Add dinner at Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudbury or an afternoon at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, and you have a full day that starts with a Commuter Rail train from North Station. A 4-hour guided Lexington and Concord tour from Boston is bookable on Viator.
BostonVacay earns a commission from Viator if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you.
None of these places is in the City of Boston. They are the towns where the story told on the city's Freedom Trail continues, and they suit visitors who have already done the downtown sights and want a day of history, writers' houses and open ground. Below is what each town is for, when things are open, and how to get there without a car.
Things to do west of Boston at a glance
| Town | Go for | When | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concord | Old North Bridge, Walden Pond, Orchard House, the Emerson House | Grounds all year; Emerson House late April to October | Fitchburg Line, North Station to Concord |
| Lexington and Lincoln | Minute Man National Historical Park, deCordova Sculpture Park | Park grounds sunrise to sunset; deCordova closed Mondays | Easiest by car |
| Sudbury | Longfellow's Wayside Inn, begun in 1716 | Restaurant Wednesday to Sunday | Car |
| Framingham | Garden in the Woods, Jack's Abby Beer Hall | Garden daily in summer, Wednesday to Sunday in the fall | Framingham/Worcester Line from South Station |
| Lowell (northwest) | The mills and canals of Lowell National Historical Park | Year-round; historic trolleys March to November | Lowell Line from North Station |
Concord: the North Bridge and the writers' town
Concord is the one town to choose if you only have a day. The Old North Bridge belongs to Minute Man National Historical Park, and the North Bridge Visitor Center at 174 Liberty Street is the place to start. From there the town's literary sites are a drive or a bike ride apart.
Concord is often called the birthplace of Emerson, Thoreau and Alcott, but only one of the three was born there. Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord in 1817 and, as the Thoreau Society puts it, lived nearly all his life there. Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston in 1803 and made Concord his home as an adult; his house there is shown by guided tour from late April through October, Thursday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Louisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1832. Her family's Concord home, Orchard House, is where she wrote and set Little Women in 1868, and it is open for guided tours year-round, with shorter weekday hours from November to March. Timed-entry tickets can be reserved online.
Walden Pond
Thoreau lived in the cabin he built at Walden Pond, on land owned by Emerson, from July 1845 to September 1847. The pond is now Walden Pond State Reservation, run by the state. Parking is charged per car, at a higher rate for vehicles with out-of-state plates, and the lot closes when it is full, so arrive early on a warm weekend and check the state's park alerts before you drive out.
Lexington and Lincoln: Minute Man park and deCordova
Minute Man National Historical Park spreads across Lexington, Lincoln and Concord, and the National Park Service charges no fee to visit. Its grounds, trails and parking areas are open daily from sunrise to sunset, which makes it an easy walk to pair with Concord in any season.
In Lincoln, the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum sets large outdoor sculpture across 35 acres. The Trustees, which runs it, lists hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, closed most Mondays; adults pay $14 and children 12 and under are free. The Trustees has reported the indoor galleries closed while the sculpture park stays open, so check before you go if the galleries are the reason for your trip.
Sudbury: Longfellow's Wayside Inn
Longfellow's Wayside Inn began in 1716 as a two-room family house that took in travelers on the Old Boston Post Road, and it counts itself among the oldest continuously operating inns in the country. Its campus of more than 100 acres keeps a working grist mill and the Martha-Mary Chapel among nine historic buildings. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner from Wednesday to Sunday, so plan a Sudbury stop for the second half of the week.
Framingham: native gardens and a lager hall
Garden in the Woods, the Native Plant Trust's garden at 180 Hemenway Road, grows more than 1,000 species of New England native plants on 45 acres. It opens daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through September 30, then Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until November 22. Adult admission is $18, and children under 5 are free.
For a drink on the way back, Jack's Abby Beer Hall & Kitchen at 100 Clinton Street is the taproom of a Framingham brewery known for lagers. It opens at 3 p.m. on Mondays and at noon the rest of the week.
Lowell: the mill city to the northwest
Lowell is northwest rather than due west, but it answers a different question: how the Industrial Revolution looked in Massachusetts. At Lowell National Historical Park, the Boott Cotton Mills Museum runs live demonstrations in a 1920s-era weave room, a map of the Canalways leads you along the city's waterpower canals, and historic trolleys run from March through November.
How to get west of Boston without a car
- Concord: the MBTA Fitchburg Line runs from North Station to Concord station at 90 Thoreau Street, a Zone 5 fare. The North Bridge and Walden Pond are spread out from the station, so a bike, taxi or car makes the day easier.
- Framingham: the Framingham/Worcester Line runs from South Station.
- Lowell: the Lowell Line runs from North Station.
- Lincoln and Sudbury: deCordova and the Wayside Inn are realistically car trips.
A one-day plan west of Boston
- Morning: start at the North Bridge Visitor Center and walk to the Old North Bridge.
- Late morning: take the guided tour of Orchard House on Lexington Road.
- Afternoon: walk the shore of Walden Pond, arriving early in summer, or the Battle Road side of Minute Man park in Lexington and Lincoln.
- Evening, Wednesday to Sunday: dinner at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, or a lager at Jack's Abby in Framingham.
For day trips in other directions, see things to do north of Boston and our Boston to Salem guide.
Sources: Thoreau Society; Emerson House; Orchard House; Minute Man National Historical Park; deCordova (The Trustees); Longfellow's Wayside Inn; Garden in the Woods; Jack's Abby; Lowell National Historical Park; MBTA Concord station. Checked September 30, 2026.