About this Event
Minutemen, Masons & Manuscripts: A Revolutionary Sojourn
Thursday, August 13, 2026
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Museum of Old Newbury members only
$50 per person
Limited to 25 participants
Step inside the Revolution for a day of rare manuscripts, private museum access, Masonic history, battlefield interpretation, and extraordinary archival treasures.
Begin your journey at the Museum of Old Newbury with a private look at Revolutionary and Masonic collections connected to the region’s role in the struggle for independence. From there, we will travel to Lexington for an exclusive gallery and archive tour at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, exploring the powerful connections between Freemasonry, American history, Revolutionary memory, and the making of a nation.
After lunch on your own in Lexington, choose one of two special afternoon experiences.
Those ready for a deeper battlefield experience may join historian Alex Cain of Historical Nerdery and Newburyport’s own Steve Crosby, who portray a Lexington Minuteman and an Acton Minuteman, for an immersive tour tracing the opening day of the American Revolution. Visit Lexington Green, Concord’s North Bridge, the Bloody Curve, Parker’s Revenge, and other sites connected to April 19, 1775. Along the way, explore the tactics, decisions, confusion, courage, and consequences of the first day of fighting. In the company of guides who have studied this conflict for decades, participants will examine recent archaeological discoveries, discuss how they have reshaped our understanding of the battle, and view surviving eighteenth-century artifacts that bring that historic day to life.
For those who prefer a less strenuous afternoon, an alternate Lexington experience will include visits to the Hancock-Clarke House and the Lexington Depot. The Hancock-Clarke House is forever linked to the dramatic hours before the fighting began, when John Hancock and Samuel Adams were staying there and Paul Revere arrived with his famous warning. The Lexington Depot offers a chance to explore how the community has preserved, interpreted, and remembered its Revolutionary past.
We will close the day at the Danvers Archival Center at the Peabody Institute Library of Danvers with a private viewing of extraordinary Revolutionary War archival treasures, including two rare 1776 printed copies of the Declaration of Independence.
This one-day sojourn brings together original documents, museum collections, battlefield landscapes, expert interpretation, and behind-the-scenes access for a Revolutionary experience unlike any other.
Schedule
- 8:15 to 8:30 a.m.
Check-in at the Museum of Old Newbury, 98 High Street, Newburyport - 8:30 to 9:00 a.m.
Private visit with the Museum of Old Newbury’s Revolutionary and Masonic collections - 9:00 to 10:15 a.m.
Travel from Newburyport to Lexington - 10:15 to 11:15 a.m.
Participants will tour the current Revolutionary War reading room exhibition, and enjoy a special viewing of a 1778 Newburyport muster roll in the museum’s collection. The visit will conclude with a guided tour of the Protest & Promise gallery, exploring Freemasonry, American history, and Revolutionary memory. - 11:15 to 11:30 a.m.
Travel to Lexington Center - 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Lunch on your own in Lexington - 12:15 to 2:15 p.m.
Choose one of two afternoon experiences: - Option 1: Revolutionary Battlefield Tour
Join Alex Cain and Steve Crosby for an immersive tour of Lexington and Concord battlefield sites, including Lexington Green, Concord’s North Bridge, the Bloody Curve, Parker’s Revenge, and other locations connected to the events of April 19, 1775. This option will include outdoor walking, standing, uneven ground, and travel between selected battlefield sites. - Option 2: Hancock-Clarke House and Lexington Depot
Enjoy a less strenuous Lexington history experience with visits to the Hancock-Clarke House and the Lexington Depot. This option offers a closer look at the people, places, and memory of April 19, 1775, including the house where Hancock and Adams were staying when Paul Revere arrived with his warning. - 2:15 to 3:05 p.m.
Travel from Lexington to Danvers - 3:10 to 4:00 p.m.
Private archival experience at the Danvers Archival Center at the Peabody Institute Library of Danvers, featuring Revolutionary War treasures and two rare 1776 printed copies of the Declaration of Independence - 4:00 p.m.
Program concludes in Danvers
Important Details
This is a Museum of Old Newbury members-only event.
Tickets are $50 per person. Capacity is limited to 25 participants.
Participants should be prepared to travel between Newburyport, Lexington, Concord, and Danvers. Transportation is not included.
Lunch is on your own in Lexington.
The battlefield tour will take place outdoors and will involve walking, standing, and uneven terrain. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather.
You can join or renew your membership at newburyhistory.org/membership.
If you are unsure if your membership is current, please call the office at 978-462-2681 or email [email protected].
Event venue & nearby stays
Museum of Old Newbury, 98 High Street, Newburyport, United States
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