THE INN AT HASTINGS PARK

If the history of how the United States came to be is a fascination for you (or your school-age children), then 2025 is the year to head up to Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts to discover the place where the American Revolution began.

This year is particularly important, as it marks the 250th anniversary of those fateful days in April 1775, when the British General Thomas Gage sent his troops from Boston to Lexington to arrest the Sons of Liberty, colonists including Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams, who were gathered there. On April 19th, after Revere’s famous warning ride the night before, the Battle of Lexington took place on the village green, the “shot heard round the world” rang out, and the war was on.

Much of this area just north of Boston still looks like it did on those fateful days, including the Inn at Hastings Park, a picturesque place just a few blocks from the Lexington “Battle Green.” It’s a perfect home base for exploring, so nice you might even think twice about leaving.

The Inn at Hastings Park is an award-winning Relais & Chateaux property, opened in 2014 with three historic buildings originally built in the 19th century and lovingly restored with a melding of original elements and modern design. 

With only 22 rooms and suites, it’s a cozy yet sophisticated place with a very popular local restaurant called Town Meeting Bistro. Executive Chef Alissa Tsukakoshi offers seasonal dishes that evoke New England’s best as well as a high tea experience that hearkens back to the British influence; plus, the inn’s owner-chef Trisha Perez Kennealy leads numerous culinary events throughout the year, ranging from her Supper Club Series of dinner parties to immersive weekends filled with culinary instruction and degustation. 

Everyone at the inn is captivated by the history that surrounds it, so it makes sense that conversations about the Revolutionary War are often overheard. Year round, they offer a beguiling private tour called “Footsteps of the Revolution: A Historical Tour of Lexington and Concord,” complete with a knowledgeable historian-guide and a private driver. And to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the most important event in the region’s history, on April 18, 2025, they will host a Midnight Ride Dinner, followed by a walk to the reenactment of the events of that historic night.

WITNESS 250 YEARS OF HISTORY 
The whole region will be abuzz on April 19th, also known as Patriot’s Day, when a huge reenactment of the Battle of Lexington begins at 5:30am on the Battle Green, followed later on (after the pancake breakfasts held all over town) by the Patriot’s Day Parade.

Another battle also took place at the Old North Bridge in Concord, where they’ll have a Patriot’s Day Ball commemorating the 250th anniversary on April 12 as well as the Concord250 celebration on April 19, including a big parade and Minute Men reenacting the Old Bridge skirmish.

And while the fanfare reaches a fever pitch here this April during this landmark year, there’s always much to see in and around Lexington and Concord, with places like the various taverns where men gathered before the fights, the houses where plans were made, cemeteries where the Minute Men were laid to rest, and the Minute Man National Historic Park located between the two famous towns. Plus, both Lexington and Concord have vibrant art galleries, restaurants, and famed writers’ homes (think Emerson, Alcott, and Hawthorne) to visit as well. 

So go for the huge spring celebration, which also happens annually every April beyond this year’s 250th commemoration, or head up in the summer, fall, or even chilly winter to experience Massachusetts’ unique historical significance in the war that made the United States what it is today.

For more information about Lexington
go to tourlexington.us
for Concord’s info,
go to visitconcord.org
and for the Inn at Hastings Park,
visit Innathastingspark.com