Our new "Untold Stories" exhibition explores the perspectives of often-overlooked communities involved and examines how the people of the Commonwealth commemorated, memorialized, and celebrated the important anniversaries of the first battle of the American Revolutionary War.
What lies beyond the public rooms of the Jason Russell House? Venture from the attic to the basement as you explore spaces that are normally closed to visitors. Then step inside the Arlington Historical Society’s collections storage facility for an up-close look at rare artifacts that can be rarely displayed. This special tour is your … Continue reading SOLD OUT Behind the Scenes: Tour of the Jason Russell House & Museum
Join us on the lawn at the Jason Russell House for Arlington’s longest-running beer garden. Bring a chair, a blanket, and your dancing shoes and settle in for an afternoon of local beer from Arlington Brewing Company, great food, and live entertainment on one of Arlington’s best lawns. Each event features a rotating lineup of … Continue reading Jason Russell House Concert Series & Beer Garden
Join us for a townwide celebration of this land’s First Peoples! This free event for all ages will feature a fun and educational performance by the Red Hawk Singers and Dancers. Through song, dance, and teachings, the Red Hawk Singers and Dancers promote traditional Wampanoag values such as humility and respect to create true connections … Continue reading Arlington Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration
Explore over 300 years of Arlington History through two historic sites at the heart of Arlington Center: the Old Burying Ground and the Whittemore-Robbins House. Learn how this part of Menotomy developed around its meetinghouse and burying ground, including the nearby buildings. Hear the stories of individuals buried here, learn what recent scientific discoveries have … Continue reading Stones & Stories: Tour of the Old Burying Ground & Whittemore-Robbins House
How have New England forests changed over the last 14,000 years? What insights does that history provide as we deal with present-day and future climate change? Through the analysis of pollen preserved in the sediments of ordinary lakes, we can reconstruct a series of major changes in forest composition that have occurred over past millennia … Continue reading New England Forests: Insights From Ancient Pollen Preserved in Lake Sediments
Prince Hall was a Freemason, patriot, abolitionist, and prominent leader of Boston’s Black community during the American Revolution. He repeatedly petitioned the Massachusetts legislature to abolish slavery, protect the rights of Black Americans, and provide educational opportunities for Black children. Join former Arlington Historical Society President Howard Winkler as he explores Prince Hall’s remarkable life, … Continue reading Prince Hall: The Legend & The Man
Join historian and archaeologist Joel Bohy for a closer look at the research behind Bullet Strikes From the First Day of the American Revolution. In 2013, Bohy began collaborating with conflict archaeologist Dr. Douglas Scott to better understand ammunition found during archaeological investigations of former battlegrounds. Their work soon expanded into live-fire research and the … Continue reading Bullet Strikes: First Day of the American Revolution
Much of Harvard’s Revolutionary-era landscape remains visible amid the modern campus. At the outbreak of war with England, Harvard was still a modest “College in a Yard.” From the Old Burying Ground, then on the outskirts of town, to President Samuel Langdon’s home, where George Washington resided, and the dormitories damaged by his troops, these … Continue reading Harvard in War & Exile
Arlington’s natural landscape has never been static. Over centuries, it has been shaped by both natural processes and human activity. From Indigenous land management practices to colonial agriculture and the clearing of woodlands, people repeatedly transformed the extent and composition of local forests. This lecture will trace these changes through shifts in dominant tree species, … Continue reading Arlington’s Living Landscape