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Cambridge, MA – The National Park Service is pleased to announce the 2025 seasonal opening of Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, inviting visitors to explore its rich history and legacy. Beginning May 23 through October 27, 2025, the site will offer free, ranger-led house tours every Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
Tour Offerings
- Standard House Tours (55 min): 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, and 4:00 PM
- Express House Tours (30 min): 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM (and 4:00 PM on Sundays)
- Deep Dive: Headquarters of a Revolution House Tours (starting July 4, 55 min): 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM
Day-of reservations can be made by phone starting at 9:30 AM on tour days (617-876-4491), and walk-in visitors are welcome.
Reflecting on 250 Years
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site invites visitors to reflect on the transformational power of words in shaping history. From George Washington’s first General Orders in 1775 to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poetic shaping of American identity, this house has been a site of both history-making and memory-making.
“The Longfellow House welcomes visitors to walk the very rooms where history unfolded—from Washington’s leadership to Longfellow’s literature,” says Site Manager Chris Beagan. “We invite everyone to explore the power of memory, words, and the American Revolution this year as we approach America's 250th anniversary.”
Special Exhibit: Washington's Headquarters and the Memory of the American Revolution
All season long, visitors are also invited to explore a special temporary museum exhibit inside the Longfellow House, available after all house tours. “Washington's Headquarters and the Memory of the American Revolution” highlights the house’s pivotal role in the American Revolution, from its time as George Washington’s headquarters during the Siege of Boston to the Longfellows’ roles in shaping the memory of America’s founding era.
Longfellow Summer Arts Festival: We (Too) The People
All summer long, celebrate the arts and community at the Longfellow Summer Arts Festival, featuring free poetry, music, and dance performances most Sunday afternoons at 3:00 PM on the east lawn of the Longfellow House. The festival is presented in partnership with the Friends of Longfellow House – Washington’s Headquarters, the New England Poetry Club, and the Berklee College of Music.
This year’s festival theme, “We (too) the People,” explores how words have shaped national identity, freedom, and historical memory, with poetry readings by world-renowned contemporary poets and musical performances by professional ensembles and emerging artists alike. New for 2025, the festival will feature dance, with new choreography inspired by Longfellow’s historical ballad The Skeleton in Armor.
Summer Festival Highlights
June 1: Student Poetry Awards, with the New England Poetry Club
June 8: Dance performance of The Skeleton in Armor by Alexandria Nunweiler
June 15: Musical performance by the Finesse Duo, with Gabriella Joya and Maria Medina performing Latin jazz and Cuban music
July 6: Poetry reading by Robert Pinsky, three-term United States Poet Laureate
July 13: Musical performance by Yu Chun Chan on erhu (Chinese violin)
July 20: Poetry readings by Stephanie Burt, Harvard University Professor of English, and Diannely Antigua, Poet Laureate of Portsmouth, NH
July 27: Concert by Peter Smith, jazz guitarist and Longfellow descendant
August 3: Poetry reading by Richard Blanco, President Obama’s second inaugural poet
August 10: Golden Rose Award presentation by the New England Poetry Club and poetry reading by Martha Collins, founder of the creative writing program at UMass Boston and professor emerita at Oberlin College
August 17: Musical performance by Bedroom Blindness, with Omer Kochba on electric violin and pedalboard
August 24: Musical performance by Luke Walker on cello
September 7: Concert by Juventas New Music Ensemble, with music by living composers
Civic Season Community Events
Over the three weeks from Juneteenth National Independence Day (June 19) to Independence Day (July 4), Civic Season invites visitors to Longfellow House–Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site to reflect on the meaning of freedom. The two public holidays that bookend Civic Season are deeply tied to the site's history, linking the struggles for independence and emancipation across generations. Join us for two free weekend community events that deepen understanding of history and civics, and encourage thoughtful reflection on America’s ongoing journey toward liberty—from its colonial roots through the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and beyond.
June 22: Juneteenth National Independence Day Gathering
Gather at the Longfellow House on Sunday, June 22, 2025, as we honor those who endured slavery and seized freedom on Brattle Street before the American Revolution, their descendants and community, and the long history of Black freedom activism in Cambridge and beyond. This free community event is generously supported by the Friends of Longfellow House – Washington's Headquarters, Inc.
July 5: 250th Anniversary of Washington’s Arrival Commemoration
Gather at the Longfellow House on Saturday, July 5, 2025, as we commemorate 250 years since George Washington arrived in Cambridge to take physical command of the Continental Army. This special event will feature historic house and outdoor walking tours, family activities, talks by historians, a Story Walk, and more. This free community event is generously supported by Eastern National, a non-profit partner of the National Park Service.
About Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
Longfellow House – Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site preserves a remarkable Georgian house whose occupants shaped the country. It was a site of colonial enslavement and community activism, George Washington’s first long-term headquarters of the American Revolution, and the place where Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote his canon of 19th-century American literature. For more information about tours, events, and special programming, visit www.nps.gov/long.
Last updated: May 20, 2025