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Entrance to the historic house is by guided tour only, and all tours are free of charge.
A guided tour in the Longfellow House parlor.
NPS photo/Sam DiMatteo
Guided Tour Schedule
May 22-October 31, 2026
All tours are offered Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (including holidays).
Same-day reservations can be made by phone (617-876-4491) starting at 9:30 am, and walk-in visitors are welcome. Advance reservations are not accepted for public tours.
Tour Name
Time
Duration
Description
Hourly Tour
Hourly, 10:00 am-4:00 pm
55 minutes
What does this house reveal about our shared past? Here, history was made, and history was written. Highlighting the house and its remarkable collections (original to the Longfellow period), this conversational tour will explore links between colonial-era slavery and freedom, Washington’s headquarters at the start of the American Revolution, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poetic legacy, and the Longfellow family’s legacy of historic preservation.
Express Tour
10:30 am, 3:30 pm
30 minutes
Short on time? Tour the first-floor collections on this informal exploration of American history, culture, and identity.
250th Deep Dive: Headquarters of a Revolution
11:30 am, 2:30 pm
55 minutes
General George Washington’s Cambridge headquarters was a testing ground for many of the ideals, institutions, and questions that still define our nation. This conversational tour explores Cambridge Headquarters as a hub of revolutionary activity, where generals, enslaved people, paid laborers, poets, Indigenous diplomats, politicians, and soldiers shaped history - and how later generations would shape its memory.
Group Tour Reservations
Reservations for groups of 8 or larger are available on Thursdays from May 28 to October 29, 2025. Tours are available on a variety of topics to meet your group's interests. Please email us to inquire about arranging a group tour in advance.
A park ranger opens the front door to the Visitor Center.
What to Expect
Our staff are eager to help you have a comfortable, engaging visit. While you’re here, please ask questions, and help us preserve this 267-year-old house and its remarkable collection of original objects!
During your tour, your guide will take you through approximately six rooms of the house (four on the Express Tour). In each room, you’ll be surrounded by furnishings and artwork original to the Longfellow family’s residence in the 1800s and early 1900s. Visitors will learn about the history associated with the space and have the opportunity to ask questions and share insights. Each tour concludes with a self-paced visit to temporary exhibit, “Washington’s Headquarters and the Memory of the American Revolution.”
Bags, food, and drink: Before entering the house, you will be required to store all bags, backpacks, and food and beverages (including water) in a complimentary 12"x12"x18" locker in the Visitor Center.
Tour capacity: All tours are limited to a maximum of twelve visitors. Due to the nature of the historic interiors, visitors will be in close proximity to each other at many points during the tour.
Seating: If you would like to sit during your tour, folding stools are available in the visitor center and will be offered by your guide.
Accessibility: Detailed information on Physical Accessibility, Deaf/Hearing Loss Accessibility, Blind/Low Vision Accessibility, Service Animals, and Quiet Spaces & Times can be found on our Accessibility webpage. The Visitor Center and first floor of the house are ADA accessible.
Ages: People of all ages are welcome on every tour. We provide seating, activity booklets, and fidget toys to anyone who would like them. All visitors must stay on a pathway marked by tan lines on the floor, which may be challenging for some younger visitors.
Tour route: Standard and Deep Dive Tours visit the first and second floors of the house. Express Tours visit the first floor only. All visitors must stay on a pathway marked by tan lines.
Preservation: Please don’t touch, sit, or lean on any objects in the house.
Photography: Please take pictures, but keep flash and video off.
Leaving your tour: If you need to leave your tour early for any reason, please let your guide know. A staff member will be happy to escort you back to the visitor center.
