Incorporated as a town in 1732, Harvard is a small rural community with a unique cultural and religious history. Mother Ann Lee came here in 1781 to found a Shaker Village that can still be visited today. Bronson Alcott brought his family and friends here in 1843 to conduct a transcendental living experiment. The house where the Alcotts lived, called Fruitlands, now makes up the local Fruitlands museum.
Fruitlands Museums is a complex that includes a number of buildings and museums. The Fruitlands Farmhouse is where the transcendentalist movement attempted to bring about a new social order. The Shaker Museum houses Shaker furniture and other items. There is also an Indian Museum which displays American Indian art and artifacts.
Address: Fruitlands Museums, 102 Prospect Hill Road, Harvard, MA 01451, United States
Phone: 1 (978) 456-3924, Fax: 1 (978) 456-8078
Hours:
May 15 to November 15: 10am-4pm; Sun:10am-5pm; Sat:10am-5pm
Tips: Trails/Grounds only: Adults $6.00, Children $3.00.