Fruitlands Museum
One of the first outdoor museums in America, at Fruitlands visitors discover the stories, experiments and ideals of the Alcotts, Shakers, utopians, artists and Native peoples. Fruitlands four galleries, singular collections, over 200 pastoral acres, trails and vistas stir the imagination.
Founded in 1914, the museum takes its name from a utopian community created by Bronson Alcott and Charles Lane in 1843 and includes the original farmhouse used by its members, a Shaker Museum, a Native American Museum and an American Art Museum that includes over 100 Hudson River School landscape paintings and a large collection of 19th century vernacular portraits.
Fruitlands is located on 210 acres with a spectacular view of the Nashua River Valley and includes a Café, Museum Store and 2.5 miles of walking trails.
History
Over ninety years ago, Clara Endicott Sears bought a gentleman’s farm on land that had once sheltered Bronson Alcott’s Utopian experiment in communal living known as Fruitlands.
Fruitlands lasted a mere seven months, but Sears helped rescue it from oblivion by turning the Alcott farmhouse into a house museum to celebrate the Transcendentalists’ vision.
Between 1914 and 1945, Sears’museum, named after Alcott’s commune, grew to include Native American art and artifacts, a Shaker collection, and a Picture Gallery of American vernacular portraits and Hudson River School landscapes.
Groups:
Please call in advance and make a reservation to take advantage of our group discount.
Guided tours by reservation.
Parking:
Free to all visitors.
Accessibility:
Restaurant, Rest Rooms, Museum Store/Reception Center, Wayside, and Indian Museum are fully handicapped accessible.
Restaurant
Fruitlands has a full service restaurant.Check the website for current hours.
Picnic Areas
The grounds are open to museum ticket-holders for picnics. We have many shaded picnic tables for museum visitors who bring their own lunch.
Visit our Listing on FamilyZip for photos, insider tips and more information.
| HOURS | ↑ top |
April - November: Weekdays, 10AM - 4PM. Weekends and Holidays, 10AM - 5PM
November - March: Weekends Only, noon - 5PM
| COST | ↑ top |
(Purchase Museum and Grounds Admission at the Museum Store)
Fruitlands Museum & Trustees Members FREE
Adults $12.00
Seniors and Students w/a college id $10.00
Children 5-13 $5.00 , under 5 FREE
Trails/Grounds Only
Adults $6.00 , Children $3.00
| WEBSITE | ↑ top |
| LOCATION | ↑ top |
102 Prospect Hill Road, Harvard, MA, 01451 map
Phone: (978) 456-3924
| RELATED LINKS | ↑ top |
- Profiles
- Events
- Fruitlands Kite Festival, 4/25/24
Info changes frequently. We cannot warrant it. Verify with Fruitlands Museum before making the trek. If you find an error, please report it...