Exhibitions
Lexington History Museums hosts rotating, special exhibitions each year at Buckman Tavern, at Munroe Tavern, and the windows of Lexington’s CVS pharmacy at 1735 Massachusetts Avenue.
Hancock-Clarke House features a permanent exhibition on slavery and freedom in 18th and early 19th century Lexington.
Moving House
Location: CVS Pharmacy, 1735 Massachusetts Avenue
November 2024 - March 2025
The Hancock-Clarke House has been through a lot in its nearly three centuries, including moving across the street twice! November 2024 marks fifty years since the home was moved back to its original location from the spot across the street where it had been sitting since the 1890s. Learn more about this gargantuan project, from uncovering original foundations with archaeology to physically moving the house.
Moving House is free and viewable from the sidewalk.
In the Footsteps of the American Revolutionary War
Open June 25, 2025
The 250th anniversary of the American Revolution has prompted locals to revisit and reconsider our town landmarks. Bare fields and unassuming streetcorners hold stories that only the most ardent history lovers remember, some marked with worn signs and others nearly lost to time. Others teem with tour guides and attract visitors from near and far. Steven Edson’s photography of these modern Revolutionary locations urges the public to reconsider the spaces they drive by and inhabit every day. Our new exhibit at Munroe Tavern places a selection of Edson's photographs in conversation with historic objects from our collection, further encouraging the past to meet the present.
Included with museum admission.
Swept Up In Revolution
Opening April 12, 2025
The 250th anniversary of April 19, 1775—the start of the American Revolution—presents an opportunity to reexamine and broaden our understanding of revolutionary Lexington. Explore this exhibition’s three chapters, Before, During, and After the Revolution and encounter stories of individual people and 18th-century objects that speak to the varied ways Lexingtonians experienced the revolutionary era, and how they acted, reacted, and adapted to the immense change happening around them.
Included with museum admission.
Past Exhibitions
Lexington Celebrates! Sermons, Grand Balls, & a New Holiday
CVS Pharmacy, 1735 Massachusetts Avenue
July, 2024 - November, 2024
The legacy of April 19th, 1775, took many forms through the years beyond the anniversary festivities showcased in our special exhibition at Buckman Tavern, Lexington Celebrates! Parades, Pageants, & Pandemonium. From solemn sermons to airplane demonstrations, Lexington always has something new to celebrate with! Take a closer look at some of these highlights in our exhibit extension in the CVS windows in the town center.
Lexington Celebrates! Sermons, Grand Balls, & A New Holiday is free and viewable from the sidewalk.
Lexington Academy
Location: CVS Pharmacy, 1735 Massachusetts Avenue
Opening: January 9th - July 13th, 2024
Colonial towns in Massachusetts were required by law to offer public elementary schools, but these were not always able to provide enough education to get students into college. Following the American Revolution, private academies popped up to service families who wanted secondary education for their children. While some, like Deerfield Academy, still operate today, Lexington Academy closed after just ten years. Looking at its archives can teach us quite a bit about the values and educational content of the time.
Revolution in a Cup
Location: Buckman Tavern
Opening: November 24th, 2023 - February 18th, 2024
Tea was a surprisingly divisive political symbol in revolutionary America. The Boston Tea Party is a celebrated event, but the crisis reached far beyond the harbor. On December 13th, 1773, the citizens of Lexington were the first to make a public protest against a new law regulating taxation and trade of tea. With Boston stymied by debates around ships still sitting at the dock, Lexingtonians voted to destroy tea already purchased, setting an example for others. For the 250th anniversary of the tea crisis, explore the origins of the tea crisis and see beautiful examples of tea wares from the Lexington Historical Society collection.
Revolution in a Cup is included with museum admission.