Munroe Tavern (1735)

Munroe Tavern is a historic house museum in Lexington, built in 1735 by David Comee and run by the Lexington Historical Society. On the afternoon of April 19, 1775, British troops retreating toward Boston commandeered the tavern, and it served as a temporary headquarters and field hospital for Brigadier General Earl Percy and his roughly 1,000 reinforcements. The site tells the story of that first day of the American Revolution.

The building began as a retail shop; William Munroe bought it from John Buckman Jr. in 1770 and received town permission to operate it as a tavern in 1774. Inside, the downstairs galleries present the British side of the events, while upstairs the focus shifts to what it meant for a family to have its home taken over by enemy soldiers. The visit ends in the room where President George Washington dined when he toured the Lexington battlefield in 1789.

What to Know

• Tours are self-guided and can begin at any time during open hours.
• Combination tickets cover the Lexington Depot and the society’s other historic houses.
• Children 17 and under are admitted free.
• Active-duty military families and active-duty teachers receive free admission, and veterans receive discounts.