Lexington's New Visitors Center Opens Just In Time For Phase 3

LEXINGTON, MA — Lexington is finally unveiling its new visitors center. The newly-built visitors center opens on Monday — perfect timing as the state entered phase three of its reopening plan this week which includes museums and small guided tours.

Lexington's new visitors center has been in the works for a year. The original center was built in 1965 in preparation for the Nation's Bicentennial in 1975. The year after it was built the center drew immense popularity, bringing in 45,500 visitors in 1966. The town estimates that the number has grown to 120,000 visitors annually.

In 2019 Lexington decided that the center needed more space to serve the increase in visitors. The original center, located at 1875 Massachusetts Avenue was demolished on May 20, 2019 and construction on the site started on May 24 that year.

The visitors center was temporarily moved to the Cary Memorial Building at 1605 Massachusetts Avenue until the new center was constructed.

The opening of the new center includes one-hour guided Battle Green tours, and limited retail sales.

“We are thrilled to open this brand new facility to the public,” said Town Manager James Malloy. “The guided tour of the neighborhood landmarks and historic areas are designed for walkers of all ages. It is the perfect social distancing activity for this summer amidst COVID-19 restrictions,” he added.

Massachusetts entered phase three on Monday of its reopening plan amid the coronavirus pandemic. Under phase three, museums, cultural and historical sites are able to open at forty percent capacity. Guided tours are also able to open at fifty percent capacity for buses or other vehicle tours — walking groups can have no more than 10 people.

Lexington's Battle Green tours will be offered at 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. daily and abide by the 10-person limit. Tour guides will be wearing face masks and maintaining six feet of distance from groups. The one-hour guided Battle Green Tours can be booked online at www.tourlexington.us or in person at the new Visitors Center.

The tour is led by a costumed guide who offers information on several historic sites, including:

• The iconic Henry H. Kitson Minuteman Statue
• The Revolutionary War Monument, a granite obelisk erected in 1799, where the remains of seven militiamen killed in the battle are buried.
• Captain John Parker monument inscribed with: “Stand your ground. Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”
• The Old Belfry, which sounded the alarm on April 19, 1775, calling the militia to the Green.
• The Old Burying Ground where Captain John Parker, ministers John Hancock and Jonas Clarke, and an unknown British soldier are buried.
• Buckman Tavern, where the militia gathered the night before the Battle of Lexington