Longfellow House – Washington’s Headquarters Opens May 23 for Programs, Tours

The National Park Service has announced the 2025 visitation season dates for the Longfellow House – Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St. in Cambridge. The site will be open from May 23 through Oct. 27.

During the 2025 season, National Park Service rangers will host ranger-led house tours every Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

As the nation prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026, staff at the Longfellow House – Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site encourage visitors to ponder the power of words in shaping history and identity.

Special exhibits and programs throughout the visitation season will include the following:

A special temporary exhibit, “Washington's Headquarters and the Memory of the American Revolution,” explores  the home's role during the American Revolution. Visitors will learn how the house served as George Washington's headquarters during the Siege of Boston and the role of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in shaping the collective memory of America's founding.

On most Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m. on the Longfellow House's east lawn, members of the public are invited to participate in free dance performances, music, and poetry during the Longfellow Summer Arts Festival.

This year's festival theme, “We (Too) the People,” will describe how words have shaped our country's national identity, freedom, and historical conscience. Well-known contemporary poets and musical performances by professional ensembles and emerging artists will explore the significance of the spoken and musical word. A new dance feature will showcase choreography inspired by Longfellow's historical ballad, "The Skeleton in Armor."

Two free community programs will explore the topics of liberty, the struggle for independence, and the meaning of freedom.

This commemoration will acknowledge those who endured slavery and secured freedom on Brattle Street before the American Revolution began.

This event will mark 250 years since George Washington arrived in Cambridge to assume physical command of the Continental Army.