Buckman Tavern

The tavern where the Minutemen waited through the night before the battle

Buckman Tavern, built in 1710, is the oldest surviving building on the Battle Green and the one most directly connected to the events of April 19, 1775. The Lexington militia used it as their headquarters and gathering place; it was here they waited after the midnight alarm, and here the wounded were brought after the brief, disastrous confrontation on the green.

The tavern is now a museum maintained by the Lexington Historical Society. Guided tours show the taproom, the upstairs rooms, and the original musket ball hole in the front door. Open May through October; check hours at lexingtonhistory.org. Admission is charged.

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A story
After Paul Revere's midnight ride, the Lexington Minutemen assembled here and waited for hours, drinking cider and trying to stay warm through a cold April night. When the British finally arrived at dawn, the militia — outnumbered 7 to 1 — stepped out onto the green from this building. The musket hole in the tavern's front door is said to date from that morning.

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