Planning a Group Visit

The Walden Woods Project is pleased to welcome groups who wish to explore Thoreau’s Walden Woods throughout the year.

Below are brief descriptions of the guided experiences we most often offer to visiting groups.  Click on the “Group Visit Request Form” button below to start planning!  We work hard to meet the goals and interests of each group. We will work with you to adapt existing activities or develop new ones in order to make your visit meaningful.

We charge fees for our group experiences, but it is our goal to make our programs available to ALL groups that wish to visit us in the Walden Woods. Please scroll to the bottom of the page to read about our Transportation/Program support. 

A Transcendental Conversation in our Library

This is a session with The Walden Woods Project’s Curator of Collections, author and Thoreau scholar, Jeffrey S. Cramer, in The Walden Woods Project Library. The library maintains the most comprehensive body of Thoreau-related material available in one place. Mr. Cramer will provide an introduction to Thoreau and the era in which he lived, and will discuss Thoreau’s life and writings as they relate to historical items on display in the library. These sessions are most dynamic when participants come with questions to ask and comments that spark discussion!

More in-depth topics may include:

  • Thoreau and Civil Disobedience/Social Reform
  • Thoreau and Transcendentalism
  • Thoreau as a Writer
  • Other topics generated by the group’s interests

Time Frame: Usually 1 hour (flexible).

Optional Extension: Groups may wish to spend some quiet time journaling and reflecting, or having lunch on the Thoreau Institute grounds. Consider pairing this talk with a guided walk outdoors.

Please note that access to campus is limited and groups in large buses may not be able to choose this activity.

Cost: $50 per hour for 25 or fewer students. $75 per hour for groups larger than 25 students.


A Walk at the Pond

In this session, participants visit the iconic place that has become synonymous with Thoreau—Walden Pond.  Taking place at the Walden Pond State Reservation (WPSR), these visits usually being at the to-scale replica of Thoreau’s Walden house, which stands near the brand new, LEED-certified Walden Pond Visitors’ Center.  About 1/3 of the way around the Pond, we visit the original site of Thoreau’s house.  Depending on the amount of time available and the goals of the group, we can then continue all the way around the Pond-side trail (total of 1.7 miles), complete a nature-based journaling activity, visit the site of Thoreau’s bean field or complete an activity that supports your group’s objectives.

Time Frame:  1-2 hours.

Cost: $50 per hour for 25 or fewer students. $75 per hour for groups larger than 25 students. Please note that parking fees at the Reservation are: $20 buses (for weekdays; buses are $35 on weekends), $8 car/van with MA plate, $30 car/van with non-MA plate.

**Important note about The Walden Pond State Reservation** 

To maintain balance with public use and support Walden Pond State Reservation’s Resource Management Plan, group visits are not available on weekends or holidays.
Small groups (50 or fewer people)  
May through October
Tues, Wed, or Thurs, 9-11am, 10am-12pm,1-3pm, 2-4pm
November through April
Mon-Fri, 9-11am,10am-12pm,1-3pm
Large Groups (100 people max)
May through October
Tues, Wed, or Thurs, 9am-12pm, 1-4pm
November through April
Mon-Fri, 9am-12pm

If you *do not* wish to have a guided tour from The Walden Woods Project, you may contact the Walden Pond State Reservation to schedule a self-guided group tourwalden.programs@mass.gov. 


Thoreau’s Path on Brister’s Hill

Brister’s Hill (in Concord) is named after Brister Freeman, a formerly enslaved man who was the second person of African descent to own property in Concord, about whom Thoreau writes in Walden.  Here, The Walden Woods Project maintains Thoreau’s Path on Brister’s Hill, a trail that is interpreted almost entirely by Thoreau’s words, etched into stone and metal in unassuming places along the trail. This site, which was the impetus for the founding of The Walden Woods Project, is rich with connections to Thoreau’s life and legacy, social history, natural history, and social reform.  The “Reflection Circle,” with quotations by naturalists, activists, politicians, authors and others who were influenced in some way by Thoreau, is a wonderful space for a journaling activity or to silently reflect.  The total length of the trail is approximately 1-1/2 miles.

Time Frame: 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Cost: $50 per hour for 25 or fewer students. $75 per hour for groups larger than 25 students. We highly recommend adding time (30-45 minutes) for reflection and discussion to this activity, for an additional $45 for up to 25 students (or fraction of).


Henry’s Hat®: Elementary Excursion

This experience is specifically for grades 3-5, a complement to our Henry’s Hat® elementary curriculum. Henry notably walked outside four or more hours each day. As he tells us in his journal, he modified the lining of his hat to act as a scaffold in which he stored natural objects he discovered on these walks and wanted to take home for closer observation. The Henry’s Hat® Excursion gets students outside, collecting experiences and observations that—as in Henry’s case—help them learn more after our return from the walk. Each Henry’s Hat® Excursion will involve a walk (45-60 minutes) that involves close observation and, if allowed at the site, collection of natural objects for further study. The visit will conclude with the facilitation of one or two lessons from the Henry’s Hat® curriculum, selected for your group’s interests and goals.

Time Frame: 1-1/2 to 2 hours (flexible).

Optional Extension: This experience can be done here in Walden Woods OR in your community! We do have limits on how far we can travel, but please make a note on your Group Visit Request, in the “Additional Comments” section, if you would like to find out more about having Walden Woods Project staff conduct this outing at your local site.

Cost: $75 for up to 25 students (or fraction of). Cost may be higher if  The WWP staff travels to your location.


A Day at Fairyland—for Preschoolers

Not only did Thoreau give Fairyland Pond its name, but it was one of his favorite places to take kids to explore and learn from Nature.  This awe-filled session for preschoolers (ages 3 and 4) takes kids to that very spot, introduces them to Henry through an age-appropriate story book based on Henry and gets them interacting with and exploring nature through the construction of Fairy Houses.

Time Frame:  1-1/2 to 2 hours (flexible).

Optional Extensions: If your kids like to draw, we can also have them do drawings of what they see in nature. Or we can do a hunt for animals (fish, frogs, beavers, chipmunks, and more!) in and around Fairyland Pond.

Cost: $75 for up to 20 students (or fraction of).


Unitarian Universalist Groups

Henry was raised in the Unitarian church, and many Unitarian Universalist communities embrace him as a role model within the history of their own faith. Although he signed off from the church in his early 20s, his philosophies and writings are ripe with connections to current-day Unitarian Universalism. The Walden Woods Project offers a guided walk experience that integrates the seven UU principles with Thoreau’s legacy as well as the natural and social history of the area. Bring your Coming of Age, Green Sanctuary or other groups!

Time Frame:  Flexible, but typically 1-2 hours.

Cost: Depends on length of program.


Faith in a Seed (seasonal farm/service project and program)

Groups will have a brief tour of our organic farm (located on Route 2 east at Sudbury Road) discussing the importance of organic farming, where our produce goes, and the connection between farming and Thoreau. 
After the tour, groups have several service project options, depending on the time of year. Options can include planting seedlings in our green house, planting or harvesting farm produce and more.

Time Frame: varies (but typically from 2-4 hours).

Cost: no cost to the group.


Bring your group to Walden Woods for a service project with us!

Throughout the year, we have need for help from groups on projects such as planting, weeding or transplanting on our Farm (see specifics about our service project on farm above); clearing our trails; or removing invasive species on our properties.  If you have a group that is looking for a service project, we’d love to see if we have something for you!  We work with groups of all ages! Thank you for thinking of The Walden Woods Project—we appreciate it!

Time Frame: varies (but typically from 2-4 hours).

Cost: no cost to the group.


Add a guided journaling/reflection experience to any of the above excursions

While each of the experiences above provide your group with a great deal of information about and inspiration from Thoreau, and will include some time for discussion, we find that pairing those experiences with some thoughtful and intentional time spent on reflection helps students to process and make meaning of their time in Walden Woods.  The reflection exercise will be personalized to your group’s objectives and age range.

Time Frame: 30-45 minutes.

Cost: $45 for each group doing any of the activities above (e.g., if you have 45 students—2 groups—doing Thoreau’s Path on Brister’s Hill, the additional reflection time would be $90).


A Virtual Transcendental/Thoreau Conversation

Schedule a lively virtual session with Jeffrey S. Cramer, Curator of Collections, author, and renowned Thoreau scholar.

Mr. Cramer can introduce Thoreau and the era in which he lived, and can discuss Thoreau’s life and writings. If you would like a conversation for a specific area of focus, let us know!

More in-depth topics may include:

  • Thoreau and Civil Disobedience/Social Reform
  • Thoreau and Transcendentalism
  • Thoreau as a Writer
  • Other topics generated by the group’s interests

Time Frame:45 minutes- 1 hour.

Cost: Virtual fees waived.


Place-Based Education workshops:

Our Place-Based Education workshops are for groups, usually college-level students, who would like a more immersive experience in Walden Woods. The workshop can be tailored both in length and subject to fit the group’s goals. Typically, the PBE workshop is 3-5 days and similar to our professional development seminar for educators, Approaching Walden. Students will read Thoreau, explore Walden Woods and key sites in Concord, forming a deeper connection to this place and our home communities. Students participate in workshops led by educators with expertise in the areas of natural history, writing, literary analysis, and the environment.

The cost for this program varies, depending on length and needs. Price ranges from $10,000-14,000. This includes: The WWP’s planning, teaching and facilitation for workshops; assisting in booking accommodations and meals, if needed; campus facilities/space and local inn rooms.

A $200 deposit is required for booking the PBE program.


Transportation/Program Support for the 2023/2024 Season:

The Walden Woods Project will provide school bus transportation and program support for selected middle or high school groups, for 50 or fewer students, who wish to participate in the following place-based programs: A Walk at the Pond; Thoreau’s Path on Brister’s Hill; or Faith in a Seed (farm program/service project). 

Our intent is to assist schools that have limited program/transportation support for fieldtrips. The selected schools are responsible for finding and scheduling transportation and providing a receipt/invoice to The WWP. Transportation fees should not exceed $650. Students should not exceed 50.  

To be considered for transportation and program support, please fill out this  form. The WWP will select schools on a rolling-basis.

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