Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House — Attraction in Concord

I’ve visited this home four times and after the most recent, I likely won’t be back. The tour is redundant. The film at the top is slow paced and should be an option for end of tour. You watch a video and hear the same exact anecdotes that you’ll see inside the house. And see the entirety of the same rooms that you will see on the tour. It zaps the energy and excitement out of the tour to come. Zzzzz.

The home itself is beautiful and gorgeously kept. The guides are knowledgeable. I made it a point to visit frequently and witness the home in its beauty throughout the seasons.

Most recently I visited and was treated extremely poorly. I am a plus size woman and I was carrying a tote bag. In a group of 10 guests who all had bags I was asked to give my bag to the tour guide. It was odd. The request was done immediately and without justification. I assume that my bag added extra bulk to my already large form and the guide was concerned I would knock into something. Either that or the guide thought I was some kind of thief.

Panicking from the encounter, I took my phone out of my pocket to text my husband for some reassurance. He was ill in the car parked outside.

The tour guide barked at me across the room - she thought my phone was out to take photos. I told her I was messaging my husband. She said she couldn’t be sure of that or trust it. So I left in the middle of the tour.

Apparently the tour guides are instructed to prevent people from taking photos. And honestly some clear signage could have done that better than the guide. I felt reprimanded like a child —- twice. It was humiliating. I left one of my most cherished destinations forever tarnished.

While we are on the subject, I wasn’t taking photos but the intense scrutiny around potential photography is insane. Tourists are allowed to take photos of the Mona Lisa, there’s no need to be precious about this place. With the advent of the 2019 film, younger women than I would likely make this place more of “to do” for gen z via dreamy TikTok videos.

Regardless of the policy, it’s the treatment that will never ever ever bring me back inside the home unless management changes.

This incident occurred back in January. It’s now May and its impacted and embarrassed me for awhile. Perhaps some sensitivity training would be useful...

I don't quite know if I can do my experience justice in a review; and I would give more than 5 stars if I could. Maybe I'm a little biased in writing my review, because I love Little Women and Louisa May Alcott, and I have wanted to visit Orchard House for ages. I was able to go with my parents several weeks ago, and it far exceeded my expectations. The grounds and the buildings are beautiful. We also learned that 80% of the furniture and items inside the house are original, which is just staggering to me and fairly unusual for historic house museums. I enjoyed everything about this experience. It started with a video of a Louisa May Alcott impersonator, who takes the viewer through the house and tells little anecdotes about the house, her family, the school house etc. I've seen some reviews where they were not impressed, but my parents and I loved it and I thought she was a great Louisa May. The gift shop is also excellent. My parents and I had a little too much fun in there and easily could have kept moseying. Every single person we encountered at Orchard House--from our tour guide, to the people who worked the desk in the gift shop, to the people working in the flowerbeds--was so kind and friendly and always ready to chat about Louisa May Alcott and the house. Our tour guide was willing to walk with me back into a room at the end of the tour, so I could look around a little bit longer and ask her some questions. We also encountered a gentleman on the grounds, who kindly offered to take a photo of my parents and me in front of the house and then happily gave us some recommendations for other spots to hit up in Concord. I wish I had written my review sooner so I could name everyone, but at any rate, it's very clear that everyone loves working there. I highly recommend paging through the guestbook at some point; seeing everyone's notes about their experience and what it means to them was very touching. Thank you for an incredible, moving experience. I hope I can go...

My husband and I were able to visit Orchard House for the first time today and it was so incredibly wonderful and special. From the moment we arrived we were greeted by such a sweet staff member who gave us instructions, got us checked in for our tour and kicked off our time there up at the school with a short video and gave us some great information the schoolhouse and Bronson Alcott. There was an area to sign a guestbook as we arrived as well and it just made it feel a little more special. (I saw several other reviews with complaints about the little video in the beginning but I thought it was cute and reminded me of historical/educational videos I watched in grade school.) Our main tour guide that showed us through the home was an absolute treasure and the highlight of our time here. She was so passionate and loving in the way she spoke about the Alcott’s. As if she were an old friend of theirs. She even spent time at the end of the tour speaking with me, sharing her feelings on Alcott’s work, Little Women, the movie adaptations, etc. and asking my opinions and feelings. It solidified all of my feelings in the importance of Little Women—sisterhood, womanhood, connection. I already felt overwhelmed with emotion moving from room to room in the home of someone who created work that has felt important to me through most stages in my life, but to have someone who expressed such thorough care throughout the tour really tied it all together for me. Everyone there continually thanked all of us for coming, expressed how happy they were to have tours and interest in the home. But I must thank you all for such a beautiful, wonderful experience. It was such a gift. I recommend it to anyone, especially fans...