Longfellow’s Wayside Inn

Longfellow’s Wayside Inn—a nationally significant historic landmark—is an old inn and tavern that has been serving travelers along the old Boston Post Road for almost 300 years. Begun as an extension of David Howe’s family home in 1716, the Inn has thrived through years of growth and expansion and survived because of its important history and beautiful setting. Henry Ford helped to preserve the property as a living museum of American history.

Longfellow’s Wayside Inn offers quiet settings for a leisurely visit, historic rooms for dining with family and friends, and comfortable guest rooms. The Inn serves lunch and dinner 364 days a year and has ten guest rooms for overnight accommodation.

Having served the public for 290 years, Longfellow’s Wayside Inn is the oldest operating inn on the one of the oldest commissioned roads in the United States. The Wayside Inn Historic District was designated a Local Historic District in 1967, a Massachusetts Historic Landmark in 1970, and a National Register District in 1973.

Longfellow’s Wayside Inn is honored to host another community-wide read of the poems of this country’s greatest poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The 2010 Longfellow Big Read will explore “The Great Heroes and Legends of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow — from Paul Revere and Miles Standish to Evangeline and Hiawatha.” The stories are compelling and their impact on North American culture has been indelible and undeniable.