Tauck Restores and Beautifies "Birthplace of the American Revolution"

WILTON, CT (April 2, 2025) In April of 1775, a determined group of local militiamen – all volunteers – exchanged volleys of musket fire with British redcoats in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, initiating the conflict that would ultimately give 13 American colonies their independence. Almost 250 years to the day later, a spirited group of Tauck employees arrived in Concord for their own volunteer effort, donating their time and energy to restoring and beautifying the historic grounds where the start of the American Revolution occurred.

In all, some 120 Tauck employees and their family members, along with members of the Tauck family, braved cold, rainy conditions on March 29th to tackle a variety of landscaping projects and other tasks at Concord's North Bridge Visitor Center, the Visitor Center's historic Buttrick Gardens, and the area around the historic North Bridge itself, where the legendary "shot heard round the world" was fired. Projects completed by the Tauck volunteers included general clean up and debris removal, erosion control, planting pollinators and grass plugs, mulching around trees and shrubs, and more.

The Concord sites are part of the National Park Service's Minute Man National Historical Park, and the clean up was timed to beautify the park ahead of commemorative events occurring in the coming weeks to mark the 250th anniversary of the battles at Lexington and Concord, and the start of the Revolutionary War. The Tauck volunteer day also comes as the company is marking its own major anniversary this year, celebrating its 100th year in business.

"Tauck's 100th anniversary is really a time of gratitude for us, and an opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to some of the many places that have helped Tauck thrive for the past century," said Tauck CEO Jennifer Tombaugh. "Our very first tour brought Tauck guests to Lexington and Concord in 1925, and we continue to bring guests to these incredibly historic sites every year. With this year's 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War coinciding with Tauck's own 100th anniversary, we thought it was particularly fitting that we celebrate these two great milestones by volunteering here in Concord."

Equally enthusiastic about Tauck's efforts was Kathleen Fahey, Executive Director of the Friends of Minute Man, a non-profit partner of Minute Man National Historical Park supporting events, education, and preservation at the park. "Minute Man National Historical Park is a cherished destination and treasured resource, drawing over a million visitors annually" said Fahey. "The Friends of Minute Man extend their thanks to Tauck employees for helping to care for our landscape with their day of service." With Tauck's support, added Fahey, "Minute Man National Historical Park will be ready to welcome thousands of visitors and commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution." 

HIGH PRAISE FROM FILMMAKER KEN BURNS
Tauck's volunteer efforts in Concord were also praised by the acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns, who has partnered with Tauck on many of the company's domestic tours for the past 15 years. Burns's highly anticipated six-part, 12-hour series on the American Revolution is set to premiere this November, and he's been a champion of the U.S. National Parks since his Emmy Award-winning 2009 film The National Parks: America's Best Idea.

"America's national parks were established with the revolutionary idea that these places truly belong to the people," said Burns. "We need to be responsible stewards of these national treasures. The good people at Tauck – and their volunteerism at the very spot where the American idea began – are a wonderful example of the sort of constructive activism that will be necessary to ensure our national parks endure for the next 250 years."

Burns himself is set to be honored on April 16 at another Massachusetts site synonymous with the start of the American Revolution; Boston's Old North Church. The church, where two signal lanterns were hung on April 18, 1775 to alert Paul Revere of the British plans to advance to Concord "by sea," will present Burns with their 2025 Third Lantern Award. The honor is given annually to "an individual who embodies the values symbolized in Old North Church's iconic signal lanterns: leadership, courage, hope, tenacity, and active citizenship." The award is presented by Old North Illuminated, a nonprofit organization promoting active citizenship and courageous, compassionate leadership by interpreting and preserving the Old North Church & Historic Site.

Tauck has been a staunch supporter of the Old North Church over the years. In the early 1970s, the company funded major repairs to the church's steeple, which had severely deteriorated with time. And in 2007, Tauck organized a volunteer event at the church that saw employees and their family members perform preservation and beautification work that included clearing debris from the church's steeple, painting, landscaping, resetting brick pavers and more.

About Tauck: Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025, Tauck has been family owned for four generations. The company is a world leader in upscale guided travel, with more than 170 land tours, safaris, river cruises, small ship ocean cruises and family travel adventures to 70+ countries and all seven continents. In each of the last 27 years, Tauck has been honored in Travel + Leisure magazine's annual "World's Best Awards" celebrating the very best in luxury tours, cruises, hotels and more.

Those interested in more information can contact their local travel professional, call Tauck at 800 468 2825, or visit the company's website at www.tauck.com (www.tauck.ca in Canada, www.tauck.co.uk in the UK, www.tauck.com.au in Australia/New Zealand).

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PLEASE NOTE: High-res images available for download at www.tauck.com/mediaimages.