Updated October 2026
Best Time to Visit Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
National Historic SiteMassachusetts
Best month to visit
May
69°F / 48°F avg high / low
Our recommendation
Visit Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters in May
May offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). For comparison, June is the most crowded month (~1.6× the average month) and January is the quietest.
- Annual visits
- 55K
- 2025
- Busiest month
- Jun
- 1.6× avg
- Quietest month
- Jan
- 0.3× avg
- 10-yr trend
- rising
- +9.5%
How crowded is Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 1979–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site weather by month →
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 42 Poor | 37°F / 19°F | 9.2 h |
| February | Very quiet | 44 Poor | 40°F / 21°F | 10.3 h |
| March | Very quiet | 45 Fair | 47°F / 28°F | 11.7 h |
| April | Quiet | 54 Fair | 59°F / 38°F | 13.2 h |
| Mayour pick | Busy | 53 Fair | 69°F / 48°F | 14.4 h |
| June | Very busy | 52 Fair | 79°F / 58°F | 15.1 h |
| July | Very busy | 47 Fair | 85°F / 64°F | 14.8 h |
| August | Busy | 48 Fair | 83°F / 63°F | 13.7 h |
| September | Busy | 47 Fair | 76°F / 55°F | 12.3 h |
| October | Busy | 34 Poor | 64°F / 43°F | 10.8 h |
| November | Quiet | 44 Poor | 53°F / 34°F | 9.5 h |
| December | Very quiet | 36 Poor | 42°F / 26°F | 8.9 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00193890, ~5.1 mi away).
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About visiting Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters
Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in MA and a relatively quiet park, drawing about 55,000 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has climbed over the past decade, up roughly 9.5%, so crowds are trending heavier each year. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: June is the busiest month at about 1.6× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.3× — a 5-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 40% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. Weather swings from an average high-season warmth near 74°F in July down to about 28°F in January, with the wettest stretch in December. About 6 months a year see comfortable average temperatures in the 50–80°F range, which is part of why crowd timing and weather timing don't always line up. The sweet spot is May: pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the June rush. Daylight ranges from about 8.9 hours in midwinter to 15.1 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. These crowd figures are drawn from 1979–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, paired with 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site preserves a remarkable Georgian house whose occupants shaped our nation. It was a site of colonial enslavement and community activism, George Washington’s first long-term headquarters of the American Revolution, and the place where Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote his canon of 19th-century American literature.
Weather & conditions
New England weather is highly variable. Temperatures in the winter can be very cold with high snowfall. Fall and spring are generally pleasant. Summer temperatures are generally mild, with periods of heat and humidity. However, the house is air conditioned and heated for collection care and the comfort of the visitor.
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site — live availability and prices to plan your trip. May is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather. Full lodging guide: when to book, gateway vs in-park, and the crowd calendar that drives room rates.
Top-rated places to stay near Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
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Getting to Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters
The nearest airport is Logan International Airport (BOS), about 9 mi (17 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters by car.
What takes a reservation at Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters
From National Park Service records read on October 11, 2026. Timed-entry and permit rules change from season to season; the official Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters page has this year's.
Activities the park marks as needing a reservation
Frequently Asked Questions
May offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season) at Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site. The park is busiest in June (about 1.6× the average month) and quietest in January.
June is the busiest month at Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, running roughly 1.6 times the park's average monthly visitation.
January is the quietest month at Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, at about 0.3× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site recorded about 54,912 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been rising over the past decade (+9.5%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site averages about 74°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
Logan International Airport (BOS) is the closest airport to Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, about 9 mi (17 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Water quality of lakes near Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters
If you are planning to swim, paddle or fish on this trip, these graded lakes are within a 40-mile drive. Grades are A–F from EPA and state-agency sampling.
- South Reservoir water qualityGrade A · 5 mi · MA
- Walden Pond water qualityGrade A · 10 mi · MA
- Ponkapoag Pond water qualityGrade A · 13 mi · MA
- Sudbury Reservoir water qualityGrade A · 20 mi · MA
- Lake Pearl water qualityGrade A · 24 mi · MA
Beach water quality near Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters
Beaches within a 40-mile drive, graded on multi-year bacteria sampling from EPA BEACON — worth checking before you plan a swim day.
- Pleasure Bay water qualityGrade A · 6 mi · MA
- Merrymount water qualityGrade A · 10 mi · MA
- Whales water qualityGrade A · 13 mi · MA
- Sunrise water qualityGrade A · 30 mi · MA
- Green Harbor water qualityGrade A · 32 mi · MA
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.