Plan Your Visit
Everything you need to know before you come — hours, admission, and getting here.
| Hours | Open most Mondays: 2:00 PM–5:00 PM Closed some legal holidays Available at other times by appointment — email hissochopma@gmail.com |
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| Admission | Free — donations welcome Consider becoming a member to support our work year-round |
| Group Tours | Guided visits available by appointment. Contact us to schedule. |
| Visit Us | 168 Hayden Rowe Street Hopkinton, MA 01748 |
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| Hopkinton Historical Society P.O. Box 423 Hopkinton, MA 01748 | |
| Parking | Parking is available in the large dirt lot in front of the building at 168 Hayden Rowe Street. |
| Contact | hissochopma@gmail.com (508) 435-4502 |
Getting Here
The Society is located at 168 Hayden Rowe Street in the heart of Hopkinton, a short drive from the Boston Marathon's iconic starting line. Since we're open by appointment outside our regular Monday hours, we recommend emailing hissochopma@gmail.com ahead of your visit to confirm access.
Museum Visitors Guide
Inside the History Center
Welcome to the Hopkinton History Center and Museum! We're delighted that you're visiting, and we hope you'll find your visit fun and informative.
About the Museum
The museum is housed in a restored 19th-century, 2-room school house located on Hayden Rowe, Hopkinton, Massachusetts. The school was erected between 1875 and 1889, and the building also served as a Grange Hall from 1938 to 1991. The museum contains more than 2,000 documents and artifacts (200 feet of linear shelf space) that relate to people and places of Hopkinton and the surrounding region. The Town of Hopkinton was first incorporated in 1715 and is located in Middlesex County approximately 25 miles west of Boston. The museum is maintained and supported by the Hopkinton Historical Society, a non-profit organization incorporated in 1951 to celebrate the Town's history and to maintain a permanent archives collection.
Touring the Museum
In addition to housing archival documents and artifacts, the museum has a viewing area with maps and photographs, artifacts in display cases, a textile and furniture display, and wall posters highlighting notable people, places, and events of Hopkinton past. Feel free to browse these items on your own.
What Is Stored in the Museum Archives?
The archival collection includes photographs, ledgers, books, manuscripts, textiles, town reports, resident directories, vital statistics, artifacts, ephemera, artwork, maps, portraits, letters, and reference materials. The majority of items relate to the Hopkinton, Massachusetts vicinity.
How Are Items in the Collection Indexed?
In 2010, the Historical Society began a major effort to re-organize and re-index its historical collection with the help of a professional archival consultant and with funding from the Community Preservation Act. Most items are currently indexed in one of 50 collections that are organized by either content or provenance. Reference materials and research collections are indexed separately. A current summary listing of collections and reference documents is available from the librarian.
How Can I Find What I'm Looking For?
Access to items stored in the archives will require help from the librarian or museum volunteers. As a start, you may be given a “Finding Aid” that will allow you to manually search a content listing of the various collections. Museum staff can also conduct computerized keyword searches of collection spreadsheets or our archival software program. With care, physical handling and visual inspection of original photographs and artifacts should be possible for all but the most delicate and treasured items in the collection. Items cannot be taken from the premises except for pre-arranged special exhibitions and events. If we're unable to find what you're looking for that day, you may complete a search request form so our volunteers can continue to search on your behalf.
Can I Contribute Items to the Museum?
Decisions about new accessions to the museum are handled by the Historical Society's Board of Directors, who strive to prioritize new accessions based on available space and historical relevance to the Town. The museum librarian and staff volunteers can provide you with more details.