Got a wild idea? We build for service members — not the brass, not shareholders. If it's good, it ships.
Suggest a Feature →Bedford, Lexington & Greater Boston, Massachusetts
Air Force acquisition and C3I systems — in the birthplace of American liberty.
Hanscom Air Force Base is the home of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center — primarily acquisition and program management for command, control, communications, and intelligence (C3I) systems. It's a small acquisition-focused installation with a primarily civilian workforce in Bedford, Massachusetts, adjacent to the towns of Lexington and Concord.
The location is extraordinary: Lexington (5 minutes west) is where the first shots of the American Revolution were fired on April 19, 1775. Concord (10 minutes west) is where the Minutemen stood at the North Bridge. Boston is 20 miles east — one of America's great cities for history, education, food, and sports. The cost of living is very high but the quality-of-life access is exceptional.
Must Eat
The spots worth eating at before you PCS out.
Concord Dining & Thoreau Country
"Concord's restaurant scene reflects its affluent and thoughtful character."
Concord center has a walkable restaurant scene appropriate for a wealthy historic town — Main Streets Market & Cafe, the Colonial Inn dining room, and several independent restaurants serving New England seasonal cuisine.
The Colonial Inn in Concord center has been operating since 1716. The tavern lunch is a legitimate piece of New England history. The Thoreau Farm (Thoreau's birthplace) is a short drive away.
Boston Seafood (Island Creek Oyster Bar)
"The finest oyster program in Boston. Farm-to-table New England seafood."
Island Creek Oyster Bar in Kenmore Square is Boston's most acclaimed seafood restaurant — their own oyster farm in Duxbury supplies the raw bar, and the New England preparations are technically flawless.
Reservations essential. The oyster selection changes daily based on harvest. The chowder with Stonington clams is the house specialty. The Fenway Park neighborhood location means pre/post-game crowds on Red Sox nights.
Outdoor
Get outside. The land around military installations is usually the best reason to be there.
Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
"Concord River marshes with extraordinary migratory bird activity."
Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge along the Concord and Sudbury Rivers is one of the most important migratory bird stopover points in the Northeast. The dike trail is flat, accessible, and provides close encounters with herons, egrets, wood ducks, and in season, migrating raptors.
Spring migration (April-May) and fall migration (September-October) are the peak wildlife periods. Early morning visits are best. The Concord Unit is 5 minutes from Hanscom.
Culture & History
Places with stories. Most military towns sit on deep history — dig in.
Lexington and Concord Literary Heritage
"Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott, Hawthorne — they all lived here."
The Concord area is the most literary landscape in American history — Emerson's house (open to visitors), the Alcott family's Orchard House (where Little Women was written), Hawthorne's Wayside (open to visitors), and the Old Manse (where Emerson wrote Nature and Hawthorne lived). All within a few miles of Hanscom.
Orchard House (Alcott) is the most popular site and benefits from advance ticket purchase. Emerson's house tour is less well-known but more intimate. The Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (Hawthorne, Emerson, Thoreau, and Alcott are all buried in Authors' Ridge) is freely accessible.
Family
Stuff to do with the kids. Rated by people who have brought actual children.
Boston's Museum of Science
"One of the best science museums in the country. Lightning demonstrations included."
The Boston Museum of Science on the Charles River dam is an exceptional family destination — the largest Van de Graaff generator in the world produces 2.5 million volt lightning shows, the Charles Hayden Planetarium, and comprehensive natural history and technology exhibits.
Military discount available. The Lightning Bolt show runs multiple times daily and is the signature experience. Book planetarium shows in advance.
Day Trips
When you need to remember there's a world outside the gate.
"The 1692 witch trials and the Peabody Essex Museum."
Salem is 30 minutes northeast — the witch trials history, the Peabody Essex Museum (world-class maritime and Asian art), and the October Halloween month that transforms the city into a national destination.
"The oldest fishing port in America. The painters' coast."
Cape Ann is 40 miles north — Gloucester (America's oldest fishing port), Rockport (a photogenic village artists have documented for 150 years), Halibut Point State Park, and excellent seafood.
"America's most underrated city. WaterFire and Johnson & Wales culinary culture."
Providence is 60 minutes south — RISD Museum, the WaterFire installation (braziers lit on the rivers), the Brown University Hill, and a restaurant scene shaped by Johnson & Wales culinary school graduates.
Lexington and Concord are the birthplace of American liberty and are 5-10 minutes from post. The April 19 Patriot's Day events are mandatory. Mark your calendar the first year.
Boston is 20 miles east — MBTA Fitchburg Line from Lincoln or Concord stations connects to North Station. Use it for regular city visits.
The literary heritage (Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott, Hawthorne) is all accessible within 10 minutes of Hanscom. It's one of the most concentrated collections of American literary sites anywhere.
School districts around Hanscom (Lexington, Concord, Acton-Boxborough) are among the highest-ranked in Massachusetts. Factor this into housing decisions.
New England fall foliage (mid-October) is one of the most extraordinary natural phenomena in the country. Block your calendar for a foliage drive in the week of peak color.
The cost of living in this area of Massachusetts is significant — property taxes, housing costs, and the overall cost of goods are among the highest in the country. BAH is substantial but the housing market is competitive. The small military community means fewer institutional support structures than larger installations. The compensations — one of the most historically significant landscapes in American history, Boston cultural access, excellent schools, and New England seasonal beauty — are genuine and substantial for the right personality.
This guide is built by people who've been stationed here. If there's a spot we got wrong or a gem we missed, tell us.