One of the world's most beloved music festivals, Tanglewood is the famed summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and its training academy, the Tanglewood Music Center, as well as the Boston Pops. It's also the year-round home of the Tanglewood Learning Institute.

Shirts are required everywhere on the Tanglewood grounds. Shoes are not required outside, but they are required in all concert halls.

"Tanglewood" took its name from Tanglewood Tales, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, while he lived in a cottage located on the estate. On August 12, 1937 a decisive moment in Tanglewood's history occurred during a thunderstorm that interrupted a performance of Richard Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries.

The Boston Symphony Association of Volunteers offers free walking tours of the Tanglewood campus. Over approximately one hour to one hour and 15 minutes, you'll visit the Koussevitzky Music Shed, Ozawa Hall, other music facilities, and more, and learn about the historical background of Tanglewood, the BSO, and the TMC.