Visiting the Bunker Hill Monument and Checking Out Boston Statues

So many places in Boston reminded me of history lessons from middle school – none more than Bunker Hill. I remember spending day after day learning about the Battle of Bunker Hill. So naturally, while I was in Boston I had to visit the site.

The Battle of Bunker Hill was one of the first Revolutionary War conflicts, and a monument now stands there to commemorate the event. It’s 294 steps to the top, though on this day I didn’t bother climbing. Amazingly, construction was started way back in the 1820s and finished in the 1840s – decades before the Washington Monument.

A small (free) museum sits nearby. Some guy in costume with a musket tells the story of the battle for onlookers, who can ask questions about what happened.

The statue out front is impressive, particularly when viewed with the obelisk itself.

Visiting Bunker Hill was an interesting time. The Bunker Hill Monument is part of the Freedom Trail, a collection of historic places that have to do with American independence.

The monument is managed by the National Park Service. There’s a Bunker Hill Museum open from 10 am to 6 pm.

In case you missed that day in middle school social studies class, here’s more about the Battle of Bunker Hill. It was one of the early skirmishes of the Revolutionary War. Great Britain technically “won” the battle, forcing U.S. soldiers to retreat, but the British suffered many more casualties than they expected, so the fight sent a strong message.

Elsewhere in Boston, I saw lots of statues everywhere.

And this one at Faneuil Hall of Sam Adams, who is buried at Granary Cemetery.

But my favorite statues were the living ones – people who stand perfectly still as if they’re made of stone, only to surprise unsuspecting passersby by suddenly reaching out to them.

Have you ever had the experience of visiting Bunker Hill?