Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Parking Lot Shoeprints
Dewey Square Pylon & Bent 38
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Beneath downtown Minneapolis, Schieks Cave has surprisingly warm groundwater, evidence of a subterranean heat island.
Schieks Cave Below Minneapolis Contains a Lake of Warm Sewage
1 day ago
Athenaeus described various kinds of Greek drinking vessels, like the deep, rounded skyphos and wide, flat kylix.
The Ancient Greek Guide to Succeeding at Dinner Parties
2 days ago
No thanks.
AO Mailbag: Which Places Just Aren’t Worth Visiting?
3 days ago
Benshi would introduce and provide commentary for films like A Page of Madness.
Remembering the Heyday of Japan’s Silent Film Narrators
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Massachusetts Boston Bunker Hill Monument

Bunker Hill Monument

This monument on Breed's Hill proves that one of the most famous battles of the Revolutionary War is misnamed.

Boston, Massachusetts

Added By
mayormammoth
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Bunker Hill Monument   mayormammoth / Atlas Obscura User
Bunker Hill Monument   mayormammoth / Atlas Obscura User
Bunker Hill Monument   Allie_Caulfield on Flickr
Bunker Hill Monument   mayormammoth / Atlas Obscura User
  davinwhite / Atlas Obscura User
  davinwhite / Atlas Obscura User
  davinwhite / Atlas Obscura User
  davinwhite / Atlas Obscura User
  davinwhite / Atlas Obscura User
  davinwhite / Atlas Obscura User
Statue   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
Bunker Hill Monument   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
  davinwhite / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Start of the Boston Freedom trail at Bunker Hill   Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
  davinwhite / Atlas Obscura User
The Bunker Hill Monument in Boston, Massachusetts (United States).   Michael Barera / Atlas Obscura User
  davinwhite / Atlas Obscura User
  Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
End of the Freedom Trail   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
Plaque   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
  M0nac0 / Atlas Obscura User
  davinwhite / Atlas Obscura User
View of Boston from the top   GerhardM / Atlas Obscura User
  GerhardM / Atlas Obscura User
Bunker Hill upon approached.   REWALLS / Atlas Obscura User
View from inside the monument.  
Bunker Hill   REWALLS / Atlas Obscura User
Brother’s standing in front of a distant relatives statue.   REWALLS / Atlas Obscura User
My mother in law was a direct decendant of the same who made this stmt.   REWALLS / Atlas Obscura User
  davinwhite / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Rising 221 feet above surrounding Charlestown, Massachusetts, the granite Bunker Hill Monument commemorates the famous Revolutionary War battle that took place on... Breed's Hill.

Don't worry, they didn't build the monument on the wrong hill; the Battle of Bunker Hill is just commonly (and understandably) thought to have taken place on Bunker Hill. In reality, most of the fighting took place on June 17, 1775 where the monument is today, on Breed's Hill.

The Battle of Bunker Hill was one of the American Revolution's first confrontations, fought during the redcoats' siege of Boston between the British and the Colonists for control of the heights surrounding the city. Though the Americans put up a good fight and felled approximately 1,000 redcoats, the British ultimately won the battle, taking both Bunker and Breed's Hills.

Towards the end of the battle, Colonel William Prescott is thought to have shouted the famous order, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" to his American militiamen as the British charged their position on Breed's Hill, where a statue of the colonel now stands beneath the monument's obelisk.

A major stop along the Freedom Trail, the obelisk is especially notable for the view from its pinnacle. If you're up to its 294-step challenge, the panorama of Boston and the surrounding area from the top of the spire is well worth the exercise. The small chamber at the pinnacle of the climb also features a metal grate embedded in the ground, which sits above a 200-plus-foot shaft that drops away to the very base of the monument and somewhat terrifies anyone with a reasonable fear of heights. 

Related Tags

Monuments Towers Military History Military

Know Before You Go

Parking may be scarce, but you should be able to find a spot along the street after circling the square a couple of times. Watching the sunset over Boston is possible from the late fall to early spring, but make sure to arrive before 4:30PM as it is the latest you can start your climb.

Community Contributors

Added By

mayormammoth

Edited By

Allen, TravelToBlank, EricGrundhauser, davinwhite...

  • Allen
  • TravelToBlank
  • EricGrundhauser
  • davinwhite
  • GerhardM
  • REWALLS
  • Collector of Experiences
  • Gavin
  • Michael Barera
  • M0nac0
  • Jason Michael Walker
  • AllisonB

Published

July 4, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail/bunkerhill.asp
  • http://www.nps.gov/bost/historyculture/bhm.htm
  • http://traveltoblank.com/a-walk-through-history-the-boston-freedom-trail/
Bunker Hill Monument
Monument Square
Boston, Massachusetts, 02129
United States
42.376091, -71.060011
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Potato Shed Memorial

Boston, Massachusetts

miles away

USS Constitution

Boston, Massachusetts

miles away

Memorial to Gallops Island Radio Training Station Graduates

Boston, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Boston

Boston

Massachusetts

Places 127
Stories 33

Nearby Places

Potato Shed Memorial

Boston, Massachusetts

miles away

USS Constitution

Boston, Massachusetts

miles away

Memorial to Gallops Island Radio Training Station Graduates

Boston, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Boston

Boston

Massachusetts

Places 127
Stories 33

Related Places

  • Tower Remains

    West Lafayette, Indiana

    Cairo Skywatch Tower

    The U.S. Air Force commissioned this tower during the Korean War to watch the sky for enemy aircraft.

  • Indianapolis, Indiana

    Soldiers & Sailors Observatory

    This Indianapolis landmark offers a secret panoramic view of the city. 

  • The Corbin monument is near West Point’s neoclassical Old Chapel.

    West Point, New York

    Margaret Corbin's Grave

    West Point’s only monument to a woman veteran stands above an empty grave.

  • Battle of Picacho Pass monument.

    Picacho, Arizona

    Battle of Picacho Pass Monument

    A stone pillar marking the location of the westernmost battle of the American Civil War only honors one side of the conflict.

  • Prison Ship Martyrs’ Monument.

    Brooklyn, New York

    Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument

    This beautiful Brooklyn monument over a crypt memorializes a grim and largely unknown story from the American Revolution.

  • Wellington Monument (Statue of Achilles).

    London, England

    Wellington Monument

    This once-controversial and slightly confusing statue of Achilles was built out of captured cannons.

  • Tower of the Storks (center).

    Cáceres, Spain

    Torre de las Cigüeñas (Tower of the Storks)

    The tallest tower in Cáceres's Old Town.

  • Mount Triglav in the background,

    Mojstrana, Slovenia

    Monument to the Fallen Partisan Alpinists

    The monument honors the mountaineers who were part of Europe’s best anti-Nazi forces.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.