Bunker Hill Monument, Boston National Historical Park
CLIMBING THE MONUMENT
The Bunker Hill Monument is typically open on Wednesdays through Sundays. Hours vary depending on the season, so before making travel plans, be sure to get the current schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for Boston National Historical Park. The last climb is a half hour before closing.
There is no fee to climb the monument, but you do need to get a ticket at the Bunker Hill Museum on the other side of High Street. The tickets have a climbing time on them, but if the crowd is thin, you can usually go right on up. On busy days you must stick to the assigned time (summer weekends are really the only packed days).
There are 294 steps to the top. If you are young and in shape, you probably won’t think twice about it, but if you are older and not in great shape, think twice. There is no place to rest on the way up, and the spiral staircase gets narrower and narrower as you climb higher. If you have in-shape people behind you, it’s pretty hard to let them pass. It’s even harder to turn around and head back down with people behind you if you realize halfway up that you can’t make it.
Winding staircase of the Bunker Hill Monument at Bunker Hill in Boston
While I recommend climbing to the top, I didn’t find the view to be all that great. First off, the windows are scuffed up, which doesn’t help when it comes to taking photos. Second, the surrounding area is Boston, which isn’t the Grand Canyon or the Smoky Mountains. There are a lot of industrial buildings, the harbor, and plenty of mundane American architecture.
View east towards the Charlestown Navy Yard from the top of the Bunker Hill Monument in Boston
View north from the top of the Bunker Hill Monument in Boston
View south towards Boston from the top of the Bunker Hill Monument
View west from the top of the Bunker Hill Monument in Boston
SCHEDULING YOUR TIME
Give yourself a half hour to climb the Bunker Hill Monument, not counting the time it takes to get a ticket or wait for your turn to go up. I got to the top in about five minutes, took a look around and snapped a few photos, and was back down at the bottom within twenty minutes.
BUNKER HILL MONUMENT HISTORY
The Bunker Hill Monument that stands today is not the original monument on Breeds Hill (the actual name of what is mistakenly called Bunker Hill). In 1794, an 18-foot wooden pillar was erected by the King Solomon’s Lodge of Freemasons of Charlestown to honor those who died at the Battle of Bunker Hill, particularly Major General Joseph Warren, a popular Massachusetts political leader and member of King Solomon’s Lodge. A model of the original monument is on display inside the granite Bunker Hill Lodge located at the base of the monument.
Model of the original wooden pillar that stood on Breed’s Hill on display inside the Bunker Hill Lodge on Bunker Hill in Boston
In 1823, a group of prominent Boston citizens formed the Bunker Hill Monument Association with the goal of raising money for the construction of a 221-foot granite obelisk. Construction began in 1825, but by 1829 funds had run out. The Association had purchased much of the land where the battle took place, but eventually had to sell off everything but Breeds Hill itself to raise the money to finish the project. It wasn’t until 1842 that the monument was completed. Dedication took place on June 17, 1843, the 68th anniversary of the battle.
Colonel William Prescott statue in front of the Bunker Hill Monument on Bunker Hill in Boston
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Last updated on January 26, 2024
