“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!”

It’s not certain whether Colonel William Prescott, Major General Israel Putnam, or someone else uttered these famous words during battle of Bunker Hill.  Regardless, the legacy of that battle has been memorialized with a statue of Prescott standing under a 221 foot granite obelisk. The current monument, built between 1825 and 1842 replaced a wooden memorial erected in 1794. This monument was one of the first erected in the United States.

Just across the Charles River it’s only about a 30-45 minute walk each way, or a very short drive, from the business district of Boston. Especially if you’ve walked, be aware, the 294 step (they are labeled) climb to the top is not an easy one, but offers a fantastic views of the city and surrounding area. The attached lodge contains portraits and another statue of some of those involved in the historic event. On the perimeter of the park, a free museum houses artifacts from the battle and colonial times.

One of the historically interesting things about the Battle of Bunker Hill and it’s respective monument, is that it actually occurred and stands on Breeds Hill. The colonists intended on fortifying Bunker Hill, but marched past it in the night and ended up closer to the British troups on Breeds Hill. Both Bunker and Breeds Hills were seen as very important to the British as they both overlooked Boston harbor. SAS: 3