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A bronze statue of a man partially enclosed in an open-air stone statue. Shutterstock

29 Boston-area military memorials and monuments, mapped

These markers include the oldest Revolutionary War, Vietnam War, and Afghanistan/Iraq memorials in the U.S.

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These memorials and monuments commemorate events, battles, and wars stretching back to the earliest days of the American Revolution and encompassing more recent conflicts such as the war in Afghanistan and the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut.

Most are easily accessible, including via public transit, and are free to the public. If we’re missing any major ones you think should be included, please let us know.

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Concord Minute Man statue

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Concord’s Minuteman statue dates from 1875.

It looms in Minute Man National Park, which marks the first two battles of the Revolution.

A bronze statue of a man with a riffle. Shutterstock

Revolutionary Monument

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Located on the Lexington Green, the Revolutionary Monument is the nation’s oldest intact war memorial. It was dedicated on July 4, 1799.

In 1835, remains of soldiers who died in the Battle of Lexington there were transferred to the rear of the monument.

A small obelisk with writing on the front. Shutterstock

Lexington minuteman statue

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Erected in 1900 and depicting militia Captain John Parker, the statue looms at one end of Lexington Common, which is situated among the scene of the first battle in the Revolutionary War.

A bronze statue of a man with a rifle. Shutterstock

Roslindale World War I Memorial

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It took until 1958—40 years after the war’s end and after another world war—to complete the monument to Roslindale’s Great War fallen.

It was later adjusted to honor the fallen of Korea and Vietnam as well.

Spanish-American War statue

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This statue of a solder in a small park where Concord Avenue and Garden Street intersect commemorates those who served during the Spanish-American War as well as during the occupation of the Philippines and parts of China.

Alice Ruggles Kitson designed it (and many like it around the commonwealth and the U.S.).

British cannon in Cambridge Common

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George Washington’s army seized these three cannons after the British evacuated the Boston area in March 1776.

Three vintage cannons arrayed in a public park. Wikipedia

Lincoln-Soldier Monument on Cambridge Common

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Completed in 1871, this monument on Cambridge Common commemorating the city’s war dead includes a statue at the top of a Civil War soldier and a bronze of President Lincoln below.

Twin brothers Cyrus and Darius Cobb designed it.

A tall monument with a soldier at the top done in stone and a bronze of a tall man, Abraham Lincoln, farther down. Shutterstock

Old Powder House

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In September 1774, nearly 300 British troops stole gunpowder stored at the tower.

The action shocked colonists and helped precipitate the Revolutionary War.

Jamaica Plain monument

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The 27-foot monument was unveiled in 1871 to commemorate the Civil War contributions of the then-Town of West Roxbury.

Memorial Hall

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Finished in 1877, the hall continues as a monument to those Harvard students and alum who died fighting for the United States during the Civil War (Confederate casualties are not mentioned).

The interior of a grand hall, with an arched ceiling and commemorative plaques on the walls. Shutterstock

Fort Washington Park

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George Washington ordered three batteries to be built for cannon aimed at British-occupied Boston across the river.

These mounds are what’s left, the last reminder dating uninterrupted to the 18th century of the Continental Army’s Cambridge presence.

The cut metal figures in the park include four meant to represent Continental Army soldiers.

Three cut metal figures representing 18th-century soldiers in a public park. Shutterstock

Vietnam Memorial Park

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This park within the Back Bay Fens includes a monument honoring those killed during the Vietnam War and a map on the ground of Vietnam itself.

World War II Memorial Park

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Located in the Back Bay Fens and erected in 1949, this monument built around a winged Victory memorializes the more than 3,000 Bostonians who died in Second World War.

Soldiers and Sailors Monument

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Completed in 1877 on the highest point on Boston Common, the memorial honors Bostonians who fought for the United States during the Civil War.

A tall, cylindrical monument with a bronze statue on top. Shutterstock

Joseph Hooker statue

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Unveiled in 1903, this statue outside of the Massachusetts State House commemorates Joseph Hooker, who commanded the Army of the Potomac in 1863 and famously declared, “May God have mercy on General Lee, for I will have none.”

A bronze statue of a man on horseback. Shutterstock

Hall of Flags

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This marble hall in the Massachusetts State House commemorates Massachusetts soldiers who fought in conflicts stretching back to the Revolution.

It draws its name from a tradition, dating back to the Civil War, of Massachusetts service members donating flags to the commonwealth. (Though the flags on display are really replicas, with the originals with textile conservators.)

A rotunda with a stained-glass ceiling and flags arrayed around the rotunda. Shutterstock

Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial

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The sculpture commemorating the Civil War role of the 54th Massachusetts, the first all-black regiment in the American army, and that of its commander, Robert Gould Shaw, took sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens nearly 14 years to complete.

It was unveiled in 1897. It is due to be removed in spring 2020 for several months of restoration work.

A bronze relief of an officer on horseback and his soldiers around him. Shutterstock

Bunker Hill Monument

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The monument commemorates the first major battle of the Revolutionary War on June 17, 1775. It was technically a British win, though the steadfastness of American soldiers signaled a longer conflict to come.

The 221-foot obelisk dates from 1842 and its interior is open most days for climbing; and there’s a museum across the street dedicated to the battle and the surrounding Charlestown neighborhood.

An aerial view of city buildings in Boston. In the foreground is a tall monument. In the distance is a body of water and a skyline with many buildings. Shutterstock

Charlestown Civil War memorial

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Dating from 1872, this granite memorial commemorates U.S. soldiers and sailors from Charlestown who fought in the Civil War.

It is located in the same field where colonial minutemen trained during the Revolution.

A wide view of a stone-mounted memorial with statues on top. Shutterstock

Boston Massacre site

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In March 1770, British soldiers opened fire on a crowd of demonstrators, killing five and wounding 11. The event helped spark the Revolutionary War.

A round bronze marker built into the sidewalk of a city street. Shutterstock

U.S.S. Constitution and USS Constitution Museum

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Honoring the world’s oldest naval vessel still afloat (born: 1797), the museum especially chronicles Old Ironsides role in the War of 1812.

The ship itself is available for tours.

A cannon facing away from a ship hole. Shutterstock

Old North Church Memorial Garden

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Established in 2006, this garden was the first public memorial to those killed during the Second Iraq War and the war in Afghanistan.

To this day, whenever an American is killed serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, an Old North Church gardener adds a nameless dog tag to the memorial.

Dozens of dog tags hanging together against a brick background in a memorial garden. Shutterstock

Massachusetts Korean War Veterans Memorial

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The memorial to the more than 1,500 Massachusetts casualties in the war—and the dozens still missing—is located in the Charlestown Navy Yard and was finished in 1993.

A bronze statue of a man partially enclosed in an open-air stone statue. Shutterstock

Beirut bombing memorial

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Located in Christopher Columbus Park and unveiled in 1992, this monument commemorates those killed in the 1983 terrorist attack on a Marine barracks in the Lebanese capital.

A circular memorial built into a park, with a taller wall on one end of the circle. Gibson Sotheby’s/Boston Herald/Getty

Dorchester Heights monument

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Located at the center of Thomas park, this marble monument dating from 1902 commemorates “a battle that never happened,” according to the City of Boston.

That is, the British ceded the heights to George Washington’s fortified troops there, and evacuated Boston in March 1776.

A tall stone tower. Shutterstock

Dorchester Vietnam Veterans Memorial

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This granite monument dates from 2006, and honors those from Dorchester killed during the Vietnam War.

Massachusetts Fallen Heroes Memorial

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This 50-foot, five-sided obelisk honors service members with Massachusetts ties who have died fighting since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The memorial, which was rededicated in May 2019, also includes what its designers called a Memorial Grove.

People standing before a transparent glass memorial with names on the glass. Boston Globe via Getty Images

South Boston Vietnam War Memorial

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Located in Medal of Honor Park (sometimes called M Street Park), this monument commemorates those from South Boston who died fighting in Vietnam. Everyone listed came to the park as children.

The monument dates from 1981, making it quite possibly the oldest Vietnam War memorial in the country. It was rededicated in September 2019.

South Boston Korean War Memorial

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The Castle Island monument dating from 1993 honors the 20 Southie men who died in the early 1950s war.

Concord Minute Man statue

Concord’s Minuteman statue dates from 1875.

It looms in Minute Man National Park, which marks the first two battles of the Revolution.

A bronze statue of a man with a riffle. Shutterstock

Revolutionary Monument

Located on the Lexington Green, the Revolutionary Monument is the nation’s oldest intact war memorial. It was dedicated on July 4, 1799.

In 1835, remains of soldiers who died in the Battle of Lexington there were transferred to the rear of the monument.

A small obelisk with writing on the front. Shutterstock

Lexington minuteman statue

Erected in 1900 and depicting militia Captain John Parker, the statue looms at one end of Lexington Common, which is situated among the scene of the first battle in the Revolutionary War.

A bronze statue of a man with a rifle. Shutterstock

Roslindale World War I Memorial

It took until 1958—40 years after the war’s end and after another world war—to complete the monument to Roslindale’s Great War fallen.

It was later adjusted to honor the fallen of Korea and Vietnam as well.

Spanish-American War statue

This statue of a solder in a small park where Concord Avenue and Garden Street intersect commemorates those who served during the Spanish-American War as well as during the occupation of the Philippines and parts of China.

Alice Ruggles Kitson designed it (and many like it around the commonwealth and the U.S.).

British cannon in Cambridge Common

George Washington’s army seized these three cannons after the British evacuated the Boston area in March 1776.

Three vintage cannons arrayed in a public park. Wikipedia

Lincoln-Soldier Monument on Cambridge Common

Completed in 1871, this monument on Cambridge Common commemorating the city’s war dead includes a statue at the top of a Civil War soldier and a bronze of President Lincoln below.

Twin brothers Cyrus and Darius Cobb designed it.

A tall monument with a soldier at the top done in stone and a bronze of a tall man, Abraham Lincoln, farther down. Shutterstock

Old Powder House

In September 1774, nearly 300 British troops stole gunpowder stored at the tower.

The action shocked colonists and helped precipitate the Revolutionary War.

Jamaica Plain monument

The 27-foot monument was unveiled in 1871 to commemorate the Civil War contributions of the then-Town of West Roxbury.

Memorial Hall

Finished in 1877, the hall continues as a monument to those Harvard students and alum who died fighting for the United States during the Civil War (Confederate casualties are not mentioned).

The interior of a grand hall, with an arched ceiling and commemorative plaques on the walls. Shutterstock

Fort Washington Park

George Washington ordered three batteries to be built for cannon aimed at British-occupied Boston across the river.

These mounds are what’s left, the last reminder dating uninterrupted to the 18th century of the Continental Army’s Cambridge presence.

The cut metal figures in the park include four meant to represent Continental Army soldiers.

Three cut metal figures representing 18th-century soldiers in a public park. Shutterstock

Vietnam Memorial Park

This park within the Back Bay Fens includes a monument honoring those killed during the Vietnam War and a map on the ground of Vietnam itself.

World War II Memorial Park

Located in the Back Bay Fens and erected in 1949, this monument built around a winged Victory memorializes the more than 3,000 Bostonians who died in Second World War.

Soldiers and Sailors Monument

Completed in 1877 on the highest point on Boston Common, the memorial honors Bostonians who fought for the United States during the Civil War.

A tall, cylindrical monument with a bronze statue on top. Shutterstock

Joseph Hooker statue

Unveiled in 1903, this statue outside of the Massachusetts State House commemorates Joseph Hooker, who commanded the Army of the Potomac in 1863 and famously declared, “May God have mercy on General Lee, for I will have none.”

A bronze statue of a man on horseback. Shutterstock

Hall of Flags

This marble hall in the Massachusetts State House commemorates Massachusetts soldiers who fought in conflicts stretching back to the Revolution.

It draws its name from a tradition, dating back to the Civil War, of Massachusetts service members donating flags to the commonwealth. (Though the flags on display are really replicas, with the originals with textile conservators.)

A rotunda with a stained-glass ceiling and flags arrayed around the rotunda. Shutterstock

Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial

The sculpture commemorating the Civil War role of the 54th Massachusetts, the first all-black regiment in the American army, and that of its commander, Robert Gould Shaw, took sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens nearly 14 years to complete.

It was unveiled in 1897. It is due to be removed in spring 2020 for several months of restoration work.

A bronze relief of an officer on horseback and his soldiers around him. Shutterstock

Bunker Hill Monument

The monument commemorates the first major battle of the Revolutionary War on June 17, 1775. It was technically a British win, though the steadfastness of American soldiers signaled a longer conflict to come.

The 221-foot obelisk dates from 1842 and its interior is open most days for climbing; and there’s a museum across the street dedicated to the battle and the surrounding Charlestown neighborhood.

An aerial view of city buildings in Boston. In the foreground is a tall monument. In the distance is a body of water and a skyline with many buildings. Shutterstock

Charlestown Civil War memorial

Dating from 1872, this granite memorial commemorates U.S. soldiers and sailors from Charlestown who fought in the Civil War.

It is located in the same field where colonial minutemen trained during the Revolution.

A wide view of a stone-mounted memorial with statues on top. Shutterstock

Boston Massacre site

In March 1770, British soldiers opened fire on a crowd of demonstrators, killing five and wounding 11. The event helped spark the Revolutionary War.

A round bronze marker built into the sidewalk of a city street. Shutterstock

U.S.S. Constitution and USS Constitution Museum

Honoring the world’s oldest naval vessel still afloat (born: 1797), the museum especially chronicles Old Ironsides role in the War of 1812.

The ship itself is available for tours.

A cannon facing away from a ship hole. Shutterstock

Old North Church Memorial Garden

Established in 2006, this garden was the first public memorial to those killed during the Second Iraq War and the war in Afghanistan.

To this day, whenever an American is killed serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, an Old North Church gardener adds a nameless dog tag to the memorial.

Dozens of dog tags hanging together against a brick background in a memorial garden. Shutterstock

Massachusetts Korean War Veterans Memorial

The memorial to the more than 1,500 Massachusetts casualties in the war—and the dozens still missing—is located in the Charlestown Navy Yard and was finished in 1993.

A bronze statue of a man partially enclosed in an open-air stone statue. Shutterstock

Beirut bombing memorial

Located in Christopher Columbus Park and unveiled in 1992, this monument commemorates those killed in the 1983 terrorist attack on a Marine barracks in the Lebanese capital.

A circular memorial built into a park, with a taller wall on one end of the circle. Gibson Sotheby’s/Boston Herald/Getty

Dorchester Heights monument

Located at the center of Thomas park, this marble monument dating from 1902 commemorates “a battle that never happened,” according to the City of Boston.

That is, the British ceded the heights to George Washington’s fortified troops there, and evacuated Boston in March 1776.

A tall stone tower. Shutterstock

Dorchester Vietnam Veterans Memorial

This granite monument dates from 2006, and honors those from Dorchester killed during the Vietnam War.

Massachusetts Fallen Heroes Memorial

This 50-foot, five-sided obelisk honors service members with Massachusetts ties who have died fighting since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The memorial, which was rededicated in May 2019, also includes what its designers called a Memorial Grove.

People standing before a transparent glass memorial with names on the glass. Boston Globe via Getty Images

South Boston Vietnam War Memorial

Located in Medal of Honor Park (sometimes called M Street Park), this monument commemorates those from South Boston who died fighting in Vietnam. Everyone listed came to the park as children.

The monument dates from 1981, making it quite possibly the oldest Vietnam War memorial in the country. It was rededicated in September 2019.

South Boston Korean War Memorial

The Castle Island monument dating from 1993 honors the 20 Southie men who died in the early 1950s war.