News Release

Battle Anniversary Kicks Off Summer Programming in Charlestown

Ranger Veronica interacts with a young visitor.

NPS Photo / Matt Teuten

News Release Date: June 14, 2022

Contact: Amanda Pollock

Boston, MA – National Parks of Boston kicks off summer programming in Charlestown with commemorative and family-friendly events to honor the 247th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17. These talks, tours, and hands-on, family-oriented activities provide visitors and community members with the opportunity to connect with each other while experiencing some of the most iconic historic sites across National Parks of Boston. 

On Friday, June 17, National Parks of Boston will host a series of talks, tours, and demonstrations to engage with community members and visitors. All programs take place on Bunker Hill grounds or in the museum. These programs include: 

• Decisive Day Talks - Join us at Bunker Hill Monument for a 20-minute overview of the battle. Talks will take place at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. 

• Hands-On History Cart - Learn about what people wore in the 1700s at Bunker Hill Museum. Cart available from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. 

• “Muskets, Men, and Liberty” Musket Firing Demonstrations – Listen to a ranger dressed in period clothing discuss why three men from different backgrounds stepped onto the battlefield. Please note the demonstration is quite loud and could be startling. Demonstrations will take place on Friday at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., with two firings taking place in relatively quick succession about 15 minutes after each program begins. 

• Walk the Battlefield – Join a park ranger on an hour-long walking tour and learn about what soldiers and civilians endured during the Battle of Bunker Hill. Program begins on Bunker Hill Grounds at 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. 

On Friday, June 17 at 3:00 p.m., the American Legion, J.W. Conway Bunker Hill Post No. 26 will host their annual Commemorative Exercises, in cooperation with the Bunker Hill Monument Association and National Parks of Boston. 

National Parks of Boston is also hosting Bunker Hill Family Days on Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19 from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Family activities, from arts and crafts to games provided by local company Knucklebones will be available on Bunker Hill Grounds for people of all ages to find relevance in the story of Bunker Hill. 

Starting the weekend of July 2, National Parks of Boston will begin to host regularly scheduled tours and talks on Bunker Hill and USS Cassin Young. These include regularly scheduled musket firing demonstrations on Bunker Hill on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. Regularly scheduled tours of the Freedom Trail will begin Monday, July 4. For most up to date information on things to do in National Parks of Boston, please visit our website. 

National Parks of Boston also provides regularly scheduled tours of the Black Heritage Trail® and the Boston Harbor Islands, though space is limited.  

About the National Parks of Boston: National Parks of Boston is a collection of three National Park Service sites – Boston National Historical Park, Boston African American National Historic Site, and Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park. Established by individual legislation and for designated purposes, the three units have come together under a unified organizational umbrella to collaborate in ways that celebrate our cultural heritage, reconnect people to history and nature, and provide outdoor recreation opportunities on land and on the water. For more information, visit: www.nps.gov/bost, www.nps.gov/boaf, and www.bostonharborislands.org.