Distant memories of the battles of Lexington and Concord reside deep in the hearts of public consciousness in the United States. Images of Revere and Dawes galloping through their famed midnight ride, the minutemen emerging fresh from the tavern to face the oncoming British, are conjured as an epic moment of heroism, however exaggerated some of these stories have become in the centuries since that pivotal time period. As someone who did not grow up in New England, visiting a place like this feels like entering a dream, treading upon sacred ground in which what once seemed like a fictional story becomes reality. Even with all of our current societal focus on the ills our country has perpetuated, everything that happened in this place has led us to this point, in a country that is hopefully continuously striving towards those strong ideals voiced by the nation’s founders.
As a child, I imagined this place to be a massive battlefield of epic proportions, perhaps influenced in my mind by some war movie showcasing thousands of men lined up in battle formation. In reality, the Lexington Battle Green is a fairly small park, a modest triangle of perhaps a few acres. It won’t take too long to walk around the entire place, even if you do stop to read the signs!
There are a few points of interest to note here. As what is essentially a war memorial, there are several monuments around the green dedicated to the event. The most visibly prominent is the central flag pole, dedicated on the 200th anniversary of the battle here and permitted to fly the American flag 24 hours a day, a rarity in public spaces. Secondary to that is the minuteman statue in the south eastern corner of the park, originally meant to be a generic representation of a minuteman, now seen as a symbol of their general, John Parker, who fought in the battle with mere months left to live after contracting tuberculosis. On the southwestern side of the park, a memorial burial site contains the remains of some of the fallen soldiers from that fateful day.
As a traveler, you will likely get the most out of this experience if you have some interest and recall of the history associated. The park itself is small, and aside from some very mature local tree varieties like maple, the park is not a natural paradise. For those interested in nature walks instead, there is a quite famous rail trail just north of the green. Plan to fill your day with other stops, such as museum visits, shopping or dining in downtown Lexington, if you are making a day trip here.
Parking availability may vary on the day but there is a decent amount of free two hour street parking. Unfortunately there is no train from Boston to Lexington directly, so you will need to transfer from the Red Line to a bus if you are coming from the city on public transit.