Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial — Attraction in Boston

I've been wanting to see this memorial site for over 25 years now and just a few days ago I finally happened to have the opportunity because I was passing through Boston on a family trip.

I was quite disappointed to find the memorial and the land roundabout was completely surrounded by 6ft high chain-link fencing and that fencing was obscured by an admittedly nice vinyl covering. According to the information printed on the vinyl covering they are performing some much needed cleaning and renovations and also adding to the memorial. I walked around the fenced area hoping to capture a glimpse of the memorial but it was mostly obscured. That said, the vinyl covering is printed with a history, complete with pictures, of the 54th and Robert Gould Shaw, the history of the memorial and also the making of the movie Glory. Like I said, the covering is quite nice and you can tell a lot of thought and money was put into it.

I've been told that they covered it up after some graffiti was put there but from what I can find it was already scheduled for the cleaning and renovations before someone defaced the back of the memorial and that the graffiti was already removed.

At the end of the day, even though I was actually pretty heartbroken over not being able to see the memorial with my own eyes, I didn't leave entirely disappointed. I was glad to know the city of Boston not only placed the memorial in a premier space in Boston Commons - right across the street from the capital building - but that the city was clearly spending quite a lot of money in order to renovate it. In a time when some memorials are being (understandably) torn down, we absolutely should be taking the time to care for the ones that deserve to stay.

Another thing I found pleasure in was the walk my family and I took through Boson Commons. It was on a gorgeous Sunday evening and there were families and groups of friends enjoying their time together in the park. It is such a beautiful and peaceful place and, in my opinion, is the jewel of the...

We visited on a Wednesday morning in mid-June 2025. We were doing this as part of the Freedom Trail. It sits directly across the street from the Massachusetts State House. It sits right off the sidewalk directly adjacent to the road. It feels like everyone is constantly watching you here. For being only 9AM in the morning it was very busy. We were able to get a picture without other people in it but it was a challenge.

We actually saw a cast of this as well at the St. Gaudens National Historic Site. St. Gaudens was the artist who was commissioned to create this masterpiece. If you wanted to see this without all the crowds, that's the...

I saw this memorial in 2011 and it reminded me of the unity in common cause between Black and White, Native American and other which aided thr victory of President Abraham Lincoln and the Union over the vile forces of slavery and racial prejudice. May we summon the spirit of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the brave soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts wherever and whenever the Republic is in peril. By such a virtue we overcome! Let us honor them and remember the cause of freedom and solidarity in that pursuit...