The 306’ Monument was built over a hundred years after the Revolutionary War to commemorate the Battle of Bennington.

On August 16, 1777, Vermont’s Green Mountain Boys, the New Hampshire Militia and volunteers from Massachusetts defeated 1,400 British troops that had set out for Bennington to capture supplies stored at the site where the Monument stands today.

The British lost 900 men that afternoon, 200 killed in Battle and 700 captured. Most of the men who fought on the British side were German mercenaries, part of a force of 30,000 fighting for England.

After the war the site of the supply storehouse became a place to celebrate the victory. Those who fought and then their descendants celebrated Bennington Battle Day at the State Arms Inn that stood in place of the storehouse. Nearly a hundred years after the battle the local historical society, prompted by an ex-governor and historian, Hiland Hall, began the process to build an appropriate monument to pay tribute to the men who won the victory. The Bennington Battle Monument Association evolved and eventually accepted the design of J. Phillip Rinn, a Boston architect who proposed a massive obelisk that would “tower above its surroundings and attract the attention and excite the admiration of the distant beholder.”

Construction started in 1887 and within two years the Monument reached its full height of 300 feet and the capstone was mounted on the top. In 1891 the year of Vermont’s centennial of statehood, a grand dedication ceremony attended by the President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison, marked the completion of the project and the opening of the Bennington Battle Monument.

Today you can ride a guided elevator to the observation level with spectacular views of three states. Inside there is a diorama of the Battle, a 400 pound cast iron kettle captured from the British and several displays. There are several statues and small monuments on the grounds surrounding the Monument along with a gift shop that specializes in historical items relating to the Battle and the history of Vermont.

The Monument is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, every day from mid April until October 31. A small admission fee is charged.