Skip to content

The Sphinx

The Sphinx from directly overhead

The Sphinx is a historic site in Massachusetts, at a modelled elevation of 14 m. Whipple Hill stands 110 m to the north-northwest, 5.1 miles off. The nearest named place is Mary Baker Eddy Memorial, a historic site 0.2 miles away. Battle Road Scenic Byway passes 2.4 miles off.

What the record says

Material
granite
Inscription
American Union Reserved/ African Slavery Destroyed/ By the Uprising of a Great People/ By the Blood of Fallen Heroes.

What to expect

Official site

How to reach it

Coordinates42.37323, -71.14541

Overlooks nearby

Named places within 25 miles

Historic sites
Artworks
Peaks
Parks
  • Watertown-Cambridge Greenway: 0.3 mi
  • Watertown-Cambridge Greenway: 0.3 mi
  • Larch Road Park: 0.4 mi
  • Buckingham, Browne and Nichols (BB&N) Fields: 0.4 mi
  • Watertown-Cambridge Greenway: 0.6 mi
Gardens
  • Wallach Garden: 1.2 mi
  • Shawn Megan Memorial Garden: 1.2 mi
  • Penniman Road Community Garden: 1.3 mi
  • Harvard Community Garden: 1.4 mi
  • Adolphus Busch Hall Garden: 1.6 mi
Attractions
Beaches
  • Crystal Lake Beach: 4.4 mi
  • Borggaard Beach: 5.6 mi
  • Pleasure Bay Beach: 6.9 mi
  • Tenean Beach: 7.6 mi
  • Corinha Beach: 8.3 mi
Cliffs: 46
  • Lunch Wall: 3.5 mi
  • Temple Overhangs: 3.6 mi
  • Pusherman Wall: 3.6 mi
  • Lower Cliff: 3.7 mi
  • Upper Cliff: 3.7 mi
Picnic sites: 24
  • Pine Knoll: 5.5 mi
  • Oak Lea: 5.5 mi
  • Picnic Site 12: 5.6 mi
  • Nature's Pavilion: 5.7 mi
  • Picnic Site 11: 5.7 mi
Lighthouses: 6
Springs: 3
  • Quarry Spring: 4.8 mi
  • Pakomet Spring: 12.0 mi
  • Mystery Spring: 19.7 mi
Waterfalls: 3
  • Cascade Falls: 6.1 mi
  • Rock Falls: 14.0 mi
  • Wamesit Falls: 19.3 mi
Rest areas: 2
Ghost towns: 1

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 5.4 miles of The Sphinx. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Whipple HillNNW 338°110 m5.1 mi
Turkey HillNNW 341°107 m4.3 mi
Mount PisgahNNW 349°105 m5.1 mi
Mount IndependenceNW 319°101 m5.2 mi
Single Tree HillS 186°100 m3.5 mi
Waban HillSSW 212°98 m2.7 mi
Mount GilboaNNW 333°95 m4.3 mi
Wellington HillNW 311°91 m3.1 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox06:4918:2018:57
June solstice05:0919:4320:26
September equinox06:3318:0718:44
December solstice07:1115:3016:16

Local time (America/New_York).

Climate normals

Months averaging 5080 °F: May–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F283038495968747365534334
Precip in3.93.64.54.33.64.23.53.74.05.04.05.1

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Jamaica Plain, 5 mi away.

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapOfficial site

OpenStreetMap element node/8674063372

More historic sites in Massachusetts

Day trips start here

Drive to it

Byway plans a real route around stops like this one.

Private beta · Free to join

Take the scenic way to The Sphinx.

Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.

Private beta · Free to join · No card · Invite when a spot opens