Old State House
Boston's oldest surviving public building (1713), site of the Boston Massacre, now a small history museum.
The call
Worth it if you're watching the budget and you only have one day.
Short answer
Is Old State House worth it?
Old State House deserves a place on most first itineraries.
The answer depends on your budget, time and travel style; the breakdown below shows who gets the most value.
Why
- 01
The strangest collision of old and new in the city — a 1713 brick colonial building, balcony and lion-and-unicorn and all, hemmed in on every side by Financial District glass towers, with the T rumbling underneath.
- 02
The real charge is outside and free: the ring of cobblestones in the traffic island below the balcony marks where five colonists fell in the 1770 Boston Massacre, and standing on it while office workers stream past and buses idle a few feet away makes the history feel oddly close and oddly ignored at once.
Is it a fit?
Go if
You're watching the budget
Old State House earns the spend, even on a tight budget.
You only have one day
Short trip or not, keep Old State House.
You're traveling as a couple
As a couple, Old State House is an easy yes.
You're traveling solo
Solo, Old State House is an easy yes.
Think twice if
You're traveling with kids
With kids, Old State House needs the right timing and tolerance.
You care about the visual experience
Old State House offers some beauty & photography, but not enough to make it the reason to go.
Plan it well
- Cost
- ~$15 adults
- Timing
- Daytime; a 45-minute stop on the Freedom Trail.
- Booking
- No booking; ~$15 admission at the door.
- Allow
- 45 min
- Accessibility
- The historic building has stairs; contact ahead about access.
- Getting there
- State station (Orange/Blue) is directly beside it.