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 are watching the budget and you only have one day.
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.
Our read - 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.
Our read
Is it a fit?
Go if
You are watching the budget
On a budget, Old State House still earns its price.
You only have one day
Even on a tight schedule, Old State House earns the hours.
You are traveling as a couple
As a couple, Old State House works.
You are traveling solo
Solo, Old State House works.
Think twice if
You are traveling with kids
With kids, it depends on the day.
You care about the visual experience
For beauty & photography, Old State House is hit or miss.
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.