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Museums & History| Official Website: Old Statehouse Museum Location: 206 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 02109-1702 map Phone:(617) 720-3290 In/Outdoor: Indoor Cost: $ see below |
Others to Consider: Boston Museum of Science, Quincy Market, Concord Museum, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Also known as Boston's 'Towne House', the Old State House dates back to 1713. It was the center of all political life and debate in colonial Boston. On July 18, 1776, citizens gathered in the street to hear the Declaration of Independence read from the building's balcony, the first public reading in Massachusetts. The Royal Governor presided here until the new State House was built on Beacon Hill in 1798. The Boston Massacre occurred beneath the balcony, where the Declaration of Independence later would be read for the first time to the citizens of Boston, an event reenacted each July 4. The massacre site is marked by a cobblestone mosaic in the sidewalk.
The building underwent a dozen incarnations after independence, housing the Supreme Judicial Court, then City Hall, a lodge of Masons and commercial stores. By 1875, officials planned to tear it down. But when the city of Chicago volunteered to buy the structure, irate Bostonians raised money to restore it in one of the first examples of historic preservation. Today, the building is run by The Bostonian Society as a museum commemorating Boston bloodshed in the American Revolution.
The Old State House remains the city's oldest public building, though it was renovated by an architect who used the wrong plans and put a spiral staircase where the assembly chamber was supposed to be. There were other indignities. In 1903, the historic edifice was unceremoniously elevated to make room for the subway. One of its most interesting exhibits is a noise gauge that registers the rumble of the trains beneath.
Also inside: displays of everything from corset hardware to ship models?including a vial of tea from the Boston Tea Party.
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 Cost |  Top |
Adults - $5
Older Adults (62+) - $4
Students (over 18) - $4
Children (6-18) - $1
 Tips | Top |
- Guided tours of this Freedom Trail stop are available by reservation only
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| We make best efforts to update information, but it changes frequently, so we cannot warrant it. Please call to check Old Statehouse Museum schedules, fees, and directions before making the trek. We help you, please help us. Report an Error if you find one. |
