Old City Hall

★5.0

Northeast > Massachusetts > Boston > Old City Hall

Grinnell Point and Swiftcurrent Lake from the Many Glacier Hotel
Jeff P from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Home to Boston's city council from 1865 to 1969 was one of the first buildings in the French Second Empire style to be built in the United States

General Information

Hours:
Hours vary by tenant and events
Exterior and public areas viewable daily
Fees:
Free to view from exterior
Interior access depends on events, dining, or private functions
Pet Policy:
Pets are not allowed inside the building; leashed pets are allowed in nearby public outdoor areas
Closest cities with hotels:
Downtown Boston / Financial District
Seasons:
All year; spring through fall is ideal for walking tours and nearby historic sites
Location:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xh3mYqQ9mJw8r3Rf7 45 School St, Boston, MA 02108
Website:
https://www.oldcityhallboston.com/ oldcityhallboston.com

How to Get There

By Car from Downtown Boston: Drive toward the Financial District via Washington Street or Tremont Street, then turn onto School Street; Old City Hall is located between School Street and Court Street near Boston City Hall Plaza, with nearby parking available at Post Office Square and other downtown garages.

Overview

Old City Hall on School Street, along the Freedom Trail between the Old South Meeting House and King's Chapel, served as Boston's city hall from 1865 to 1969. It was one of the first French Second Empire buildings in the U.S., with a granite exterior, mansard roof, and a projecting central bay, and a National Historic Landmark since 1970. It is an early success in adaptive reuse and now houses offices and restaurants, including a Ruth's Chris Steak House.

Highlights

  • Boston Latin School site: the school stood here from 1704 to 1748, marked by a hopscotch in the sidewalk
  • Benjamin Franklin statue (1856): the first portrait statue in Boston, in the courtyard
  • Josiah Quincy III statue: the city's second mayor, by Thomas Ball
  • Democratic donkey: a bronze donkey with footprints "in opposition," on the site of the party symbol's origin

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Old City Hall (Boston)", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0

Statue: Richard Saltonstall GreenoughPhoto: Jim Reynolds from Akron, USA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
Calcias, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted