Old South Meeting House
The Old South Meeting House, at 310 Washington Street in downtown Boston, is one of the city's best-known historic meeting places. A Puritan congregation built it in 1729, and on December 16, 1773, thousands of colonists gathered in its main hall to protest the tea tax before the Boston Tea Party. Today it is a museum on the Freedom Trail, open daily, and one ticket also covers the Old State House. This page covers the history of the Old South Meeting House in Boston, what to see inside, hours and tickets, how to get there, and how to fit it into a Boston Sightseeing tour.
Location
Located at 310 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108, the meeting house stands at the corner of Washington and Milk Streets. The closest T stops are State Street (Blue and Orange Lines), Government Center (Green Line) and Downtown Crossing (Red Line).
On the Freedom Trail, the meeting house comes right after the Old Corner Bookstore and before the Old State House. If you are walking the trail, follow the red line along Washington Street.
Drivers should enter ZIP code 02108 or 8 Milk Street in a GPS, because a Washington Street address in Dorchester or Roxbury points to the wrong part of the city. The museum recommends transit or walking, since parking nearby is limited and can be expensive.
History Of The Old South Meeting House
The Old South Meeting House started as a church and became a gathering place for the whole town. Its story runs from a cedar meetinghouse in 1669 to a rescue campaign in 1876.
The 1669 Meetinghouse And The 1729 Building
The congregation, then known as the Third Church, built its first home on this corner in 1669, a wooden structure called the Cedar Meeting House. In 1729 it replaced that building with the one standing today, which was dedicated on April 26, 1730. Robert Twelves designed it, and Joshua Blanchard, a master mason who later built the original Faneuil Hall, built it. The tower and steeple rise about 180 feet, and the National Park Service calls it the largest building in colonial Boston.
December 16, 1773: The Meeting Before The Tea Party
By late 1773, ships carrying taxed tea sat in Boston Harbor. On December 16, as many as 5,000 colonists packed into the meeting house, according to the National Park Service, with Samuel Adams leading the debate. Governor Hutchinson had refused to let the ships leave, and Adams told the crowd that the meeting could do nothing further to save the country. That evening, a group of men boarded three ships at Griffin's Wharf and dumped more than 340 chests of tea into the harbor.
The tea was destroyed on the waterfront, not inside the meeting house. Our guide to the Boston Tea Party Museum covers that side of the story.
A Gathering Place Before The Revolution
The 1773 meeting was one of many. After the Boston Massacre in March 1770, annual orations marking the anniversary were held here until the Revolutionary War, with speakers including John Hancock and Joseph Warren. Benjamin Franklin was baptized in the congregation in 1706, in its first meetinghouse on this corner, and Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved woman who later became the first published African American poet, belonged to the congregation.
From British Riding School To Museum
In 1775, British troops occupied the building as retaliation for its role in the Patriot movement, gutted the interior and used it to practice horse riding. The congregation restored it for worship in 1783.
The Great Boston Fire of 1872 narrowly missed the building, and the congregation moved to a new church in Copley Square in 1875. The meeting house was then put up for sale, and in 1876 a public protest and a fundraising drive saved it from demolition. The National Park Service describes this as one of the first successful efforts to preserve a historic structure in New England. The building has been a museum since 1877, and Revolutionary Spaces has run it since 2020.
What To See At The Old South Meeting House
Most of a visit centers on the main hall and its exhibit, with the building itself worth a look from the street.
Voices Of Protest
The Voices of Protest exhibit sits in the main hall. It covers the history of protest and free speech in this building and beyond. Objects on view include tea leaves and a tea crate label from the Boston Tea Party, a 3-D model of colonial Boston more than 100 years old, John Hancock's portable writing desk, and a statue of Phillis Wheatley beside a first edition of her 1773 book. Entrance to the exhibit is included with admission.
The Tower And Steeple
From Washington Street, look up at the tower, which rises about 180 feet with its steeple. It makes a good photo stop on your way along the Freedom Trail.
Old South Meeting House Hours, Tickets, And Tours
The history is only half of the visit. This section covers when the museum is open, how to pay and what to expect.
Hours
Revolutionary Spaces lists the Old South Meeting House and the Old State House as open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (checked October 2026). Hours can change for holidays and events, so confirm them before you go.
Tickets And Free Admission
General admission is charged, and one ticket covers both the meeting house and the Old State House. Current prices are on the Revolutionary Spaces ticket page. Several groups get in free, including active US military, Boston Public School students and Massachusetts EBT cardholders, and the Revolutionary Spaces Ways to Save page lists the rest. A Boston Sightseeing bus ticket does not include museum admission.
Tours And Events
The Voices of Protest exhibit comes with admission, and the site also hosts talks and other programs, so check its calendar before you visit. Boston Sightseeing does not run tours inside the building. Our buses stop nearby, as described below.
Nearby Attractions
The meeting house sits in the middle of the Freedom Trail's downtown stretch, so the next stops are close.
The Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile walking route linking 16 historic sites tied to the American Revolution, passes the Old South Meeting House between the Old Corner Bookstore and the Old State House. The Old State House is about a three-minute walk away, and the Boston Massacre Site follows it on the trail.
Going the other way, the trail passes King's Chapel and the Old Corner Bookstore. The bookstore, at 283 Washington Street, dates to 1718 and later housed the publisher Ticknor and Fields. Boston Common, the spacious park where the Freedom Trail begins, is a short walk back along the route.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Old South Meeting House?
The Old South Meeting House is at 310 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108, at the corner of Washington and Milk Streets. The nearest T stops are State Street, Government Center and Downtown Crossing.
What is the Old South Meeting House known for?
It is known as the meeting place where thousands of colonists gathered on December 16, 1773, before the Boston Tea Party. Built in 1729, it is also a Freedom Trail site and one of Boston's best-known historic meeting places.
What is the history of the Old South Meeting House?
A Puritan congregation built it in 1729 to replace a 1669 meetinghouse on the same corner. It hosted protest meetings before the Revolution, was damaged by British troops in 1775, was saved from demolition in 1876 and has been a museum since 1877.
Who built the Old South Meeting House?
Robert Twelves designed it, and Joshua Blanchard built it. Blanchard, a master mason, later built the original Faneuil Hall.
Did the Boston Tea Party happen at the Old South Meeting House?
No. The meeting that led to it took place here on December 16, 1773, but the tea was dumped from ships at Griffin's Wharf on the waterfront.
What are the Old South Meeting House hours?
Revolutionary Spaces lists it as open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (checked October 2026). Confirm hours before you go, especially on holidays.
Is the Old South Meeting House the oldest building in Boston?
No. It dates to 1729. Old North Church, built in 1723, is the oldest standing church building in Boston.
Is the Old South Meeting House still a church?
No. The congregation, Old South Church, moved to Copley Square in 1875, and the building is now a museum and event space. The congregation returns once a year, just before Thanksgiving.
What is the difference between the Old South Meeting House and the Old State House?
They are two separate Freedom Trail sites that are about a three-minute walk apart, and one ticket covers both. The Old South Meeting House is the 1729 meetinghouse where the Tea Party meeting was held.
Is it Old South Meeting House or Old South Meetinghouse?
The site's official name is Old South Meeting House, written as three words. "Meetinghouse" is a common one-word spelling for this type of building.
How do I get to the Old South Meeting House on the Boston Sightseeing bus?
Get off at Stop 2, Old State House Museum, and walk about three minutes to 310 Washington Street. Every ticket that lets you hop off includes Stop 2. The Single Ride Pass is one loop without getting off.
Planning Your Tour with Boston Sightseeing
Boston Sightseeing runs hop-on hop-off double-decker buses with 15 stops across the city, and our tour map shows every one. Stop 2, Old State House Museum, puts you about a three-minute walk from the meeting house.
Every ticket that lets you hop off includes Stop 2. That covers the All Day tour (Stops 1 to 8, $41.55), the 2-Day tour, the Boston and Charlestown tours and the Cruise Terminal tour. The Single Ride Pass is one narrated loop, so choose a hop-off option if you want to get off and visit. Each ticket page lists the stops that ticket covers, and you can compare every option on our tour packages page.
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