Faneuil Hall in Boston

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See the Historic Sites web page for an interactive location map.

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OPERATING HOURS

Faneuil Hall is typically open Tuesdays through Sundays, except when closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Hours vary depending on the season. Get the current schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for Boston National Historical Park.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Faneuil Hall began as a marketplace with a town meeting hall on the second floor, and that’s exactly what it is to this day. Along with a small National Park Service information desk, the main level houses shops and food vendors, sort of like a high-end flea market. The second floor is home to the Great Hall, which still hosts public meetings and civic events. The hall is open to visitors when not in use. The bottom floor of the building is where the restrooms are located and from where Freedom Trail Tours depart.

Boston National Historical Park information desk at Faneuil Hall

Shops at Faneuil Hall in Boston

There are three large buildings behind the historic Faneuil Hall that make up the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Here you will find more shops and full service restaurants. These buildings are not part of Boston National Historical Park.

The courtyard behind Faneuil Hall is famous for hosting street acts, a practice that began in the 1970s. The acts are free, but the performers do pass a hat. The few acts I saw were pretty good, so it’s not like some untalented people just show up and start performing. The group running the Faneuil Hall Marketplace actually holds auditions each spring and books acts for the summer season.

Bob at Large performs outside Faneuil Hall

VISITING THE GREAT HALL

Great Hall at Faneuil Hall, part of Boston National Historical Park

The Great Hall on the upper level of Faneuil Hall is open to tourists unless there is a city-sponsored event. Visitors are allowed upstairs at their own convenience, and a park Ranger is on duty to answers questions. There are no wayside exhibits to speak of, so whatever you will learn about the Great Hall will come from the Ranger.

Side gallery of Faneuil Hall’s Great Hall, part of Boston National Historical Park

One of the most prominent features of the Great Hall is a large painting titled Webster’s Reply to Haynes, a scene that did not take place at Faneuil Hall, but at the old Senate Chamber in Washington, D. C., in 1830. The painting depicts a debate over federal land policies and import taxes, with the key players being Daniel Webster, a popular senator from Massachusetts, and Senator Robert Haynes from South Carolina. A wayside exhibit tells the story of the debate and provides a key as to who is who in the painting.

Webster’s Reply to Haynes painting at Faneuil Hall’s Great Hall, Boston National Historical Park

When all is said and done, the Great Hall is just a large meeting room, so other than snapping a few photos and listening to the park Ranger, there’s not much to it. Most people come in, take a look, and leave within a few minutes.

Rear of the Great Hall on the upper floor of Faneuil Hall, Boston National Historical Park

The Great Hall is still used as a city meeting place. New citizens are sworn in on a regular basis. High school graduations are held here as well. A Ranger told me that May is the worst time to visit because the Great Hall is closed for a graduation every time you turn around. Another popular time is election season, for every candidate wants to give a speech at Faneuil Hall. In general, the hall is closed to tourists a couple times a week for an event. If seeing the Great Hall is a priority, call the Faneuil Hall Visitor Center at (617) 242-5642 and ask if it will be open when you visit.

FANEUIL HALL HISTORY

Faneuil Hall was built in 1742 by Peter Faneuil as a government-sanctioned, central waterfront market place. At the time, Boston Harbor was just outside, so goods could easily be unloaded at the back door and sold at the front door. However, Bostonians didn’t like the idea of a government-run central market; two central marketplaces had already been burned down by disgruntled citizens. To get enough votes for his idea to become a reality, Faneuil offered to include a second floor that could be used as Boston’s city hall. The proposal passed, but only by a slim margin.

In 1761 a fire destroyed much of the interior. Instead of relying on Peter Faneuil for money, this time repairs were financed by a public lottery. By the time the renovations were completed two years later, strife between the American colonists and the British government was beginning to develop. As trouble grew, Faneuil Hall became a hotbed of colonial dissent. The Royal Governor and other Loyalists used the Old State House as their headquarters, while troublemakers like John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Paul Revere had Faneuil Hall.

After the Revolution, Faneuil Hall continued to house Boston’s city government, but by the end of the 1700s it had become too small. A decision was made to expand the facility to double its size, both in height and width, with the project being overseen by architect Charles Bulfinch. Work was done between 1805 and 1806. Part of the plan was to build a much grander meeting hall on the second floor, the result being the Great Hall. The interior has not been altered since, so what you see today is pretty much the way it looked when constructed in 1806.

Faneuil Hall Expansion

The Boston city government continued to meet in the Great Hall until 1822. After this time it was mainly used as a town hall where debates and other meetings took place. The hall is still used today for this purpose and can be reserved by anyone who wants to hold a civic-type event.

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