Old South Meeting House

Built in 1729, Old South Meeting House was a Puritan house of worship. Old South was Boston’s largest building during the time of the Revolution, and big things happened inside.  This old church furnished Boston’s boisterous patriots with a stage for their impassioned protests.  They even started the Boston Tea Party here after Samuel Adams delivered the coded message.  “This meeting can do nothing more to save the country!” he pronounced to the assembly.  Colonists, led by the Sons of Liberty and disguised as Native Americans left Old South and walked quietly and purposefully to the waterfront where they dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor.

British soldiers soon retaliated, turning this “sanctuary of freedom” into a place to drink liquor and exercises their horses. 

Old South is now a museum but was almost lost forever when it was slated for demolition in 1876.  Determined preservationists saved it within minutes of the wrecker’s ball’s first strike. Old South's reputation as a place for history-making oratory has continued through the generations. You can go inside to visit "Voices of Protest," a permanent exhibition that tells Old South's story over two centuries. It's a sometimes disturbing, often inspiring, frequently controversial, but always fascinating story of the people who have made history within these walls.

“Here the men of Boston proved themselves independent, courageous freemen worthy to raise issues which were to concern the liberty and happiness of millions yet unborn.”

Anonymous poem

Old South Meeting House
310 Washington Street
617-482-6439
November - March: daily 10:00 - 4:00
April - October: daily 9:30 - 5:00
www.oldsouthmeetinghouse.org