Seat of the British Empire
Pass through these doors and you are transported to the birth of American independence. The Council Chamber, where the Royal Governor of Massachusetts met with members of his Council, was a nerve center for the British Empire in North America, and a direct link between Bostonians and the Crown. Today furnished with meticulous reproductions and interactive displays, visitors experience this room as it appeared more than 250 years ago. Sit in the Royal Governor’s chair, thumb through reproduction documents on display at the Council table, and explore how culture, commerce, and ideas combined to define a distinctly “British” Boston just prior to the American Revolution. Once an exclusive space for the most powerful men in Massachusetts, now all are invited to connect to our nation’s history.
More at the Old State House
- Reflecting Attucks
A virtual exhibit that examines the memory of Crispus Attucks, a man of African & Native descent who was the first to die in the Boston Massacre.Read more → - Unfinished Business Film Series
A film series exploring the legacy of protest, representation, and revolution embodied in our historical sites.Read more → - Hands on History
For young visitors and the young at heart, there’s no better way to understand history than to reach out and touch it at the Old State House.Read more → - Colony to Commonwealth
Your first stop in Boston! See how Massachusetts and its residents played a pivotal role in the birth of America.Read more → - Council Chamber
Once an exclusive space for the most powerful men in Massachusetts, now all are invited to connect to our nation’s history in this meticulously-restored 18th-century room.Read more → - The Queen’s Visit
Explore mementos and artifacts that commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s historic reign and visit to the Old State House in 1976.Read more →