The Main Hall

Built in 1729 as a Puritan house of worship, the Old South Meeting House was the largest building in colonial Boston. From outraged protests over the Boston Massacre to the night when Samuel Adams gave the secret signal to throw 340 crates of tea into Boston Harbor, colonists assembled at the meeting house to debate British rule. Old South Meeting House was also the spiritual home of Phillis Wheatley, the first African American woman to publish a book of poetry.

Visit today to attend a Gallery Talk or view the Voices of Protest and Polly Sumner Doll exhibits. You can also access special exhibit content from your smartphone or other device! “If these walls could speak” audio program lets you listen in on key moments from the past—the Boston Tea Party debates, British officers riding horses inside the Meeting House, the Great Boston Fire of 1872, and more! Download a free QR code reader app before your visit.