What Is the Faneuil Hall?
The Faneuil Hall of today is a renovated revolutionary building and the first “Festival Marketplace!”
What Makes It Historical?
In 1742, Peter Faneuil made his last major donation to the city of Boston: a huge Georgian building meant to house a marketplace and a meeting hall. It was designed by painter/amateur architect, John Smibert, with a signature green grasshopper weathervane, just like the one on top of the Royal Exchange in London! Mr. Faneuil died before it could be completed, a man who’d made his fortune on international trade, selling quality cod to Europe and “refuse grade” cod to feed enslaved folks in the West Indies, in exchange for rum, sugar, and molasses. His involvement with the slave trade makes the nickname of this hall, the “Cradle of Liberty,” a little awkward!
But, that nickname got applied long after the hall’s benefactor passed on, because Faneuil Hall, which burned in 1761 and was rebuilt in 1763, played host to some of the budding nation’s most famous orators! Here, the likes of Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and James Otis railed against British taxation and rallied support for self government, even while Boston was occupied by British forces! Many years later, after its remodel by Charles Bulfinch, activists like Wendell Phillips, Charles Sumner, and William Lloyd Garrison took the stage here against slavery! Today, following its 1976 renovation, Faneuil Hall is still a marketplace for food and souvenirs with regular entertainment!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Become a member of Revolutionary Spaces!
- Donate to the Freedom Trail!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
Corner of Congress Street and North Street
Boston, MA 02109
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Faneuil Hall is open daily, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Thursday, from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM Friday and Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sundays!
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