Massachusetts State House
The gold-domed state legislature on Beacon Hill, completed in 1798. It is the second stop on the Freedom Trail, and admission is free on weekdays.
Designed by architect Charles Bulfinch and completed in 1798, the State House is a landmark of Beacon Hill, and its gold-leaf dome can be seen from almost anywhere on the Boston Common. Admission is free on weekdays. Visit on your own or join a free guided tour to see the marble Hall of Flags, the House chamber, and the wooden carving of the “Sacred Cod” hanging in the chamber, a symbol of the fishing industry’s importance to Massachusetts. The entrance is on the Beacon Street side, and security screening is required. It is closed on weekends and public holidays. The front steps face the Boston Common, and the State House is the second stop on the Freedom Trail, a few minutes’ walk east of the Park Street Church and the Granary Burying Ground.
Opening hours
Mon–Fri guided tours 10:00–15:30 (check official website)
Nearby sights
- Freedom Trail
- Boston Common / Public Garden / Beacon Hill
- Old State House
- Quincy Market / Faneuil Hall
- North End
- Museum of Science, Boston
- Charles River Esplanade
- Old North Church