Old State House

Completed in 1713 as the seat of Massachusetts colonial government, the Old State House is one of the city's oldest public buildings. The site is closely associated with key Revolutionary events: the Boston Massacre occurred nearby on March 5, 1770, and the Declaration of Independence was publicly read from its balcony on July 18, 1776. Today the building operates as a museum interpreting colonial and Revolutionary-era Boston. It stands at the intersection of historic King (now State) Street and major downtown thoroughfares.