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Faneuil Hall

The Cradle of Liberty

It was built in 1742 as a market building adjacent to a busy waterfront dock. Town meetings held here between 1764 and 1774 heard Samuel Adams and others lead cries of protest against the imposition of taxes on the American colonies. The building was enlarged in 1806. Social justice leaders like Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, and Lucy Stone brought their struggles for freedom here in the 19th century. A museum and gift shop dominate the first floor. Most people pronounce it with two syllables like "FAN-yull", while a minority prefer the three syllable "fan-YOU-ull" pronunciation. You'll be fine as long as you don't say anything crazy like "fa-KNEW-lee".

Getting there: T: State
Hours: 9AM-5PM daily
Price: Free
Website: nps.gov (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Boston/Downtown, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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