Boston City Hall

Boston, United States

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

Opening hours: Mo-Fr 08:30-17:00
Wheelchair access: Accessible
Phone: +1-617-635-4500

From OpenStreetMap — confirm before travelling

Find out more

Boston City Hall, completed in 1969, is the seat of city government in Downtown Boston's Government Center and stands as a major example of Brutalist architecture. Designed by the firms Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles and Campbell, Aldrich & Nulty following a 1962 design competition, the nine-story building features a distinctive tiered massing that reflects its interior organization: public spaces on floors one through four, elected officials' offices on the fifth floor, and administrative agencies above. The facade combines brick on the lower levels with concrete above, with protruding hoods around the fifth-floor windows and upper stories that cantilever outward around a central courtyard. Inside, the building houses a plaza lobby spanning two stories, a council chamber and mayor's suite, and various offices. Designated a Boston Landmark, City Hall received the American Institute of Architects' 1969 Honor Award and was ranked among the nation's greatest buildings in a 1976 poll, though it later suffered maintenance issues that prompted renovations beginning in the 2010s.