Federal Hall

In the earliest days of the United States under its new Constitution, New York City served as the nation's first capital, and Federal Hall was its seat of government. In the spring of 1789 George Washington took the oath of office there as the first President of the United States, standing on a balcony above a crowd on Wall Street, a moment that launched the presidency and the new federal government into being.

Within the same building the first Congress met and did the foundational work of the young republic: establishing the first federal departments and courts, and drafting and passing the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution that enshrined freedoms of speech, religion, the press, and more. Few buildings anywhere have hosted so many decisive moments in a nation's founding, and the site remains hallowed ground in American history.

The original Federal Hall where all of this took place was, by the standards of the young nation, a fine building, but within a few decades of Washington's inauguration it had been demolished, its role long since passed to other capitals. The grand structure that stands on the site today was built later in the nineteenth century, a stately Greek Revival landmark of columns and marble that served for a time as a customs house and then as a federal sub-treasury.

That later building is itself a handsome and historic structure, and it is preserved today as Federal Hall National Memorial, honoring the events that took place on its ground. Inside, exhibits tell the story of the site and its role in the founding of the nation, and a fragment of the balcony railing on which Washington is said to have stood is among the treasures on display, connecting visitors directly to that founding moment.

On the broad steps of Federal Hall, framed by its great columns and facing out onto Wall Street, stands a large bronze statue of George Washington, placed to mark the spot of his historic inauguration. Dignified and commanding, it is one of the most recognizable sights in the Financial District, and it draws a steady stream of visitors who come to photograph it and to stand where the first President was sworn in.

The statue makes a striking image, the solitary figure of Washington amid the columns, with the modern towers of Wall Street rising all around and the New York Stock Exchange just across the street. That juxtaposition, of the eighteenth-century founding and the twenty-first-century capital of finance, captures something of the sweep of American history in a single view, and it makes the steps of Federal Hall a memorable place to pause.

Federal Hall is run by the National Park Service and is free to enter, an often quiet and uncrowded oasis of history in the busy, canyon-like streets of the Financial District. It makes a rewarding stop for anyone interested in the American founding, and its central location puts it within easy reach of the many other sights of Lower Manhattan, from Wall Street itself to the nearby historic churches, memorials, and waterfront.

Because hours can vary, it is worth checking current information before a visit, but the site rewards the effort with a direct connection to the birth of the nation, standing on the ground where the government of the United States first came to life. In a city and a district defined by change and commerce, Federal Hall preserves a still, significant place where American history began.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.

Federal Hall, on Wall Street in New York City, is a national memorial marking the site where the United States first governed itself: it was here that George Washington took the oath as the first President in 1789, and here that the first Congress met and the Bill of Rights took shape. The grand Greek Revival building on the site today, free to enter and run by the National Park Service, is not the original hall, which was demolished long ago, but a later landmark honoring those founding events, marked by a bronze statue of Washington on its steps. A quietly powerful place amid the towers of Wall Street, it tells one of the most important stories in American history. Its founding significance makes it a compelling destination. A historic and moving landmark, it stays with visitors. With its founding history, Federal Hall offers a compelling destination in New York.

Yes, George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States at Federal Hall in the spring of 1789, standing on a balcony above a crowd on Wall Street when New York City was the nation's first capital. It was a defining moment that launched the presidency and the new federal government. The event took place at the original Federal Hall, which was demolished decades later, but the site is preserved today, and the bronze Washington statue on the steps of the present building marks the historic spot. Standing there connects visitors directly to that founding moment at Federal Hall in New York.

No, the grand columned building at Federal Hall today is not the original structure where George Washington was inaugurated in 1789. The original Federal Hall was demolished within a few decades, and the stately Greek Revival building seen today was built later in the nineteenth century, serving as a customs house and then a federal sub-treasury before becoming a national memorial. It stands on the same historic ground and honors the founding events that took place there, with exhibits and treasures including a fragment of the balcony railing associated with Washington's inauguration. Understanding this history enriches a visit to Federal Hall in New York.

Yes, Federal Hall is a national memorial run by the National Park Service and is free to enter, an often quiet and uncrowded piece of founding history in the busy Financial District. Visitors can view the exhibits telling the story of the site and its role in the birth of the nation, and admire the bronze Washington statue on the steps outside. Because hours can vary, it is worth checking current information before you go. Its free admission and central location make it a rewarding stop on a visit to Lower Manhattan and Federal Hall in New York.

Federal Hall is on Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York, directly across from the New York Stock Exchange, a few blocks from historic Trinity Church at the head of Wall Street, within half a mile of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center site, and near the Battery and the waterfront at Manhattan's tip, with its harbor views and ferries. That makes Federal Hall a compelling stop to combine with the other historic sights of Lower Manhattan on a visit to New York.