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Quincy Market Boston

Faneuil Hall Marketplace, 75 State Street, Boston Massachusetts 02109; Tel +1 617.523.1300

By Elizabeth Winter

Quincy Market Overview

For the past thirty years, Faneuil Hall Marketplace has been one of Boston’s premier destinations for both tourists and locals alike. Located in the heart of downtown Boston, visitors flock to the Boston Marketplace to enjoy local seafood as well as international cuisine, browse the shops and kiosks offering unique items from New England (and beyond) and to seek entertainment from the multitude of street performers that showcase their talents on the cobblestone walkways throughout the Boston Market.

Surrounded by the financial district, the waterfront, the North End, Government Center and Haymarket, Faneuil Hall Marketplace occupies a central Boston location making it easy for any visitor to access. Residing only five minutes from the New England Aquarium, The Children’s Museum, the Old State House, as well as Paul Revere’s House, Quincy Market is located within walking distance of many other popular Boston attractions. The Marketplace is central to the history and culture of Boston, and is a not-to-be-missed spot for any visitor to Boston.

Quincy Market History

Faneuil Hall Marketplace, often referred to as Quincy Market, is comprised of four buildings, the oldest, Faneuil Hall itself, dating back to 1742. Quincy Market is also a historic building, constructed in the 1800s, while the North and South Market are modern structures. All are grouped around a cobblestone colonnade.

Faneuil Hall was gifted to the city of Boston by French Huguenot merchant Peter Faneuil and served for nearly a century as an open food market and meeting space. The historic building is famous as the site where Sam Adams inspired locals to take up arms against the crown, resulting in Paul Revere’s midnight ride and the first shots of the Revolutionary War in nearby Lexington and Concord. Although a fire destroyed the original building in 1761, it was quickly rebuilt and over the years has been expanded and renovated. Quincy Market was later added to provide additional market space.

The modern Boston Marketplace has its roots in the 1960s when urban planner James Rouse had the idea to revive Boston’s downtown by building a marketplace to attract tourists and keep workers downtown after dark. The resulting Faneuil Hall Marketplace was so successful that similar marketplaces were soon constructed in cities all over the United States.

Quincy Market Shops

The Boston Marketplace attracts visitors throughout the year who come to enjoy the shopping. The Faneuil Hall building as well as the North and South Marketplaces are home to a wide variety of stores ranging from apparel to electronics and specialty shops. However those peddling wares unique to Boston and greater New England remain the most popular. The Museum of Fine Arts Store, the Bill Rodgers Running Center and the Bostonian Society Museum Shop, all reflect the history of the city and offer unique Boston memorabilia.

Quincy Market Restaurants

Many of the restaurants located in the Marketplace also contribute to Boston culture. Cheers, site of the wildly popular and long running television series, and Dick’s Last Resort, an entirely unique dining experience where waiters are actually encouraged to be rude to their guests, often making diners fetch their own beverages or rolling eyes at basic requests, are some of the most popular. Perhaps the most crowded place to eat in the Marketplace is the vast food court located inside the original Quincy Market. Here visitors can chose from cuisine ranging from Asian to German to Barbeque or best of all, local seafood, all at reasonable prices.

Quincy Market Street Performers

Much of the character of the Marketplace is derived from street performers who display a range of skills, for example one-man-bands, mimes and acrobats. Be certain to look out for Alakazam, an Australian comic contortionist, or the Dare Devil Chicken Club, a husband and wife acrobatic duo. Throughout the year, particularly in the summer, children and adults alike line the cobblestone walkways to enjoy such street performers, while taking in the historic buildings and views of Boston’s picturesque waterfront.

Hours: Mon-Sat, 10am-9pm; Sun, 12-6pm

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