The Old South Meeting House was the largest building in colonial Boston and stands today as a symbol of the right to free speech and free assembly. The most well known meeting that took place here was held by the Sons of Liberty on December 16, 1773. The discussion in protest of the British tax on tea led directly to the Boston Tea Party, which took place later that very evening. 5,000 colonists gathered in the Old South Meeting House that day, an example of one of the larger crowds that could not have been accommodated by Faneuil Hall.

The building was completed in 1729 and was originally intended to serve as a Puritan meetinghouse, but was often used for public gatherings as well. Between 1775-1776 the British besieged Boston and made a point of destroying and vandalizing symbols of the patriotic cause. During this period they gutted the interior of the Old South Meeting House, brought in dirt and used it for a British riding school, and used other areas as lounges for the British soldiers. It took the congregation 8 years to raise enough funds to repair the building.

In 1872, the Old South Meeting House was almost destroyed by the Great Fire of Boston. The congregation built a new Old South Church at Copley Square and the original building opened to the public as a museum in 1877. Today the building is an active gathering place for meetings, lectures, and readings, in addition to featuring historical exhibits.