Federal Hall National Memorial

Main entrance Federal Hall National Memorial

Quick Facts

Amenities

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Baby Changing Station, Elevator, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Restroom, Trash/Litter Receptacles, Wheelchair Accessible

Located at 26 Wall Street in New York City's Financial District, Federal Hall is the birthplace of American Government. Formerly a British colonial city hall, in 1789 it was reconstructed and became the seat of the new American government. On April 30th of that year, a crowd assembled in front of its second floor balcony to watch George Washington take the oath of office as our first President of the United States. It also housed the first Congress, Supreme Court, and Executive Branch offices. The current structure took more than a decade to complete, opening in 1842 as the United States' first customs house. In 1862, the building served as a United States Sub-Treasury location. Gold and silver bullion were stored in the basement vaults. John Quincy Adams Ward's bronze statue of George Washington was erected on the front steps in 1882, marking the approximate site where he was inaugurated as President. Now, the building serves as a museum and memorial to our first President and the beginnings of the United States of America. We are open Monday through Friday, 9-5 pm, and a ranger at the Visitor Center is available to help you.
Services: Restroom, Bookstore.

Federal Hall

Federal Hall, built in 1700 as New York's City Hall, later served as the first capitol building of the United States of America under the newly ratified Constitution.

George Washington Inaugural Bible

The Inaugural Bible is the book that was sworn upon by George Washington when he took office as the first President of the United States. The Inaugural Bible has subsequently been used in the inauguration ceremonies of several other U.S. presidents.

John Peter Zenger Exhibit

The Zenger case did not establish legal precedent in seditious libel or freedom of the press. Rather, it influenced how people thought about these subjects and led, many decades later, to the protections embodied in the Unites States Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Sedition Act of 1798.

George Washington Statue

In 1882, John Quincy Adams Ward's bronze George Washington statue was erected on the front steps of the recently rebuilt Federal Hall, marking the approximate site where Washington was inaugurated as President in the original structure.

Customs House Exhibit

The third structure on this site was a customs house built in 1842. The interior vaults constructed at the time were used to store duties on imported goods. Later, they were used to store gold and silver when the building was used as a sub-treasury in 1862.

Federal Hall Exhibit

This room contains displays that explain about the construction of Federal Hall as well as information about George Washington, our nation's first president who took his oath of office here on April 30, 1789.

Eastern National Bookstore

The Eastern National Bookstore at Federal Hall contains a wide variety of merchandise, including postcards, memorabilia, reproduction colonial currency, DVDs, children's gifts, and an extensive book selection.