Federal Hall stands on Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, facing the New York Stock Exchange, with a large bronze statue of George Washington on its front steps. It marks the spot where Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States in 1789, when New York was briefly the nation's capital. Federal Hall today is a national memorial run by the National Park Service, and it is one of the easiest pieces of early American history to fit into a day downtown.
What Federal Hall is and why visit
The original building on this site was New York's City Hall, which became the first seat of the United States Congress. It was here that Congress met in its first session and where the Bill of Rights was proposed. That building was demolished in the early 1800s. The Greek Revival building you see now was completed in 1842 as the city's Custom House and later served as a sub-treasury. It is a handsome building in its own right, with tall columns outside and a round, domed hall inside.
For visitors, the appeal is the combination of a striking interior, small exhibits on the birth of the federal government, and its location at the heart of the Financial District.
Getting to Federal Hall by subway
The nearest station is Broad St on the J and Z lines, which comes up right by the corner of Wall Street and Broad Street. Note that the Z runs only at rush hours, and the J is the everyday option.
Plenty of other lines stop within a few minutes' walk:
- Wall St on the 2 and 3, near William Street.
- Wall St on the 4 and 5, at Broadway by Trinity Church.
- Rector St on the R and W, and Fulton St, a larger hub, a short walk north.
The streets here are narrow and busy on weekday mornings and at lunchtime, so allow a few extra minutes.
Federal Hall tickets and opening hours
Entry is free. There is no ticket to buy, though you will pass through a security check at the door. The building is usually open on weekdays and may close on weekends and federal holidays, but hours change, so check the National Park Service page for Federal Hall National Memorial on nps.gov before you go. Park rangers are often on hand to answer questions and sometimes give short talks.
Because the building sits in the middle of the Financial District, security around Wall Street can be tight, with barriers and police posts on the surrounding streets. This does not usually stop you reaching the entrance on foot, but it is one more reason to travel light and leave large bags at your hotel.
Best time to visit and how long to stay
Most people spend 30 minutes to an hour inside. Mid-morning or mid-afternoon on a weekday works well, after the commuter rush. Federal Hall makes a natural stop on a walk through Lower Manhattan that also takes in Trinity Church, the Stock Exchange and Battery Park.
The steps outside are a popular place to sit and watch Wall Street go by, and the Washington statue is best photographed in the morning or late afternoon, when the narrow street gets some light.
Highlights at Federal Hall
The Washington statue
The bronze statue by John Quincy Adams Ward was unveiled in 1883 and stands near where Washington took his oath on a balcony of the earlier building.
The rotunda
The round central hall with its coffered dome and marble columns is the most impressive space inside.
The inauguration exhibits
Displays cover the first inauguration, the first Congress and the Bill of Rights. Among the objects on show is a piece of the stone slab on which Washington is said to have stood.
The old vaults
Traces of the building's time as a treasury remain, a reminder of how closely money and government were tied together on this street.
Nearby on the same stop
- New York Stock Exchange: across the street, best seen from outside.
- Trinity Church: at the top of Wall Street, with Alexander Hamilton's grave in its churchyard.
- Charging Bull: the bronze bull at Bowling Green, a short walk south down Broadway.
- Fraunces Tavern: a historic tavern and museum where Washington said farewell to his officers.
To see more around the station, open Federal Hall on Around the Metro, or explore other stops on the New York subway map.