Old South Church Church

Address: 645 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116, United States

Website: https://www.oldsouth.org

Hours: Open weekdays and for scheduled services; call ahead for tours

Admission: Free (donations welcome)

Old South Church is a historic Congregational church in Boston’s Back Bay, located on Copley Square; its congregation dates to the 17th century and the present Venetian Gothic building on Boylston Street was completed in the 1870s.

The church’s interior includes a large sanctuary used for worship services, concerts and community events. Notable architectural features include polychrome stonework, decorative carvings and stained glass set within the 19th-century design.

The original congregation formed in Boston in 1669 and subsequently moved with the city as neighborhoods changed; the Back Bay edifice replaced earlier meetinghouses and has been the congregation’s home since the 19th century.

The church sits on Copley Square in central Boston, directly across from Trinity Church and the Boston Public Library, within walking distance of several transit stops.

• Founding and building: The congregation dates to 1669 and the current Back Bay building was completed in the 1870s in a Venetian Gothic style by the architects Cummings and Sears.
• Location: Located on Copley Square, the church is easily combined with visits to nearby Trinity Church and the Boston Public Library.

Old South Church is a short walk from Copley Square and accessible from the MBTA Green Line (Copley Station) or the Orange Line (Back Bay). The church sits at 645 Boylston Street, adjacent to other Copley Square landmarks.

• Enter during a weekday service to see the church in its intended use and to appreciate the choral acoustics
• Cross-reference the church's name with Boston's Copley Square landmarks to avoid confusing it with Old South Meeting House (near Faneuil)
• If photographing the interior, do so quietly-services and events are frequent