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The Faneuil Hall marketplace might be the most American place on the planet. Patriotism and consumerism all in one cobble-stoned promenade.
The history of the place and the retail shops there now make the Faneuil Hall marketplace a tourist trap for sure, but they also make it fun. Did you know that Faneuil Hall gets more tourists per year than Disneyworld? Right here in Boston - a bigger destination than Disneyworld.
But maybe that makes sense. There is something undeniably thrilling about seeing the pictures from your third grade history textbook come to life. And it's inevitable, that during your trip to Faneuil Hall you will find yourself debating with your friends over those third grade history lessons, and driving yourself crazy because you can't remember why Crispus Attucks is famous or what date the Declaration of Independence was actually signed. And that good clean fun of racking your brain for elementary school lessons will make Faneuil Hall a tourist destination forever. It will always be crowded and a little bit cheesy, as all tourist traps are, but that is okay.
Complain about the tourists all you want, but be aware they are what make Faneuil Hall a fun place to go. Without the tourists the man that juggles lawn chairs would be unemployed, or might take his talents to New Orleans. Because of the tourists the Faneuil Hall marketplace is always hopping, there are always people there and there will always be something for them to see and do. It's one of the few places in Beantown that is still alive after 10 p.m.
But the Faneuil Hall marketplace has managed to retain at least some of its history. It was established as a commercial marketplace, and it remains a commercial marketplace. Quincy Market used to sell wholesale meat and produce, now it hosts a food court - and that's fitting. Faneuil Hall itself has restored the upstairs meeting hall where Samuel Adams and company planned the American Revolution - park rangers give short presentations on the history of the area every half-hour, and they are surprisingly interesting.
If you are in the mood for an educational adventure or if you just want to get away from the crowds, climb up one more flight of stairs and visit the museum and armory of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. Tourists don't usually make it all the way up here to visit this small museum that has been a part of Faneuil Hall since 1746.
During Boston's renovation that began in the 1960s, a new crop of bars, restaurants, and comedy clubs sprung up in the area, making Faneuil Hall Marketplace a destination even after hours. History became very trendy as new clubs moved into the historical buildings, giving the entire area a face-lift and a hint of selling out its rich past in order to secure a future for itself. But overall, that's okay. Faneuil Hall is as Boston as it gets, and if it takes Banana Republic store to keep it here, then so be it.
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