There’s so much mystery to the Boston Custom House Tower. There’s debate on the exact year it was built, what it was used for, and how it’s now used.
While most people know Boston Custom House only from the facade, there’s a whole inside story. According to Boston.gov, the Custom House was built in the late 1830s with Greek Revival style architecture. At the time it was built, the Boston shoreline was entirely different. The bow of ships would essentially graze the Custom House Tower.
As the name suggests, tax collection, duties monitoring, and trade all took place at the building. As demands grew, the tower did too.
Rising another 371 feet, the building extended to include the iconic clock tower we all know and love.
In 1997 the famous international hotel brand, Marriott, opened a timeshare and hotel inside the Boston Custom House Tower, where it operates as the Marriott Vacation Club to this day.
The tower transformed from a place of trade into a hotel. The tower also includes an observation deck on the 26th floor, offering free tours at 2 PM six days a week. While the tours are free, advanced reservations are required and can be made by calling 617-310-6300 (x4 – front desk).