Situated on Beacon Street overlooking Beacon Hill, this gold-dome building is the Massachusetts State House, also called the New State House. It is the state capitol and seat of the government for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It was designed by the noted architect Charles Bulfinch, and completed in 1798.

Across the main entrance of the State Capitol, is the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, depicting Colonel Shaw leading the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Voluntary Infantry– the first all-black regiment, marching down Beacon Street in May 1863. This memorial was unveiled in 1897.