Boston ยท Downtown
Omni Parker House
Harvey Parker opened it in 1855; the current tower dates from 1927. The hotel calls it the longest continuously operating hotel in the U.S.
- Built
- 1927Current 14-story building completed 1927 (Desmond & Lord for J. R. Whipple), replacing the original 1855 Parker House in stages; the hotel itself has operated since 1855.
- Style
- Classical Revival
- Architect
- Desmond & Lord (G. Henri Desmond), 1927; original 1855 hotel by William Washburn (demolished)
- Type
- Grand hotel
- Area
- Downtown
- Credentials
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Local landmark; Historic Hotels of America member
The story
Harvey D. Parker and his partner John E. Hunt opened the Parker House in 1855 at Tremont and School Streets, and Parker ran it until his death in 1884. The Saturday Club, whose members included Ralph Waldo Emerson, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. and Senator Charles Sumner, met here, and its talks led to The Atlantic Monthly. J. Reed Whipple’s company rebuilt the hotel as a 14-story Classical Revival tower that opened in 1927. John F. Kennedy announced his first run for Congress here in 1946 and held his bachelor party here in 1953, and the kitchen is credited with Boston cream pie and the Parker House roll.
The ghost story
Reported lore centers on founder Harvey Parker, whom guests and staff say they have seen as an older gentleman in period dress on the upper floors. The tenth floor is linked to orbs and unexplained voices, and the third floor to phantom cigar smoke and elevators that stop without being called.
Source: www.historichotels.org
Good to know
- Parking: garage nearby
- Elevator
- Address: 60 School Street, Boston, MA 02108
Things to do
Tours in Boston
Tours are sold by GetYourGuide and run by local operators. If you book one through these links, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Ratings and prices are GetYourGuide’s.
Sources (3)
- https://services1.arcgis.com/hGdibHYSPO59RG1h/arcgis/rest/services/MHC_Inventory_GDB/FeatureServer/0/query?where=MHCN%3D%27BOS.1973%27&outFields=*&returnGeometry=false&f=json
- https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/omni-parker-house/history
- https://pre-www.omnihotels.com/hotels/boston-parker-house/property-details/history
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.