State station
| Company type | Rapid transit station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
Area served | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Products | Subway services (Orange Line and Blue Line) |
State station—also referred to as State Street—is a subterranean Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) rapid transit facility situated in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts. It functions as the interchange between the Orange Line and the Blue Line and ranks among the four principal "hub stations" within the MBTA subway network. The Orange Line comprises two side platforms positioned on distinct levels, whereas the Blue Line operates with two side platforms located on a single level. The entire station is fully accessible.
The East Boston Tunnel, which later evolved into the Blue Line, began service in 1904 as a streetcar tunnel featuring Devonshire as one of its downtown stops. The Washington Street Tunnel, carrying what was then known as the Main Line (the forerunner to the Orange Line), opened in 1908 with platforms at Milk and State streets. In 1924, the East Boston Tunnel was adapted for use by metro trains. The MBTA introduced the Blue and Orange color designations for these lines in 1965 and unified station names under State in 1967. During the 1980s, the Orange Line platforms were lengthened to support six-car trains. A comprehensive refurbishment between 2006 and 2011 further extended Blue Line platforms and upgraded the station to meet full accessibility standards.
Station layout
State station stands out among Orange Line stations due to its two-tiered configuration, designed to accommodate the narrow Washington Street corridor intersecting with the East Boston Tunnel. The southbound Orange Line platform is located above and notably to the south of the northbound platform, connected by an extended pedestrian corridor once known as "the speedway." Beneath State Street and adjacent to the Old State House lie the Blue Line’s two side platforms, situated at roughly the same level as the southbound Orange Line platform; here, Blue Line tracks pass over the northbound Orange Line platform. The station also functions as a hub for several MBTA bus services.
Positioned between Government Center and Boston’s Financial District, State station features six entry points extending approximately . Following MBTA's system consolidation and station renovations, all entrances now grant access to both lines in every direction. Among these are an entrance integrated into the Old State House basement and four others embedded within commercial buildings. The northernmost entrance originally served Adams Square but currently primarily serves visitors to Boston City Hall.
Of the six entrances, three—Old South Meeting House (at Washington Street and Milk Street), 53 State Street, and 60 State Street—are fully accessible, equipped with elevators reaching platform levels. The remaining three—Old State House (at State Street and Devonshire Street), Devonshire Street at Water Street, and Government Center Plaza—do not offer accessible features. Additional elevators connect the northbound Orange Line platform with both the eastbound Blue Line and southbound Orange Line platforms, while an accessible ramp links the westbound Blue Line platform to the northbound Orange Line platform.
Public art
Several distinguished pieces of public art are displayed within the station:
- In March 1972, Robert V. Kennedy adorned the corridor leading to the southbound Orange Line platform with a rainbow-colored mural. This artwork, accompanied by now-defunct timed lighting effects, was commissioned at a cost of $9,000. Kennedy earned this commission by winning the 1971 competition for designing artwork at this station.
- Polychrome painted star, a 1975 enamel-on-porcelain mural created by Toshihiro Katayama, decorates the passageway toward the eastbound Blue Line platform.
- Adjacent to the Old South Meeting House entrance stands a black steel gate crafted in 1987 by artist Albert Paley.
East Boston Tunnel
The Blue Line segment commenced operations on December 30, 1904, as part of the East Boston Tunnel, initially accommodating streetcars traveling between downtown and East Boston. Originally named Devonshire after the nearby street adjacent to the Old Massachusetts State House, this station remains the sole surviving facility from the initial 1904 tunnel construction.
Although the original 1903 design intended for high-floor metro trains connected to the Cambridge Elevated line, a subsequent revision resulted in low platforms being constructed instead. Service began in 1905 with large bi-loading streetcars featuring high floors but accessible from low platforms, followed by larger center-entrance cars introduced in 1917; however, these vehicles did not fully satisfy ridership capacity requirements.
In 1921, the Boston Transit Department started converting the tunnel to accommodate high-floor metro cars. By 1923, authorization was granted to install high-level platforms at Devonshire and other stations. Construction of concrete high-level platforms at Devonshire started in late 1923 or early 1924, extending the station length by . The transition to high-floor metro rolling stock took place between April 18 and 21, 1924, with temporary wooden platforms facilitating service commencement on April 21; permanent concrete platforms were finalized by July 12. Traces of the original low platforms remain visible underneath.
An entrance from the Exchange Building lobby to the eastbound platform opened on March 31, 1937, but was shuttered around 1981 during construction at Exchange Place.
Washington Street Tunnel
Opened on November 30, 1908, the Washington Street Tunnel served Main Line elevated trains running between and . The tunnel housed two separate platforms functioning as distinct stations: the northbound platform was known as State (with access at State Street), while the southbound platform was called Milk Street (entrance at Milk Street), occasionally labeled Milk/State on transit maps.
MBTA era
Following its takeover in 1964, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) rebranded its lines in 1965 by designating the East Boston Tunnel/Revere Extension and Main Line El/Washington Street Tunnel as the Blue Line and Orange Line respectively. On January 25, 1967, the previously separate station names Devonshire and Milk/State were merged under a single name: State.
In 1971, the MBTA partnered with the Institute of Contemporary Art to organize "Design in Transit," a competition to create artwork for the southbound Orange Line passageway. Robert V. Kennedy’s winning concept featured vivid rainbow hues illuminated by timed lighting effects, which were installed in 1972.
That same year, a federal grant funded two-thirds of a $14.3 million initiative aimed at modernizing downtown stations. The MBTA also investigated connecting , , Washington, and State stations through pedestrian tunnels. During budget reductions in 1981, proposals surfaced to convert the City Hall (Adams Square) headhouse into an exit-only facility.
In the mid-1980s, an $80 million investment was made by the MBTA to lengthen platforms at seven Red Line and three Orange Line stations to accommodate six-car trains. On October 16, 1985, a contract worth $5.03 million was awarded for Orange Line improvements at State station. Construction commenced that year and concluded in 1987, extending both Orange Line platforms (with a prebuilt shell for northbound extension) and refurbishing the Milk Street entrance. Elevators were installed from Milk Street to the southbound platform and between Orange Line platforms, rendering both Orange Line platforms and the eastbound Blue Line platform accessible. Until renovations at Haymarket and North Station in 2001, State was the nearest accessible subway stop to North Station’s commuter rail terminal. Six-car train service began on August 18, 1987.
Between 1997 and 2000, State station bore the name State/Citizens Bank under a $500,000 corporate sponsorship deal with Citizens Bank, which sought eventual naming rights as Citizens Bank Plaza. This sponsorship ended without achieving that goal, reverting to simply State. During renovations at Aquarium station from October 14, 2000 to October 29, 2001, State temporarily adopted the name State/Aquarium.
Developments in the 21st Century
A major overhaul of State station commenced in November 2004. This initiative introduced accessible Blue Line entrances at 53 and 60 State Street, extended the Blue Line platforms to accommodate 6-car trains, and constructed a ramp connecting the inbound Blue Line platform with the northbound Orange Line platform. Although initially projected to conclude by 2007 with a budget of $38 million, the timeline extended and expenses increased due to complexities in maintaining station functionality during subterranean construction, including challenges such as drilling through historic foundations and seawalls. Additionally, a 2006 settlement addressing accessibility across the system mandated design revisions, notably replacing the elevator linking the platform levels.
The switch from token payments to the Charliecard system necessitated closing the Blue Line level from June 24 to July 1, 2006. Rather than replacing the existing elevator, a new inter-level elevator was installed in 2010. The station's reconstruction reached near completion by 2011, marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 26. The total expenditure amounted to $68.3 million, with approximately $12 million allocated for design and property acquisition. In October of that year, a commemorative plaque dating back to 1904, celebrating the East Boston Tunnel's completion, was reinstalled.
On June 24, 2019, the MBTA awarded a contract worth $29.7 million for a 16-month period focused on cleaning, updating wayfinding signage, and enhancing facilities at North Station, Haymarket, State, and Downtown Crossing stations. This work concluded in June 2021. Subsequently, the entire Orange Line, including platforms at State station, was closed from August 19 to September 18, 2022 for maintenance activities. A new "Charlie Service Center" began operations near the Old South Meeting House entrance on July 29, 2024, supplanting the previous CharlieCard Store located at Downtown Crossing.
In May 2020, an $8.7 million design contract was awarded by the MBTA for accessibility upgrades at State and another station. Planned improvements at State include installing two new elevators at the City Hall entrance, replacing two existing elevators, and refurbishing the Milk Street entrance. By 2021, design progress had reached 30%, advancing to 75% completion in 2022. Separately, in 2023, the original elevator connecting different platform levels was replaced in place.