The John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center is a

convention center A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...

located in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. It was built in 1988 from a design by architects Kallmann, McKinnell & Wood. It replaced the John B. Hynes Memorial Auditorium, also a convention center, built in 1963 during the

Massachusetts Turnpike The Massachusetts Turnpike (colloquially "Mass Pike" or "the Pike") is a toll highway in the US state of Massachusetts that is maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The turnpike begins at the New York state li ...

expansion from

Route 128 The following highways are numbered 128: Canada * New Brunswick Route 128 * Ontario Highway 128 (former) * Prince Edward Island Route 128 Costa Rica * National Route 128 India * National Highway 128 (India) Japan * Japan National Route 128 ...

to the

Central Artery The Central Artery (officially the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway) is a section of freeway in downtown Boston, Massachusetts; it is designated as Interstate 93, US 1 and Route 3. The original Artery, constructed in the 1950s, was named after ...

, which was regarded as "ungainly". The 1988 design "attempted to relate in scale and materials to its

Back Bay Back Bay is an officially recognized neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, built on reclaimed land in the Charles River basin. Construction began in 1859, as the demand for luxury housing exceeded the availability in the city at the time, and t ...

setting, adopting granite and setbacks. The severe gray interior is reminiscent of an early 20th-century German railroad station". The Center is named after former Boston mayor John Hynes.

Function as meeting space

Physical characteristics

The building has of exhibit space and can accommodate up to four concurrent events. It features of meeting space with 38 permanent rooms and a grand ballroom.

Notable past events

Anime Boston Anime Boston is an annual three-day anime fan convention held in the spring in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Anime Boston was created and is run by the New England Anime Society, Inc., a Massachusetts-based non-profit organization. Pro ...

occupies the Hynes annually with approximately 25,000 attendees each year. *

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

Berklee High School Jazz Festival *

CollegeFest CollegeFest, founded in 1985, is one of the United States' largest festivals targeting college students. The 2-day event takes place on an annual basis in Boston, MA at the Hynes Convention Center. The purpose of CollegeFest is to introduce Boston' ...

First Night First Night is a North American artistic and cultural celebration on New Year's Eve, taking place from afternoon until midnight. Some cities have all their events during the celebration outside, but some cities have events that are hosted indoors ...

Boston *

Harvard Model Congress Harvard Model Congress (HMC) is the largest congressional simulation conference in the world. HMC provides high school students from across the United States and abroad an opportunity to experience American government firsthand. Although HMC is ...

* Harvard Model United Nations * iGEM Giant Jamboree

Location

The convention center is connected to the nearby

Prudential Center Prudential Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the central business district of Newark, New Jersey. Opened in 2007, it is the home of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the men's basketball program of Seton Hal ...

complex.

Transportation

The

is connected by aerial passageways to a nearby hotel complex and can be reached by public transportation via the

Hynes Convention Center The John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center is a convention center located in Boston, Massachusetts. It was built in 1988 from a design by architects Kallmann, McKinnell & Wood. It replaced the John B. Hynes Memorial Auditorium, also ...

station on the MBTA Green Line and, using the passageways, via the

station on the Orange Line,

Commuter Rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...

, and

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

Logan Express The Logan Express is an airport bus shuttle which operates between Boston Logan International Airport and Massachusetts suburbs. The service, which is funded by Massport, consists of five routes that run between all of Logan Airport's terminals ...

shuttles run directly to and from

Logan International Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport , also known as Boston Logan International Airport and commonly as Boston Logan, Logan Airport or simply Logan, is an international airport that is located mostly in East Boston and partially ...

Nearby hotels

Colonnade Hotel Boston
is connected underground via the Prudential Center T Stop and Prudential Mall. *

Copley Square Hotel The Copley Square Hotel is a hotel in the Back Bay area of Boston, Massachusetts. It was built in 1891 on Huntington Avenue and Exeter Street, and has the distinction of being the city’s second-oldest hotel in continuous operation. The Copley ...

* Newbury Guest House *

Mandarin Oriental, Boston Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group International Limited (MOHG) is a Hong Kong hotel investment and management group focusing on luxury hotels, resorts, and residences, with a total of 33 properties worldwide, 20 of which are fully or partially ow ...

* Hilton Back Bay * Sheraton Boston is directly connected to the convention center. * Marriott Copley Place is connected to the convention center via the Copley Place Mall. * Westin Copley Place is connected to the convention center via the Copley Place Mall.

Closure and redevelopment

On September 16, 2019, Governor

Charlie Baker Charles Duane Baker Jr. (born November 13, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 72nd governor of Massachusetts since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Baker was a cabinet official under two governors of Massach ...

announced his plans to close and sell the Hynes to finance an expansion at the

Boston Convention and Exhibition Center The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) is an exhibition center in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is among the largest exhibition centers in the Northeastern United States, with approximately 516,000 square feet (about 4.8 hect ...

Gallery

Image:Hynes Convention Center.jpg, Partial view of awning, Boylston Street entrance Image:HynesCenter2 BoylstonSt Bostn 2009.JPG, Boylston Street facade, 2009 Image:HynesCenter1 BoylstonSt Boston 2009.JPG, East facade looking south, 2009 Image:2009 HynesConventionCenter Boston 3367437972.jpg, Interior escalator, 2009 Image:2009 HynesConventionCenter Boston 3366619039.jpg, Interior corridor, 2009

References

* Patterson, Gregory A. "New Hynes Convention Center to open today". ''The Boston Globe'', January 21, 1988. p. 25. * Gold, Allan R. "Amid debate, Boston's convention center opens. (John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center)". ''The New York Times'' 137. January 23, 1988. * Goldberger, Paul. "Architecture view; How to Take the Curse Off Convention Centers". ''The New York Times''. February 26, 1989. * Campbell, Robert. "A second look at Boylston's new buildings". ''The Boston Globe''. September 12, 1989. p. 63. * Howe, Peter J. "Lawmaker urges veto for Hynes Center subsidy". ''The Boston Globe''. July 1, 1991. * Leigh, Scot. "Hynes chief says criticism from Malone harms center". ''The Boston Globe''. July 12, 1991. * Biddle, Frederic M. and Scot Lehigh. "Senate panel backs Hynes aid but limits effort to ease removal of convention center director". ''The Boston Globe''. October 30, 1991. p. 27. * Van Voorhis, Scott. Finneran says Hynes center could be sold. ''Boston Herald''. April 20, 2002. p. 18. * Palmer, Thomas C. Jr. "For sale: Hynes Convention Center? Board mulls future of Back Bay facility". ''The Boston Globe''. June 25, 2002. p. D1. * Van Voorhis, Scott. "Hynes center review affecting bookings; Bankers group doesn't commit to 2007 date". ''Boston Herald''. June 29, 2002. p. 16. * Editorial; "Goodbye to Joyce and Hynes Center". ''Boston Herald''. January 17, 2003. p. 22. * Thomas C. Palmer Jr. "Tentative tourists: prospect of Hynes Center's closing cuts into bookings". ''The Boston Globe''. November 26, 2003. p. D.1. * ''Governing Greater Boston: Meeting the Needs of the Region's People''. Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 2003. * "Boston's Hynes Convention Center, Garage Seen Worth Only $99 Million". ''The Boston Globe''. April 13, 2004. * Neuwahl, Janette. "Business leaders urge state to keep Hynes Center open; they cite revenue generated in area". ''The Boston Globe''. April 2, 2005. p. B5. * Howe, Peter J. "Despite cross-town rival, Hynes rallies". ''The Boston Globe''. August 23, 2005. * Sanders, Heywood
Space Available: The Realities of Convention Centers as Economic Development Strategy
Brookings Institution Research Brief, January 1, 2005. * Chesto, Jon. All signs point to a long life for the Hynes center. ''The Patriot Ledger''. Quincy, Mass.: January 21, 2006. p. 29. * Howe, Peter J. "Commission will urge state to keep Hynes convention center". ''The Boston Globe''. December 19, 2006. * ArchBoston.org
"Evolution of the Prudential Center: 1954–1989"
Discussion thread beginning March 7, 2007. * ArchBoston.org
"Hynes renovation"
Discussion thread beginning April 20, 2007. * Mohl, Bruce. "Hynes set to get $18m renovation. (John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center)". ''The Boston Globe''. April 21, 2007. * Darrow, Bryan. "Hynes Center to upgrade: older convention facility gets new lease on life in Boston. (News Line)". ''Meetings & Conventions'' 42.7 (June 2007): 18(1). * Abelson, Jenn. "Hynes Center signs deal with local restaurateurs". ''The Boston Globe''. April 4, 2009. p. B5.

External links

Kallmann, McKinnell & Wood

Massachusetts Convention Center Authority
owner of the Hynes Center {{BostonMA, state=collapsed 1988 establishments in Massachusetts Back Bay, Boston Event venues in Boston Commercial buildings completed in 1988 Convention centers in Massachusetts Economy of Boston Event venues established in 1988