Colton Hall

Colton Hall is a government building in Monterey featuring Greek Revival architecture with white walls made from local shale and a columned portico facing Pacific Street. The structure has two floors, with the lower level presenting local history exhibits while the upper floor recreates the spaces where the constitutional convention took place.

In 1849 the building hosted California's first constitutional convention, where 48 delegates gathered to draft the state's constitution before admission to the Union. This event marked a pivotal moment in California's transition to statehood and established the legal framework for the new state.

The upper floor displays artifacts and documents from the 1849 Constitutional Convention, showing how California's founders debated and shaped the state's early laws. You can see the actual room where these discussions took place, giving a sense of the conversations that shaped the region.

The building is centrally located in Monterey between Jefferson and Madison Streets and is easy to find within walking distance of downtown attractions. Both floors are accessible to explore, and you can move through at your own pace to focus on areas that interest you most.

The building was partly funded through local fines and tax revenue, making it a remarkable community project under Walter Colton's leadership. When completed in 1849, it stood as California's largest public building at that time.