Colton Hall is one of Monterey's key civic landmarks. Built in the 1840s, it is best known as the meeting place for the 1849 constitutional convention that prepared California for statehood. The plain stone building carries more historical weight than its modest size suggests.
The museum inside is small, but it gives useful context for Monterey's brief role as a political capital and for California's transition from Mexican territory to American state. It fits naturally into a walk through Monterey State Historic Park, where adobe houses, gardens, and public buildings make the old town unusually legible.