Groundbreaking ceremony to take place this weekend for memorial to honor 492 victims who died in Massachusetts nightclub fire

BOSTON – A groundbreaking ceremony for the Cocoanut Grove Memorial, which will honor the 492 victims who died in the nightclub fire in 1942 is set to take place Saturday afternoon.

The ceremony marks the 81st anniversary of the fire.

The Cocoanut Grove was a popular nightclub built in 1927 and located at 17 Piedmont Street near the Park Square theater district in Downtown Boston. On November 28, 1942, a fire occurred at the nightclub. The fire was responsible for the death of 492 people and injured hundreds more, making it the deadliest disaster in Boston’s history.

The impact of the fire led to life saving medical advances in burn treatment, overhauled building codes, and improved fire safety regulations that have saved countless lives over the last 75 years.

The Cocoanut Grove Memorial Committee was established in 2015 to help Boston recognize this historic event. The committee proposed a memorial to honor the memory of the victims, survivors, first responders, and medical professionals.

In April 2021, Boston City Council awarded $250,000 in Community Preservation Act funds for the Cocoanut Grove Memorial. The City of Boston allocated an additional $450,000 toward the project as part of its FY23 capital budget.

The project site is located in Statler Park at 243 Stuart Street in the Bay Village neighborhood of Boston. It is one block from the former Cocoanut Grove site at 17 Piedmont Street. The site is adjacent to a six-way intersection and several Boston neighborhoods.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is expected to attend.