BOSTON — 1942 · Major Tragedy

The Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire

ClosedSources: ALast updated: 14 October 2026

On the night of 28 November 1942, a fire that started in the basement lounge of the Cocoanut Grove, one of Boston's most popular nightclubs, spread through the entire building within minutes, fed by flammable decorations. On Thanksgiving weekend the club held more than twice its legal capacity; the revolving door jammed with the crowd and some exits were locked or sealed. 492 people died, making it the deadliest nightclub fire in history. The original source of the fire was never determined. The owner was convicted of manslaughter. The disaster transformed fire-safety rules, from exit signs and outward-opening doors to bans on flammable décor, as well as the treatment of burns.

Date: 1942
Place: Massachusetts, USA, Boston, US
Category: Major Tragedy
Case Status: Closed
Coordinates: 42.3497, -71.0685 ↗

Timeline of Events

28 November 1942Fire broke out in the basement Melody Lounge and engulfed the building within minutes.
April 1943The owner was convicted on 19 counts of manslaughter.

1946The owner was released because of serious illness.
After 1943Rules on exits, revolving doors and flammable materials were tightened across the U.S.

Sources

National Archives Prologue — The Cocoanut Grove Fire archives.gov ↗
The Boston Globe — Victims of Cocoanut Grove fire remembered (2023) bostonglobe.com ↗
Wikipedia — Cocoanut Grove fire en.wikipedia.org ↗
U.S. National Archives (Prologue)
The Boston Globe
Wikipedia

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