Inside the Mary Baker Eddy Library at 210 Massachusetts Ave in Boston, the Mapparium is a three-story stained-glass globe you can walk through on a glass bridge. Its more than 600 panels show the world as it was in 1935, with political names and borders that have since changed. A short presentation combines narration, music and lighting, and the globe’s curved glass creates striking acoustics. The visit also connects with exhibits at the library, including material on changes in the world since 1935.
A globe built to show the world of 1935
The Mapparium is inside the Mary Baker Eddy Library, the headquarters of the Christian Science Monitor. Designed by architect Chester Lindsay Churchill, it was built in 1935 as a three-story, three-dimensional map of the world. More than 600 stained-glass panels form the globe, which is about 30 feet in diameter.
The map was originally designed with panels that could be replaced as political borders shifted. In the 1960s, the decision was made to preserve the original design. The result is a historical map rather than a current one: country names and boundaries reflect 1935, including names such as Siam and the USSR.
Walking through the Mapparium
A glass bridge crosses the globe through its center, giving you a view of the map from the inside. The map’s curved surface presents the world without the distortion found in many flat maps. From the bridge, the surrounding continents and oceans fill your view.
The globe’s glass walls also shape the sound inside. They do not absorb sound waves, so a whisper at one end of the bridge can carry clearly to the other. A short presentation uses narration, music and LED lighting while you are inside. The time in the globe itself is limited to about five minutes, within a guided visit that may take around 20 minutes.
More to see at the library
The Mapparium is one part of a visit to the Mary Baker Eddy Library. The library has an exhibition about humanity’s progress since 1935, with profiles of historical figures connected to Christian Science Monitor journalists. It gives context for the gap between the world shown on the globe and the decades that followed.
The Mapparium was conceived to represent the idea of world consciousness for the Christian Science Publishing Society. Its preserved borders make the globe both an unusual way to view geography and a record of how the political map looked when it was made.
FAQ
Where is the Mapparium?
It is inside the Mary Baker Eddy Library at 210 Massachusetts Ave in Boston.
How long does a visit take?
A visit takes about 20 minutes. Time inside the globe is limited to roughly five minutes.
Can you walk inside the Mapparium?
Yes. A glass bridge crosses the center of the three-story globe.
Does the Mapparium show a current map?
No. It preserves the world’s political boundaries and place names as they were in 1935.
