The Mapparium: Boston's "Hidden Gem"

Want to explore Boston beyond Faneuil Hall? Read about The Mapparium below!

One of Boston’s hidden gems is the Mapparium, a three-dimensional stained glass globe portraying the world as it was known in the year of its creation. Located inside of the Mary Baker Eddy Library, the Mapparium is not on many tourist’s lists of places to visit when in Boston. Travelers often go to well known attractions first , such as Faneuil Hall or the Franklin Park Zoo, before exploring other places around the city. These popular sites are still great, however, Boston’s lesser-known areas arguably make the city what it truly is. To get into the Mapparium, one must first go through the Mary Baker Eddy Library.

The Mary Baker Eddy Library is originally home to the Christian Science Publishing Society, a group that produced a journal called the Christian Science Monitor (Mary Baker Eddy Library). Eddy was the founder of the Church, hence why the building was named in her honor. In addition to honoring the founder of the Church, some of the artwork in the lobby pays homage to internationality of the magazine, such as the illuminated ships, maps, and trade routes. The lobby itself is comprised of imported material from almost every continent, which is pointed out by the tour guide on your way into the Mapparium (pretty cool if you ask me!).

Upon entering the Mapparium, guests are submerged into the year 1935, an era bustling with new technology and many of the most iconic events in modern-day history. The year 1935 includes “[the formation of] Alcoholics Anonymous, [the] US Social Security Act [is] signed into law, [the] Gallup Poll [is] introduced, Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Pacific, Parker Brothers release Monopoly, The Peoples car ( Volkswagen Beetle ) is launched in Germany, Persia is renamed as Iran, [and the] First Public Housing Project [is] launched in New York” (The People History). Not to mention the United States was at the height of the Great Depression AND World War Two began in October of this same year. These iconic events are just a glimpse into what the world was like at the time the Mapparium was built. The stained glass globe has not been updated since its creation, meaning the map as it was in 1935 is how it is portrayed. In 1935, most of Africa and the Southeast was under imperialist control, which is interesting to see demonstrated on the map. The changing country lines as time goes by is highlighted during the presentation, starting way back before the 1900’s and ending in 1935. Each time a country is brought up, the lights for that country glow and the name is said over the loudspeaker. It is quite the challenge to keep up with all of the names and lights going off while looking around a 360 globe to pinpoint where that country they brought up was, but nonetheless it is very entertaining! After the display of the worlds past up until 1935, there is a screen that describes everything occurring afterwards, including every decade leading up to President Trump’s presidency.

A fun fact about the Mapparium is that there is a bridge in the middle that guests stand one, which allows to the full 360 globe to immerse visitors into the exhibit. When one person stands at the very edge of the world (aka the edge of the globe), the person at the other ends is able to clearly hear the person on the other edge. This does not work if one person in the pair is not on the very edge, or if the person is on the edge does not speak clearly. It is interesting because anywhere else on the bridge cannot hear, meaning only the two people on opposite ends of the “Earth” can understand one another. This is another good use of symbolism, created by the creators of the Mapparium.

If the library or Mapparium portions aren’t your style, make sure you enter the restrooms (as pictured above) before you leave. The bathrooms in the Mary Baker Eddy library are some of the cleanest, most beautifully designed restrooms I have ever seen in my entire life. These bathrooms were voted to be some of the coolest in the United States! (This was brought up by our lovely tour guide, however, I cannot find which award they were referring to ). I could have spent just as much time in the women’s restroom as I did in the Mapparium! Lastly, don’t forget to check out the gift shop. I bought a globe keychain to remind myself of the Mapparium, though there are many other trinkets and fun options to take home.

The Mapparium gives "The Boston Globe" a whole new meaning. Tucked away from the public eye, this work of art feels like hidden treasure to those who discover the site. The Mary Eddy Baker Library also has its own unique features, which are fun to explore before stepping into the Mapparium experience. If you're looking for a cool site that not many tourists know of, the Mapparium is the perfect spot.

Works Cited

“Mapparium.” Mary Baker Eddy Library, 13 Mar. 2020, www.marybakereddylibrary.org/project/mapparium/.

The People History -- Steve Pearson. “What Happened in 1935 Important News and Events, Key Technology and Popular Culture.” The People History, www.thepeoplehistory.com/1935.html.

“The Publishing House Lobby.” Mary Baker Eddy Library, 28 Feb. 2017, www.marybakereddylibrary.org/project/the-publishing-house-lobby/.