Mapparium

Overview

The Mapparium is a three-story stained-glass globe that visitors walk through on a glass bridge, viewing the world's political boundaries as they appeared in 1935. Located inside the Mary Baker Eddy Library, this unique acoustic and visual experience is one of Boston's most unusual attractions.

Highlights

• Inside the Globe: A 30-foot diameter sphere made of 608 stained-glass panels illuminated from behind.
• Whispering Gallery Effect: The concave surface creates an acoustic phenomenon — whisper at one end and be heard clearly at the other.
• 1935 World Map: The globe preserves the geopolitical world of 1935, including colonial boundaries and countries that no longer exist.

History

Created by architect Chester Lindsay Churchill and installed in 1935, the Mapparium was intended to symbolize the global reach of the Christian Science Monitor newspaper. It has never been updated, deliberately preserving its 1935 worldview as a historical artifact.

Visitor Tips

• Brief but unforgettable: The experience takes only 5–10 minutes but is genuinely unique.
• Photography allowed: The interior is photogenic from every angle.
• Duration: 15–30 minutes including the library exhibits.