The Mapparium can be experienced only with a guide. As you traverse the 30-foot (9.1-meter) glass bridge that cuts through the interior of the globe, the view is enhanced by an original audiovisual presentation that uses words, music, and LED lights to illustrate how ideas can change the world. The Mapparium also has acoustics that turn the room into a whispering gallery. Letters and other artifacts document the construction and significance of the Mapparium.
Go on your own, or as part of a tour of Christian Science Plaza and other Christian Science buildings in the city. Access to the Mapparium is included in some Boston sightseeing passes.
The Mapparium is a must for geography, history, or architecture buffs.
While access to the Mary Baker Eddy Library is free, there’s a fee to enter the Mapparium.
Photos and videos aren’t permitted inside the Mapparium.
There’s an on-site gift shop.
The Mary Baker Eddy Library and Mapparium are located in Christian Science Plaza in the Back Bay neighborhood. Take the Green Line subway to Prudential, Symphony, or Hynes Convention Center station. The Harvard-Dudley bus 1, the CT1 bus, and the sightseeing trolley also stop nearby.
The Mapparium is open daily. Tours run regularly and last around 20 minutes. Visitors wanting to spend more time there may be allowed to join a subsequent tour, if space permits.
The founder of the Christian Science movement, Mary Baker Eddy was also the driving force behind the construction of the neoclassical headquarters of the Christian Science Publishing Society and the Romanesque First Church of Christ, Scientist. Learn more about her life and achievements in the Mary Baker Eddy Library.
