Mary Baker Eddy Library & Mapparium

Back Bay

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The Mary Baker Eddy Library houses one of Boston’s hidden treasures. The intriguing Mapparium is a room-sized, stained-glass globe that visitors walk through on a glass bridge. It was created in 1935, which is reflected in the globe’s geopolitical boundaries. The acoustics, which surprised even the designer, allow everyone in the room to hear even the tiniest whisper.

Besides the Mapparium, the library has an odd amalgam of exhibits related to its full name, the MBE Library for the Betterment of Humanity. The 2nd-floor galleries deal with the ‘search for the meaning of life,’ both on a personal and global level. Eddy’s papers and transcripts are accessible with permission.

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