Mary Baker Eddy Library

The Mary Baker Eddy Library is an interesting piece of history. The mapparium seems to be what they’re known for, but apart from that, there wasn’t much to see. The acoustics within the sphere are pretty neat, and the presentation is very amusing. Apart from a huge tourist spot, I don’t really see the reason to return or to explore everything. Apart from the mapparium presentation, everything seemed really bland.

I thought the mapparium was pretty cool with the feel and acoustics. Because of the shape of the room, sound travels all around depending on where you stand. You can whisper on one end and you can hear it at the other.
I really wish we were able to take a video or non flash photo of it but we were not allowed to. Also wished it was longer, maybe it could’ve been a tour of the mapparium and the library? In total the tour felt like it was 15 minutes.

So, we (my boyfriend and I) came here just for the Mapparium. I can’t speak to the rest of the library or anything about Mary Baker Eddy, buuuut I can tell you about that tour!
To see the Mapparium, we paid $ 4 ($ 2 discount with a student ID). They have tours pretty often, and the tour lasts about 20 minutes. Our guide spoke about the library for a few minutes outside of the Mapparium, and the rest of it was inside that globe. There’s a short light display (meh, it was informative, but the audio was terrible) The last half of the tour consisted of us trying out the special features in the globe, which were the echo and whispering galley effects.
When you’re inside, the globe doesn’t feel like it’s 3 stories high. You’re not supposed to take pictures because the image is trademarked, but it is definitely possible to sneak a few photos in. (Just be sure to turn your sound off — everything is amplified in there!)

The Mapparium in the Mary Baker Eddy library is a hidden jewel in Boston. I would definitely suggest checking it out if you have never been. I was however slightly disappointed that the time in the room is so short (15 – 20 min) and you are not allowed photography (not pointed out on their website)…so enjoy, but with your eyes only!

This is definitely a cool touristy spot. The architecture of the library is amazing. The Mapparium was a cool thing to check out. Sadly, you cannot take pictures of this amazing stained glass globe.

I love old architecture and history. And this place has both the modern and the historical touch to it.
I visited on the Columbus day, they had free entry to the mapparium and also an tour by the Architect himself. It was a fun informative session.
The mapparium room is gorgeous. The colors come out just right to lighten up your mood. It’s commendable how they thought of building something so unique and beautiful. You should definitely visit this place at least once. And the entry fee charged is way less than the experience.

The Mary Baker Eddy Library is worth a look if you are in the area with a bit of extra time on your hands, but it is certainly not a must-​see attraction, and I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to visit. Mary Baker Eddy herself is not a household name to most, but she is well known as the founder of Christian Science, with the publication, Christian Science Monitor still in wide circulation today. I would not say that I am an avid reader by any means, but I am definitely familiar with it.
There is an upstairs area dedicated to the life and times of the building’s namesake. It is a great learning experience to die hard nerds like myself (or fans of the magazine), but to be honest, there isn’t a whole lot to keep the casual person interested, and children might be apt to signal a run to the exits.
The star attraction of the library is undoubtedly the Mapparium, likely the main reason why most patrons pay a visit. It is basically a giant inverted globe that you walk inside of. Constructed out of 600+ stained glass panes, the map is frozen in time from the world as we knew it in the 1930’s. It is interesting to see how names and boundaries of countries have changed so much since.
Visitors are not allowed to enter on their own, so everyone has to wait for the guided tour. Photography is also not allowed. Walking on the bridge through the center of the earth along the equator is a unique and amusing experience. It almost makes you feel a bit like Professor X. Also fun is the fact that the design of the Mapparium itself serves as an echo chamber of sorts. Every whisper, snicker, and jeer can be heard by all. The tour guide initially tells the guests to keep it down while s/​he gives the scoop, but afterwards, everyone is free to have at it.
At $ 6 a pop, the admission price is affordable enough that even if you spend less than an hour, it won’t cause too much of a dent. It can add up rather quickly though if you’ve got little Billy and Sally along for the ride. The Mapparium tour is relatively short, but fortunately, you are able to go back for more rounds if you like.

Very nice. It’s short– you’re only allowed in there for 20 minutes, but you don’t need more. Plus, it’s inexpensive. Don’t let the fact that it’s a part of the Christian Science campus keep you away– it’s almost like one has nothing to do with the other.
We hit a few stops when we went. First we want to the Bodega shoe store which is a few blocks away. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth googling it and stopping by. Then, after the Mapparium, we walked to the Oakleaf Cakes Bake shop a few blocks down the road and had coffee and an awesome whoopee pie.

This place was pretty neat for a quick visit and priced affordably too. The Mapparium is basically a 2 story stained glass globe of the world that you can go inside of and view. The interesting thing about being inside a sphere is how well sounds and voices travel. We played around with that for a while and departed. No photography allowed!

Mapparium tour: 20 minutes is an overstatement, especially if you remove the part where your guide lets you or the recording take over the acoustic space. Interesting but barely worth 1 adult & 1 student = $ 10 (glared at IDs so skipped trying Senior rate)

WOW cool place. I’ve always been meaning to go, but I forget about this place because I love the Christian Science reflecting pool nearby — and I always have to swing by. The mapparium is really awesome. About $ 4 to go in if you are a student. $ 5 – 6 for general admission. You can only go as a tour and its about 15 – 20 mins. The tour guide talks and then there’s a quick show inside the mapparium. I would definitely recommend coming to see this place, it’s stunning. The whole thing is made of stained glass! I don’t want to give too much away, you just have to go see it at least once.

I came here for the Mapparium. The library itself is a whole different thing that I did not find much interest in. The Mapparium was something built within the library and requires a paid tour of 20 minutes to observe. It’s very interesting to be standing inside the globe and see the world 360 degrees. Also cool sound effects inside the mapparium. It is pretty awesome except that it’s so short and you do not get to take photos inside (bc it’s copyrighted? I don’t really understand, and was too scared to sneak a photo anyway). Overall, worth the visit!

Just here to talk about the Mapparium as I’ve never seen anything else at this location. As a map lover, I LOVE the Mapparium. It’s unique, it’s beautiful, it’s fun to play with the acoustics. I like to visit every few years just to soak it all in. One star taken away because they do not let you hang out inside long enough (I really like to pour over maps for a long while), AND no photos allowed. It’s such a great photo opportunity, really sad they don’t allow it.

This review is solely based on Mapparium and we were able to get free admission with our First Night buttons on the last day of 2014. Nothing short of awe and shocking whispers of coolness to be able to stand inside the sphere depicting the entire globe with precise, scaled accuracy. The state of the world at its construction in 1935 is quite different than it is now today and the comparison that one inevitably does in one’s head along with the recounting of historical events which led to the world as we live today only incites more profound interests, and definitely serves as a reminder of how far we’ve come in the intervening years. The tour is about 15 minutes long and then some time is given to marvel in the acoustic intricacies of standing in a sphere made of glass.
Upstairs also contains histories of Mary Baker Eddy and her journey in founding Christian Science. Unique experience. Though the regular admission prices of $ 6 does seem a bit steep.

This is one of the cheaper attractions in Boston – $ 6 for adults, and $ 4 for students with ID – and if you pair it with a visit to the Christian Science Reflecting Pool/​Plaza right next door (which is, of course, free), I’d say it’s definitely worth it. I stopped by on a gnarly, rainy weekday since I was in the area and have been meaning to check it out anyway, and ended up getting a private tour of the Mapparium since there were no other visitors at that time.
The Mapparium is approaching 90 years old, so at this point it’s more of a beautiful historical relic than an accurate representation of the world. I wish I hadn’t been limited to the time with a tour guide, since I could spend hours looking at the map and picking out the differences between the world as represented on the Mapparium and the modern world.
The price of admission also gets you into the small museum upstairs, which details the life of Mary Baker Eddy and the founding of Christian Science. It’s worth checking out even if you’re iffy about Christian Science, or religion in general, since MBE was a pretty revolutionary female figure in a time when most women were expected to be quiet homemakers.

I have been here several times, but realized I never gave the Mapparium a rating until I saw that they are having a Groupon deal now (and I may just buy it since it is good until March ’15).
The Mapparium is a REALLY cool place to bring an out-​of-​town friend, a history buff relative and/​or that friend/​relative who just thinks THEY know it all (we all know THAT person, right?). The globe was constructed in the 1930’s and there is just nothing like it anywhere else, so it is really cool to walk in the middle of the world — literally — in the 1930’s.
Oh, and don’t say anything too loudly because sound bounces off those glass tiles. Of course, unless you really WANT everyone to know what you are saying :)
Well worth a visit!!!

This might sound ignorant, but my friends and I entered the Mary Baker Eddy Library with no idea who Mary Baker Eddy was, just wanting to see the Mapparium. We paid $ 4 each (after showing student ID — it’s $ 6 regular) to get access to the upstairs area and a ticket to see the Mapparium. We went upstairs and quickly learned that Mary Baker Eddy was the founder of Christian Science. To be honest, I had no clue what Christian Science was about until I read about it on Wikipedia later that night. Had I known that the Library was affiliated with a religious movement, I probably would not have visited it, so I’m actually glad that I was clueless when walking in.
Though the upstairs area wasn’t very interesting (lots of reading of small text, letters written by Mary Baker Eddy, etc.), we stuck around for our turn to see the Mapparium (there is a scheduled guided tour that lasts just a few minutes). The tour guide was informative and gave background information about the Mapparium… then we entered it — WOW! It is described as being three stories tall, and though it didn’t seem that big while standing on the bridge, it was still very impressive. Sadly, photographs are not allowed while in the Mapparium, but truth be told, photos probably wouldn’t do it justice anyway.
The thing that really amazed me about the Mapparium was the acoustics in the room. As the tour guide explained, if you stand on one end of the bridge and whisper, a person on the other side of the bridge can hear you loud and clear. Also, if you stand in the middle of the bridge and speak, there’s a surround sound effect. Very, very cool. Just be careful not to hold any private conversations while in the Mapparium, because everyone will hear what you’re saying. I whispered to a friend that I’d take photos while the guide wasn’t looking… and the whisper sounded like it was coming out of a loudspeaker. Whoops.
Being inside the Mapparium once was enough for me, so I would not visit the Mary Baker Eddy Library again, but for anyone who hasn’t seen it before, I’d definitely recommend taking the tour. It’s well worth the $ 4-​$ 6.

I came here with a friend, not knowing what exactly to expect. With the $ 6 admission (adult; $ 4 student), you get a 20 min tour of the large, walk in globe. It is absolutely breathtaking! I won’t spoil the experience here, but I think if you have an afternoon free, this place would be a fun place to visit. (My only gripe: not sure if 20 min is worth $ 6…) The first floor is completely open to the public. The Hall of Ideas is very grand and calming– definitely worth a stroll. We also went to the other exhibits detailing Eddy’s life, and it was interesting to say the least.
All in all, I would recommend to come here if you have a free afternoon — you could learn something interesting, however, I would think it is a one time visit only.

I had heard about the mapparium online, and since I’m kind of a travel junkie I thought it’d be a cool little stop to check out the next time I was in the city. Today was the day it finally happened.
After being turned away from the 3:00 tour because we didn’t have a ticket (or know that we needed one), we stepped up to the front desk and paid the entrance fee. Admission is only $ 6 normally, but if you have a student ID you can get a ticket for $ 4. Solid deal.
The mapparium itself is really cool (definitely worth the cost of admission), and from a political perspective it’s really interesting to see just how much the world has changed in the past 80 years. Anyway, even if you don’t care about the history of it, the stained glass is beautiful, and a one-​of-​a-​kind sight. They tell you about some neat little acoustic quirks due to the shape of the room, play a short light show, and give you some time to look around.
For $ 4, or even $ 6, the mapparium is definitely worth checking out. Honestly, it’s probably only a one-​time thing, but the library surrounding it is an AWESOME place to hang out and do homework. They even have free wifi too, which is really nice.
Four stars because it’s a short trip and there’s not a ton to revisit, but definitely a cool Boston landmark.

Admission: $ 4 for students with school ID, $ 6 for adults
Closes at 4pm. Too early.
Mary Baker Eddy’s library is a lesser known, hidden gem next to the Christian Science museum. No, no Christian Science is not a cult and and it’s not related to Scientology.
The 2^nd floor gallery focuses on Mary Baker’s life («the only American woman to find a lasting American-​based religion”-cool!), what medicine and science was like in the 19^th century, and the evolution of The Christian Science Monitor publication. A little too much reading material jammed together from the exhibits, would’ve been better if there was a guide.
Interestingly, explanation of the faith of Christian Science and any religious connotations for the most part are absent. It’s funny how I learnt more about what Christian Science is from the brochure than I did from the gallery– they’re a faith that believes in praying and spiritual care rather than modern medicine to heal ailments. If we were all Christian Scientists, perhaps our society’s abuse of prescription meds and controlled substances would be put to an end.
Mapparium is the star of the show and the only guided part of the museum. It’s a stained glass, 3 story globe with a glass bridge running through the middle, giving you the unique vantage point of the world from the core. It’s stunning and beautifully done so countries look 3D. It’s a 1935 version of the world with a guided auditory light show. The acoustics wonder of Mapparium is the only one of its kind in the world given its spherical shape, well worth the $ 4!
You won’t be seeing the actual library on the 4^th floor unless you ask for permission from the receptionist.
Architecture and layout of the museum is another note worthy feature. The art and spaciousness of the Hall of Ideas was another favorite aspect of the museum.