Mapparium

Around the World in Twenty Minutes:

Boston’s Mapparium

by Mary Jo Kurtz

My second-grader, Joey, is studying the continents, so we’re spending a lot of time looking at maps and globes this year. He is genuinely interested in world dimensions and far-off islands like Australia and Japan. The Mapparium, I imagined, might be a great place for Joey to visit. 

I had never been to the Mapparium, but it has been on my list of things to do for many years. It is a three-story high stained glass replica of the earth. From its center, you can see all of the continents in perfect proportion without the distortion of a two dimensional paper map.

The tour is only twenty minutes long. So we made a quick stop before heading out to a family dinner in Boston. My husband and I took 8-year-old Joey and our 18-year-old son, Sam.

The Mapparium is located in Boston’s Christian Science Plaza, and the building alone is worth the price of admission. The waiting area is The Hall of Ideas, a stunning collection of architecture and art. Building styles from more than twenty countries are collected here, including German tile mosaics and Czechoslovakian glass windows. The area danced with a bit of whimsy because of its technological display of words and quotes projected onto the walls and floor. The words moved around the room, and read of freedom, spirituality, politics, and courage. It was a lovely distraction from our wait, and Joey was having fun chasing words across the floor. 

When the time came to begin our tour, we were escorted through a door and into a 30-foot wide replica of the world. The structure is made up of 608 stained glass panels attached to a bronze framework and lit from the exterior. It was designed by architect Chester Lindsay Churchill and built in 1935. The Mapparium reflects the political boundaries of that year.

“Whoa,” I whispered as soon as I entered. And my words literally came back to haunt me! The acoustics are extraordinary. Because it is a nonporous sphere, the globe bounces voices back. You will sound as if you are whispering in your own ear. It is very cool, especially to young kids like Joey.

As we crept across the walkway from one side of the earth to the other, our eyes were taking in its immensity and oddity at the same time.

Our tour guide reminded us that we were looking at the earth inside-out. The dimensions, he added, are accurate because of the concave positioning. He pointed out long forgotten labels such as Siam, Italian East Africa, and the Soviet Union. This is the view of the world as it was in 1935, he explained, and it provides an historic image as well as an artistic and geographical one. 

The tour we joined was about twenty people in size, and we were spread out over a clear walkway that spanned the center of the earth. My only disappointment was that the walkway had been covered with a rug, which prohibited the sensation of floating in the center of the earth. Our guide told us that was done for safety - and because so many people found it creepy to hover over Antarctica. 

While there is really no bad place to stand during the tour, it was fortunate that we were situated near a small computer screen in the Pacific Ocean. A 6-minute presentation plays on the screen during the tour and explains how the world has changed since the Mapparium was built. While it plays, a light show takes place outside of the globe and highlights areas that are being discussed. This makes it easy for young children to follow the conversation.
 
Before shuffling our tour out to make way for the next, our guide suggested that we test the acoustics. By standing on one side of the walkway, our whispers could be heard magnified onto the other side, he explained. After a few seconds of shy looks by the people in our tour, I decided to take advantage of the moment and embarrass my children. Well, I didn’t actually want to embarrass them. But I did want them to hear the acoustics. After all, how often do we get to stand in the center of the earth?

I walked through the small crowd and across the planet, leaving my family in the South Pacific. “Testing. One, two, three. I see you guys over there,” I said in a normal voice. My words echoed loudly through the sphere and everyone turned to stare at me. Some chuckled politely. My husband and kids glared at me, to order me to stop. But I couldn’t stop. This was fun!

“Hey, Joey, try this!” I yelled from across the earth, making Joey’s eyes pop with embarrassment. But I knew, deep inside, he wanted to try it. 

“Mom! Stop it!” he blurted out. But then a big grin covered his face. The acoustics were bouncing back at him and he started to laugh. Within a few seconds, everyone on the tour was calling out, talking and giggling, and listening to their echoes. The entire tour was enjoying the strange acoustics. We started a little earth party, and it was silly.
 
We left the Mapparium and headed to the waterfront for dinner. Our dinner was full of questions: When did Alaska become a state? How do you clean that much glass? What happens if you drop your ticket stub onto Antarctica? 

The Mapparium was an interesting find and a great conversation starter. When you go, be sure to check out the electric clocks that surround the equator. Each reflects changing time zones. Remind your kids that ten million people have traveled through the Mapparium! And be sure to congratulate them for being able to walk from the Indian Ocean to the South Pacific in just twenty minutes. Now, that’s impressive!

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"Around the World in Twenty Minutes: Boston's Mapparium" has appeared in Bay State Parent Magazine, Massachusetts.  

For information on assighments or reprints for your publication, contact Mary Jo Kurtz at thebluehouse@charter.net.