The Mary Baker Eddy Library

Discover an extraordinary life. Explore an amazing world.

The Mary Baker Eddy Library opened in 2002 as a place for people to explore the life, ideas, and achievements of Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910), a remarkable nineteenth-century New England woman who overcame adversity to write a groundbreaking book on religion, health, and spirituality. She was a woman decades ahead of her time, pioneering such fields as business, education, and publishing.

Established as a cultural and historical institution, this world-class Library and museum provides educational experiences, programs, and exhibits featuring the Mapparium®, the Hall of Ideas®, and the Quest Gallery. The Library also offers user-friendly access to its vast collections through Research & Reference Services. As its primary resource, the Library’s collections include one of the largest collections by and about an American woman.

Mary Baker Eddy is a woman deserving of a place in history. She lived during a time when women had few options outside of marriage and virtually no voice to speak out in public. Eddy fought through those restrictions and helped all women make important strides forward in America. This Library is dedicated to her work, her life, and her remarkable achievements.

 

The MAPPARIUM®

This world-famous, three-story, stained-glass globe has been visited by over 10 million people since it was constructed in 1935. Be sure to be in the Hall of Ideas to start your tour and hear about the construction, history, and significance of this magnificent architectural and artistic achievement. Then traverse a thirty-foot glass bridge to the center of the world, as a rich orchestration of words, music, and LED lights illustrate how ideas transcend time and geography to change the world. 

The HALL OF IDEAS®

The Hall of Ideas was completed in 1934 at the height of the Great Depression. Materials were provided from around the world to fulfill architect, Chester Lindsay Churchill’s vision of a Neoclassical hall that celebrates our common heritage.

The Fountain is a modern, collaborative work by sculptor Howard Ben Tré and media designer David Small. Watch as hundreds of inspirational messages from over 3,000 years of influential thinkers bubble up from its center, spill onto the floor, and travel up the walls.

The QUEST GALLERY

Follow Mary Baker Eddy’s personal quest, from a youth of obscurity, defined by chronic illness and personal loss, to a life of renown, defined by her pioneering ideas and accomplishments. Today, Mary Baker Eddy is honored in The National Women’s Hall of Fame and is regarded as one of the most successful and influential women of the nineteenth-century.

In reaction of the yellow journalism of her day, Mary Baker Eddy founded The Christian Science Monitor in 1908 with the explicit mission "To injure no man, but to bless all mankind." Today, The Monitor is a Pulitzer Prize winning, international news organization that remains true to their mission. In the Monitor exhibit, watch as journalist, editors, photographers, and political cartoonists discuss their motivation behind working for this unique publication. The film also features teens discussing the role of journalism in today’s changing world.

 

 

Images Courtesy of The Mary Baker Eddy Library, Boston, MA. Hall of Ideas fountain by Howard Ben Tré.