The Norman B. Leventhal Map Center

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The Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library, created in 2004, is a nonprofit organization established as a public-private partnership between the Library and philanthropist Norman Leventhal. Its mission is to use the collection of 200,000 maps and 5,000 atlases for the enjoyment and education of all through exhibitions, educational programs, and a website that includes more than 7,700 digitized maps at maps.bpl.org. The map collection is global in scope, dating from the 15th century to the present, with a particular strength in maps and atlases from the New England region, American Revolutionary War period, nautical charts, and world urban centers.

The Leventhal Map Center is located on the first floor of the Library’s historic McKim Building in Copley Square. It includes an exhibition gallery that features changing thematic exhibitions, a public learning center with research books and computers, and a reading room for rare map research. Other elements include a world globe three feet in diameter and a Kids Map Club with map puzzles, books and activities.

Educational programs for students in grades K to 12 are offered to school groups on site and in the classroom. More than 100 lesson plans based on national standards are available on the website, and professional development programs for teachers are scheduled regularly throughout the year.

The Leventhal Map Center is ranked among the top ten in the United States for the size of its collection, the significance of its historic (pre-1900) material, and its advanced digitization program. It is unique among the major collections because it also combines these features with exceptional educational programs to advance geographic literacy among students in grades K to 12 and enhance the teaching of subjects from history to mathematics to language arts. The collection is also the second largest in the country located in a public library, ensuring unlimited access to these invaluable resources for scholars, educators, and the general public.

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The Norman B. Leventhal Map Center

700 Boylston Street
Copley Square
Boston, MA 02116

Directions/Transportation/Parking

By subway:

Green Line to Copley Station.

Orange Line to Back Bay/South End Station. Walk down Dartmouth Street to Copley Square.

By car:

Interstate 93 (from north or south): Take Storrow Drive exit. Take Copley Square exit off of Storrow Drive. The exit deadends at a signal light. The cross street is Beacon. Take a right on Beacon Street. While on Beacon Street, you will cross Berkeley, Clarendon, and Dartmouth Streets. The next street is Exeter. Take a left onto Exeter (it is a one-way street). While on Exeter, you will cross Marlborough Street, Commonwealth Avenue, and Newbury Street. The next cross street is Boylston. The Library is on the corner of Exeter and Boylston Streets. The Leventhal Map Center is located on the first floor of the McKim building, just off of the courtyard.

Mass Pike (Interstate 90): Come all the way into the city on the Mass Pike. Take the Copley Square exit (the sign will read: Prudential Center, Copley Square). The exit road will split, follow the Copley Square (right) lane. You will exit the tunnel onto Stuart Street. You will be on the right hand side of the street. Move to the lane furthest left. Take the left at the next light, Dartmouth Street (approximately 500 feet from the tunnel exit). The Library is on the left of Dartmouth Street, after the next light (approximately 500 feet). The Leventhal Map Center is located on the first floor of the McKim building, just off of the courtyard.

For more information

Website : http://maps.bpl.org/

Email : maps@bpl.org

Phone : 617 859 2387

Twitter : @bplmaps Follow bplmaps

Facebook : NBLMC