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Preserving the past and advancing the future of maps

A quarter million maps from the fifteenth century to the present tell the stories of Boston and the world

Learn about our collections

Inspiring learning through map education

Education programs help K-12 students and teachers discover the power of geography

Resources for teachers and students

Digital humanities bring geography alive

Innovative tools like our Atlascope portal offer new ways to engage with cartography

Explore digital projects

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For everyone

We offer a wide spectrum of services and activities for the general public

For K-12 teachers

Our educator resources support teachers in fields ranging from geography and social studies to STEM and world history

For researchers

Our collections open up countless ways of exploring people and places around the world, and we welcome researchers from all walks of life

Digital tools

Explore our collections and discover the world of historical geography from home

Search digital collections

Make a quick search of our main Digital Collections portal. For more, see Searching the Collections.

Explore Revolutionary history through geography

Our exhibition Terrains of Independence is currently on display at our free gallery at the Central Library in Copley Square.

Plan a visit

Upcoming Events

12
Dec

Facades of Urban Past — From the Vault Collections Showing

19
Dec

Favorite Maps of 2025 — From the Vault Collections Showing

8
Jan

Author Talk: Jim O’Connell on Boston and the Making of a Global City

All events

Articles

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