Join us this Saturday for a special Open House program with our colleagues in BPL Special Collections. We'll focus on rare documents that tell the story of the American Revolution in Boston and reflect the unique collections held at the Boston Public Library.
Drop in any time from 12:00–4:00 pm.
This collaboration with BPL Special Collections brings together eight of the library's rare copies of the Declaration, as well as maps and other historical materials, to tell the story of how the news of independence made its way across North America during this moment. Admission is free.
A man looking at a copy of the Declaration of Independence in a display case
Our new exhibition, "Declarations: Printing a New Nation," opens to the public today in our gallery at the Central Library in Copley Square.
Photo credit: Mel Taing
Six sequential maps showing an expanding area of North America with dates in July and August
250 years ago, in the summer of 1776, the Declaration of Independence wasn't a celebrated historical document—it was breaking news.
Gallery closure. The Leventhal Center gallery will be closed Monday, March 30 through Friday, April 10 as we prepare for our new exhibition Declarations: Printing a New Nation.
The Leventhal Center gallery will be closed Monday, March 30 through Friday, April 10 as we prepare for our new exhibition Declarations: Printing a New Nation. Learn more about the exhibition here: www.leventhalmap.org/digital-exhi...
Explore the Declaration of Independence in a whole new way!
This year, the Declarations Trail brings together more than a dozen rare copies of the Declaration—different printings, created for different audiences—on public view across six exhibition sites in Greater Boston.
The Leventhal Center is excited to share that we're hiring a new Curator or Associate Curator of Maps & Geography!
If you’re passionate about digging deep into maps and their stories, we’d love to hear from you.
Apply by Monday, March 30, for full consideration: buff.ly/1I0bHuI
Learn how to use picture books to teach elementary students about the basics of geography, mapping and spatial awareness🗺️
You'll complete this session with a recommended book list and strategies for your classroom.
Register for the workshop here: buff.ly/3OQqJGz
Have you ever considered yourself something of a "map head"?
We're currently hiring for two positions!
Learn more and apply online: www.leventhalmap.org/about/jobs/
🎆On March 17, 1776, British rule in Boston ended 🎆
In this From The Vault map collection showing, take a look at maps that explore the Evacuation of Boston as we mark its 250th anniversary.
Drop in any time between 2:00PM - 4:00PM. No reservation is required.
❗Applications are open for our Small Grants program!❗
Are you working on a scholarly project that would come alive for the public through an interactive digital publication?
Apply by Monday, May 18, 2026 at 5 pm ET using this link: buff.ly/XD0xutQ
How can AI help institutions make millions of historic photographs more accessible and interesting to public users? 📸
This program is co-hosted by BPL Digital Services and the Leventhal Map & Education Center.
Register for the event here: buff.ly/WAXM9hk or tune in via YouTube at buff.ly/7Oco3jU
⛈️ Big storms may impact us today with transportation delays and snow days, but weather and climate have always affected how people think, act, and live.
Read the full article here: buff.ly/B4PamSZ
Learn more about our Small Grants program here: buff.ly/gQykYoj
Take a walk through the over a quarter million maps in the LMEC's collection with our Associate Curator during this segment on WCVB, Boston local news📺
The LMEC hosted a WCVB crew for a quick overview of our collection, exhibitions, and more.
Watch the segment here: buff.ly/OFSZZN6
The Leventhal Center will be open from 1-5pm on Tuesday, February 24 due to the severe weather.
The Leventhal Center and all BPL locations will be closed on Monday, February 23 for a snow emergency.
Throughout history, color has been used on maps for a number of different reasons 🎨
This free showing will be hosted Friday, February 27 in the Learning Center with a staff member from the Leventhal Center available to answer questions. Drop in any time between 2PM - 4PM. No reservation is required
map lovers, it has come to my attention that the @bplmaps.bsky.social has this fun online Atlascope, where they've uploaded old MA maps and then have layered them to explore.
www.atlascope.org
I am told, Worcesterites, that they just added an additional Worcester one.
What does a draft of beer reveal about the geography of our city?
You'll learn about how today's brewers draw on neighborhood histories to craft place-based identities, and consider questions about the city's relationship to industry, memory, and reuse. Read the full article here: buff.ly/I6aosHi
Join William Rankin in discussion with Catherine D’Ignazio for a conversation about his new book, Radical Cartography.
Lunch will be served and registration is required to attend. Register here: buff.ly/g9ixwIM
Many of these parks are crucial elements of Boston’s stormwater removal system, helping with flood risk mitigation and rainwater drainage. The vegetation in these areas also produces clean air and provides shade, mitigating the impact of urban heat island effects.
This led to the creation of the Boston Natural Areas Network, a nonprofit tasked with acquiring and maintaining "urban wilds" and other greenways. Although many privately owned areas were eventually developed, the city continues to benefit from the work spurred by the Urban Wilds report.
This 1976 illustrated map highlights large areas of open space which became known as the "urban wilds." The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) had begun to pay attention to the threat of development in these ecosystems as part of a report during the middle 1970s.
Have you ever heard of Boston’s "urban wilds?"🌲
Which of Boston’s urban wilds is your favorite and why?
Maps: Boston Redevelopment Authority, "Boston urban wilds" (1976): buff.ly/4DW50EW, Boston Redevelopment Authority, "These areas have significant amounts of flora [...]" (1976): buff.ly/BkddEfU
Maps: Albert F. Poole, "Bird's eye view of the village of Hyannis, Barnstable County, Mass" (1884): buff.ly/oyXqg9a, Mélanie Elisabeth Leonard, "A map of Cape Cod" (1926): buff.ly/aFDrCIx
Though kettle chips will no longer be manufactured in Hyannis, there's much more to find on a map of town, with its long history as a summer destination.
Cape Cod Potato Chips originated in Hyannis in 1980 and has been operating out of their current factory there since 1985. But the time has come for the Cape to say goodbye to this local favorite.
In this From The Vault collections showing, take look at the personal favorites of the staff at the Leventhal Center and learn about the multitude of reasons these maps have captured our attention amongst our collection of over 250,000 maps.
Maps have so much to offer—from the rich history behind their creation and visual perspectives of familiar places and so much more. While the staff at the LMEC have a special place in our hearts for all of our maps, there are just a few that each of us love the tiniest bit more than the others.
