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.

250 years ago, in the summer of 1776, the Declaration of Independence wasn't a celebrated historical document—it was breaking news.

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

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

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.

It's the season of love and that means sharing the maps the Leventhal Center loves with the public!🥰 🗺️ This free showing will be hosted Friday, February 13 in the Learning Center. Drop in any time between 2:00PM - 4:00PM. No reservation is required.

Are octopuses secretly evil? The creators of these maps seem to think so! 🐙 Maps: Fred W. Rose, "Serio-comic war map for the year 1877" (1877): buff.ly/DPVNkMd, Kisaburō Ohara, "A humorous diplomatic atlas of Europe and Asia" (1904): buff.ly/hIRdF9c #bpl #LMEC #maps

Yes, New England has had COLD winters before ... 🧊❄️🥶 Map: U.S. Geological Survey, "Mean monthly average temperature" (1986): buff.ly/rEUu47f #bpl #LMEC #maps #bostonmaps #localhistory #bostonhistory #bostonmuseum #thingstodoinboston #bostontourism

You've never seen Mt. Washington like this 🤩🗻 Check out our virtual reality immersive view of this panorama: buff.ly/TdcHrjH Map: George H. Walker & Co.; Boston and Maine Railroad, "Birds-eye view from summit of Mt. Washington; White Mountains, New Hampshire" (1902): buff.ly/bW4XfJO

Highways have fundamentally altered the landscape of the United States 🚗

In this session, we’ll explore the reasons behind these transformations and share approachable ways to weave this history into your teaching about Boston and its neighborhoods. Register now: buff.ly/8CUc7cU

Visitors to our current exhibition may have noticed a strange label on one of the maps ...🔍 This 1776 visualization of British military positions around Boston prominently labels the scandalously-named named "Mount Whoredom" right next to the Common!

Are you a New Englander ... or more of an "Eastern Metropolitan?" 🤔 This 1940 map examines the "rural cultural regions in the United States." It breaks down the continental US into 32 different regions, each with a named and define rural cultural pattern.

The Leventhal Center and all BPL locations will be closed on Sunday, January 25 and Monday, January 26 for a snow emergency. For more information, see the City of Boston press release: www.boston.gov/news/mayor-w...

What's beer got to do with urban development? In this new article from Joshua Merced, you'll learn how Boston's brewing landscapes connect past to present, urban to rural, and people to place. Read the full article: buff.ly/xVJ4hVq #bpl #LMEC #maps #bostonmaps #localhistory #bostonhistory

❗Join us January 26 at 2 pm ET for "Beyond the Headlines: AI and Historical Newspapers."❗ This event, co-hosted by @bpl.boston.gov Digital Services and the Leventhal Map & Education Center. Register for event reminders using the link in our bio.

Some of our digital tools may be unavailable or limited on Monday, January 19 due to scheduled maintenance. We expect normal functioning to resume on Tuesday, January 20.

Calling all cartography lovers! This free showing will take place Friday, January 23 in the Learning Center with a staff member from the Leventhal Center available to answer questions. Drop in any time between 2:00–4:00 pm. No reservation is required.

Did you know about the Leventhal Center's in-gallery library? 📚 We have nearly 2,000 books and atlases available to browse during our open hours. Book topics range from tourist guides to place-based history ... and even maps of fictional worlds!

You don't see too many maps like this one ... well, ever! 💙 This map of Scituate, Rhode Island is unique not only for its striking blue(print) color, but also for the fun anecdotes left by the mapmaker, Captain George E. Matteson. Map: buff.ly/bKVkk4N #bpl #LMEC #maps #bostonmaps #localhistory

Though their time with us has ended, we couldn't be prouder of our Fall 2025 NEU Co-op students! 👏 Between July and December 2025, the LMEC had the pleasure of working with two, fulltime Northeastern University co-op students, Artem and Kate. Read their full interviews via the link in our bio.

❗Join the Leventhal Center, BPL Community History, and the Boston Athenaeum next week for a deep dive into one of Boston's most notable artists, Allan Rohan Crite❗ Registration is highly encouraged, register via the link in our bio.

Sometimes, a globe is the only kind of travel you need 🌎 Gilman Joslin, “Joslin’s hand-book to the terrestrial and celestial globes: how to use a globe,” (1885): bit.ly/3Igkhw0 #bpl #LMEC #maps #bostonmaps #localhistory #bostonhistory #bostonmuseum #thingstodoinboston #bostontourism

❗Join Boston University professor Jim O’Connell for a lunchtime conversation about his new book, Boston and the Making of a Global City❗ Lunch will be served and registration is required to attend. While this event is currently full, we encourage you to sign up for the waitlist.

The year is nearly over and we can’t thank you enough for your support of the Center. We’re grateful for our community of friends and map lovers. Happy New Year's Eve from the LMEC and we’ll see you in 2026! Image: Michael L. Moore, "President Donald C. Stone with Family": buff.ly/WOu51fB

This series of wintery panoramic views draws us into the personal connections between geographers and the places they love. Map: Panorama from the Pinnacle, Lyme, N.H. (1966). See our Digital Collections portal: buff.ly/1uN3XmY #bpl #LMEC #maps #bostonmaps #localhistory #bostonhistory

Whether you're spending today sledding, skiing, ice skating, throwing snowballs or curled up by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa, we wish you a happy holiday season! ❤️ the Leventhal Center ❄️

Did you know that the Mount Greylock is the tallest mountain in MA? Far northwest of Boston, this giant rises to over three thousand feet tall at its peak. In the snowy December of 1945, Bostonians hoping to visit would have faced a treacherous journey to the peak. Donate today: buff.ly/XfrQlUU

Did you know? The Boston Elevated Railway (BERy), founded in 1894, was an early precursor to today’s MBTA system. In 1945, during Boston’s snowiest December on record, many commuters would have used "the El" to keep off the chilly streets! Donate here! buff.ly/Ya3Zn5q

This December, the Leventhal Center is raising money to support our work in education, collections, and public programming in the new year—and we’re hoping for a proper Mass winter with snow! We’re aiming to beat the Blue Hill Observatory’s 1945 record of 45.2 inches. Donate here! buff.ly/7OGLvYy

Welcome December 19 in our time capsule series, where we jump 80 years into the past to watch a big snowstorm blow over Boston, day-by-day. Donate here! buff.ly/Ya3Zn5q #bpl #LMEC #maps #bostonmaps #localhistory #bostonhistory #bostonmuseum #thingstodoinboston #bostontourism #fundraiser #letitsnow

Welcome back to our time capsule series, where we jump 80 years into the past to watch a big snowstorm blow over Boston, day-by-day. Donate here! buff.ly/Ya3Zn5q #LMEC #maps #bostonmaps #localhistory #bostonhistory #bostonmuseum #thingstodoinboston #bostontourism #fundraiser #letitsnow #snowfall

Welcome to our time capsule series, where we jump 80 years into the past to follow a Boston snowstorm as it played out, day by day. Donate here! buff.ly/Ya3Zn5q #LMEC #maps #bostonmaps #localhistory #bostonhistory #bostonmuseum #thingstodoinboston #bostontourism #fundraiser #letitsnow #snowfall

❗Join us for our last collection showing of 2025 ... guest curated by you❗ This free showing will be hosted Friday, December 19 in the Learning Center with a staff member from the Leventhal Center available to answer questions. Drop in any time between 2:00 pm–4:00 pm. No reservation is required.

Still trying to figure out Christmas presents? Maybe this 1949 map of "products and industries" in the US can help! 🎁 How about a new pair of shoes from Massachusetts, a rug from Arizona, or dishware from West Virginia? Robert Hyde de Grange, “These United States,” (1949): buff.ly/FNF4jcl