There are many attractions and activities in the Boston area that offer a change of pace for the non-traditional tourist.  Having been to Boston a few times, I was looking for unique experiences and was fortunate to find some. One of Boston’s most unique attractions, and one I had never heard of, was the Mapparium.  Located in the Mary Baker Eddy Library, the Mapparium is a three-story stained glass globe.  It was built in 1935 with 608 glass panels that could be replaced as the world changed.   A 30-foot glass bridge takes visitors into the center of the globe.  Once inside, visitors are treated to a presentation that illustrates how different ideas changed geography and the world.  While the globe was designed with replaceable panes of glass, committees meeting in 1939, 1958 and 1966 to discuss updating the map, ultimately decided not to invest in the process.  They determined that the Mapparium held more value as an art object. 

At the end of the tour, our guide asked us whether we noticed anything unusual about the sound quality inside the Mapparium.  Because of its shape and glass construction, the space has an acoustical property that allows you to hear your voice as if you were speaking into your own ears.  In addition, individuals standing at opposite ends of the bridge can whisper to each other and hear clearly. 

After visiting the Mapparium, I suggest a walk around the display area in the library.  It tells the interesting life story of Mary Baker Eddy and the founding of the Church of Christian Science.  At age 87, in response to yellow journalism at the time, Mary Baker Eddy established The Christian Science Monitor, a Pulitzer Prize winning international newspaper.  The original church and other church buildings are located on 14 acres in Boston’s Back Bay area.

Otis House Museum
The Otis House Museum (141 Cambridge Street), located at the bottom of Beacon Hill is operated by Historic New England.  (Historic New England is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive regional preservation organization in the country.)

The house was designed by famous architect, Charles Bulfinch, for Harrison Gray Otis who got rich developing Beacon Hill.  Otis served as a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator and Mayor of Boston.   The tour of the home offers insights on the lifestyle of Boston’s governing class, as well as the role played by the household servants.  Tour guides provide details that make the history come alive and make a visit more than worthwhile. 

The Otis’ only lived in the house for three years, before they moved into another Bulfinch-designed home in the trendy new neighborhood at the top of Beacon Hill.  Over the years, the home also served as a boarding house meeting the needs of the ever-evolving community around it.

Harvard Museum of Natural History
I love museums and I’m particularly fond of those that have unique exhibits.  When I read about the Glass Flower exhibit at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, I knew I had to make a visit.  The Museum also is one of AAA’s Show Your Card & Save partners.

I got off the T at Harvard Square station and strolled across Harvard Yard on a sunny Tuesday afternoon.  Although not unlike many college campuses across the country, knowing that some of the country’s -if not the world’s- most famous movers and shakers once walked along the paths left me a bit awestruck.  As I looked at the faces of the current students I wondered whether one of them would change the world.  And in the midst of it all was a wonderful little farmer’s market.  

Once inside the museum, I have to admit I was surprised at how much it was like a building you would find on any campus.  Greeted unceremoniously by the college students manning the admission desk, I quickly found my way to the glass flower exhibit.

The pieces in the exhibit were absolutely amazing.  They were so lifelike that it was hard to believe they were glass.   The models were created by the father and son team of Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka, Germans whose lineage as jewelers and glassmakers went back to the 15th century.  The Blaschkas created these masterpieces between 1887 and 1936 at the request of Harvard professor of botany George Lincoln Goodale.   Professor Goodale wanted life-like samples for teaching.  After gawking at the flowers, I decided to wander through the rest of the museum, getting close-up looks at flora and fauna from across the globe.  While this part of the museum didn’t particularly capture my fancy, I made a mental note that when I have grandchildren, that this would be a good place to take them.