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

Inspiring learning through map education

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Zoom into the details of Jean-Baptiste Tassin's 1832 city map

Check out these highlights from the February 13, 2026 From The Vault — For the Love of Maps!

New Atlascope tours from former LMEC interns and co-ops traverse music, literature, and education through historic urban maps