The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Religious complex at Christian Science Plaza, Massachusetts, US
The First Church of Christ, Scientist is a church complex in Boston's Back Bay with an original octagonal building in Romanesque Revival style and a large modern domed extension. The extension holds about 3,000 people and contains one of the largest pipe organs, installed in 1952.
Mary Baker Eddy founded the church in 1894 after developing her religious ideas through a book she published earlier. The church complex became the international center for the Christian Science movement that grew from her teachings.
The church bears the name of its founder Mary Baker Eddy and reflects how Christian Science organized itself as a religious movement with education at its core. Visitors can see this through the different buildings and institutions that still serve their original purposes today.
The complex sits in a quiet area of Back Bay surrounded by open spaces and reflecting pools that invite you to wander around. You can easily access the grounds and explore the different buildings at your own pace.
Inside the complex is the Mary Baker Eddy Library with the Mapparium, a walk-in glass globe displaying a 1935 world map from the inside. This unusual feature lets visitors experience geography from a different perspective.
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