The First Church of Christ, Scientist, known as The Mother Church, is the headquarters of the Christian Science religion founded by Mary Baker Eddy. The complex pairs the original 1894 Romanesque church with a grand domed Renaissance-style extension completed in 1906, set on the expansive Christian Science Plaza with its long reflecting pool, a landmark designed in part by the firm of I. M. Pei.
The church’s auditorium contains one of the largest pipe organs in the Western Hemisphere, built by the Aeolian-Skinner company. Nearby on the plaza, the Mary Baker Eddy Library is home to the Mapparium, a walk-through stained-glass globe. Tours of the church and plaza are offered to the public, but schedules, admission to attractions like the Mapparium, and service times vary, so confirm current details through the official Christian Science and library websites before visiting.
Good to know
- Combines an 1894 original church with a domed 1906 extension
- Set on the landmark Christian Science Plaza with its reflecting pool
- Houses a major Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ
- The adjacent Mary Baker Eddy Library features the walk-through Mapparium globe
Getting there
- Address: 250 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
- Neighborhood: Back Bay / Fenway (Christian Science Plaza)
- Nearest T: Symphony (MBTA Green Line E branch); Prudential (Green Line E) and Hynes Convention Center are also nearby