Events › Historic Currents: Charting the Evolution of Boston's Ferry Routes — Maps Collections Open House

Did you know that the oldest ferry service in the United States was the Winnisimmet Ferry, which was founded in 1631 and transported passengers between the North End and Chelsea?

In celebration of Water Transit Month, Historic Currents explores Boston’s rich history of water transit routes connecting communities across the Mystic River and Boston Harbor.

Through historic maps from the Leventhal Map & Education Center’s collection, we invite visitors to learn about how transportation hubs, industries, and the destinations characterizing Greater Boston communities led the way for a variety of successful ferry routes.

Today, new and improved water transportation has come to Quincy, Winthrop, East Boston, and many more places in the area. Historic Currents will allow you to visualize the past and present side-by-side and envision the future of water transit.

This is a collaborative map collections showing between the Leventhal Map & Education Center and A Better City's Transportation Management Associations. This free showing will be hosted Friday, July 25 in the Leventhal Map & Education Center with a staff members from both organizations will be available to answer questions.

Drop in any time between 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. No reservation is required.

From The Vault

The Leventhal Map & Education Center cares for more than a quarter million cartographic and geographic objects, including maps, atlases, charts, globes, gazetteers, ephemera, research texts, and data sets. With such an extensive collection, it is likely that many of these objects will never be included in exhibitions for public viewing. 

Our latest series, From The Vault, attempts to remedy that limitation. From The Vault is a biweekly, casual collections showing of objects selected by Map Center staff. These drop-in sessions do not include a formal presentation, though Map Center staff will be available to interpret objects, chat, and answer questions.

Accessibility Notice: We strive to make our events accessible. To request a disability accommodation and/or language services, contact the department listed in the "Contact Info" pane on the right. Please allow at least two weeks to arrange accommodation.

Programming at the Boston Public Library is funded through private support. To learn more about supporting the Library, please visit the Boston Public Library Fund's website: https://bplfund.org/