I could hardly contain my excitement on one of my visits to the Boston Public Library. An ongoing exhibit of maps at the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center, housed in one of the library buildings had caught my attention.

Everything about maps fascinates me. In middle school, my atlas was one of my prized possessions. The exhibit that I was visiting was nothing like I had imagined maps to be. It was a showcase of fictional maps. From Peter Pan to Narnia, maps from some of the richest works of fiction were depicted on giant sheets of paper. To me, these pieces were similar to works of art.

Each season, the center organizes exhibits based on different themes, each one engrossing enough for any map lover. The center is not a large one, but has an extensive and interesting collection. A room in one corner of the center serves as a map library with desks, computers and shelves full of books related to geography and maps. On days when the weather restricts outdoor adventures, what’s not to love about flights of fantasy with illustrated representations of our world?