Babson Globe - Wellesley, MA - Ginormous Everyday Objects on Waymarking.com

In Babson College in Wellesley (but near the town boundary with Needham), stands a two plus story globe of the world, known as the Babson Globe.

The globe was built by Roger Babson, president of the college and was dedicated on June 18, 1955. The 578 enamel panels making up the map took over a year to build, but the globe was assembled in only seven months. The globe is 28 feet in diameter, and, at the time, the 28 ton mass turned on its axis.

At one time, the Coleman Building behind the globe housed a giant relief map of the United States of America. It was 65 ft x 45 ft and it was curved to match the curvature of the earth. I think the vertical scale was twice the horizontal, to make the features more distinct. This building was completed in 1925.

The globe was neglected over the years, and, finally, in 1983, the college determined that the panels were unstable and had to be removed. College students and faculty formed a group, Save the Globe, which whipped up interest in restoring the globe. A new face was made with the help of DeLorme Mapping of Maine, which has their own globe, larger than this one. The globe was rededicated on October 2, 1993, during ceremonies to mark the 75th Anniversary of Babson College. The globe no longer turns on its axis, however, and the U.S. relief map has been demolished, and the building is now a dormitory.

Signs around the globe provide more detail.

The campus open for anyone to drive in and see the globe. The main entrance is off Wellesley Avenue. Once you pass through the entrance in the brick wall, look for Map Hill Road. Take a left onto this road and follow it to the end. Park in the parking lot to the left (it is marked for visitors).

Info on Babson College Web Site:
(visit link)

Price of Admission: 0.00 (listed in local currency) Height of object in feet: Not listed Size of a typical object of this: Not listed

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