I've been making maps for over a decade. I studied environmental science at the University of New Hampshire and took a Geographic Information Systems course that turned into a summer job, then an Americorps position in the Coal Country of West Virginia, then to California where I settled in making maps of neighborhoods in Brazil for Apple Maps, maps of ground water contamination for environmental consulting firms, and maps of power lines across Northern California for one of the largest utility companies in the world.

When Andy Nosal, the third owner of The Map Center, offered me the opportunity to be the fourth, I loved the idea of shepherding this local institution through its next chapter serving a community that loves being the home of New England’s oldest map store.

Andy still comes by every week or so to have lunch and catch up.

So what does a map store in 2024 look like? We still have maps, trail guides, atlases and books like we’ve always had but now we’re leaning into the things that give maps meaning. The Map Center is for the curious, the adventurous at heart, the playful. We have art, posters, globes and geographical oddities to tickle the imagination and help you see the world in a new way. It’s a fun and educational visit for all ages and a lovely, educational hour spent with your family while out and about or on vacation to the beautiful beaches of Rhode Island. We also have high resolution scanning, printing, mounting and framing for images of all kinds. It’s a new kind of a store for a very old thing.