I said it over and over again but the 1600's to the 2200's of Mass Ave in Cambridge has some of the best shops in the entire state ! What stands out remarkably is that it feels like an out of towner's shop located right in a place where only locals go. Yes you can get all types items based on the regions of the greater Boston area such as mugs with a picture of the whole Boston metro transit system, a bag with an illustration of the city of Cambridge, and other merchandise like postcards, pens, and water bottles. This store however is better known for its maps- antique,digital, and modern. The maps also focus on places all over the world such as Amsterdam in 1600's, or NYC in 1900. read more

I want all my birthday presents to come from this store from now on. Why would I ever wear a shirt that doesn't have a stylized T map on it?

Great shop, great inventory (Ever want a nineteenth century map of your neighborhood on a drinks tray? They can do it.), great staff. Instant positive vibe. You create needs as you go through their stock. Drop in the next time you're in Harvard Square. read more

If you're into the geo-data, maps and the history of Boston's neighborhoods , you will LOVE WardMaps in Porter Square. I've already purchased a few of their mugs for the cartography geeks on my Christmas list, but I may be headed back soon to grab a few more of their map-themed gifts. The proprietors Brian and Steven really know their craft, and are so helpful every time I visit. read more

After a incident regarding a damaged and incorrect item, Ward Maps' customer service was outstanding. They took care of everything and showed that they cared about the customer. Would highly recommend. read more

I have had the WORST experience with WarMaps. I recently purchased two original maps for pickup at their store in Cambridge, as well as one framed reproduction. Living in Quincy, I made a special visit to Cambridge to pick up all three items. When I arrived, I was informed that two were ready, but one original had shipped from the dealer and they were still waiting for it. Great. They offered to ship both originals to me for free when the 2nd one arrived. So far so good. One week later I receive an email stating that one of the originals I purchased had actually sold in 2010 and was no longer available. It sold in 2010 (it's now been on their site, available for purchase FOR THREE YEARS) and they took over a week to contact me about it. And rather than calling, I received an email. Their consolation? I have to pay $50 for a reproduction of the original they no longer have. At this point, I've already had the frame and custom mat made, so I do a quick online search for the original they no longer have and find it on ebay. I purchased the map for $19 (instead of the $125 they charged). Great, now I have a set AND it cost less. An hour later I receive a phone call from Brian and he says he told me the wrong name of the original they no longer have. So I've now purchased two of the exact same original maps. Absolutely RIDICULOUS. It's now two weeks before Christmas and I have ZERO resolution from WardMaps other than canceling my order for a full refund (which I've done). Worst customer service ever. Buyer beware. I will never shop here again. read more

I am not good at buying gifts for people. The great thing about Ward Maps is that they have fun items that no one else has. Even better, though, and no one else here has mentioned this, is that they can make customized products (which truly no one else has). On 2 occasions I ordered custom journals, with a section of a historic map (of significance to the individual) on the cover of the journal. In both cases, the person who received the gift was overjoyed with it. I've never gotten that kind of reaction from any other gift. They take custom orders on the Web (and, indeed, they are better at publicizing this great service on their Web site than in the retail store), but I found it helpful to go into the store to get help from the staff with the customization. I also got a gift for myself, a custom coffee mug, using a digital image that I supplied. Like the people who received the custom items as gifts, I, too, was overjoyed with the result. The custom journals and coffee mugs are surprisingly inexpensive, too, and it only takes them about a week to make them. read more

Was excited to buy some Ashmont station mugs for my sisters as stocking stuffers. While visiting their online store, I accidentally ordered coin banks instead of mugs. Nice, but not what I wanted. Not only did Steve exchange my gifts in time for Christmas, he did not charge me to ship out the mugs. I LOVE these mugs and so will my sisters! Now THAT is great customer service! read more

Go to WardMaps. Go there right now. Nice staff, amazing selection, fun gifts. This place is a neighborhood treasure already.

I love this place. It's the perfect place for some fun and unique Boston gifts. The various prints of Boston and the world make great gifts.

Over this past summer I made a large purchase at wardmaps in cambridge and was treated tremendously by Brian and steven Even though the store can be busy they always treated me courteously and respect while also keeping their store clean and organized for their patrons who visit greeting each and every person with a smile because of my several positive experiences and interactions with them both in the store and warehouse our family will definitely return to their store for future pieces of transit history and memorabilia read more

Brian and Steven, co-owners of Ward Maps, run a wonderful business. In November, I was referred to Ward Maps by BostonFrameworks. I was looking to have a photo of my father blown up and then framed (by Boston Frameworks). Also, I was looking to have a lot of old photos scanned and made into collages in time for my father's 90th birthday party. Yes, all of these photos were very old, including a baby picture from 1926, and earlier photos of his parents from the early 1900s. The photos were all in photo albums. Actually, the whole staff at Ward Maps is very nice and accommodating. Initially, I dealt with Steven who told me that his brother Brian is a photographer and has the artistic eye to help with the collages. I went through 3 books of photo albums and Brian ended up creating 4 18x24 collages based on my placing post it notes on the photos and writing which ones I wanted enlarged. Steven helped me figure out a good size for the collages and how man photos would fit on each one. Then I added a bunch of digital photos of my father as an elderly man, so I ended up with 5 collages. When I went to pick up the enlarged photo of my dad as a WWII soldier and then opened it at Boston Frameworks, there was a slash running lengthwise down the photo. I hadn't realized that a 70 year old photo, enlarged, would be prone to such damage and that I should have requested that it be photoshopped. But the guys at Boston Frameworks called Steven at Ward Maps and, given the fact that I was ordering (at that time) 4 collages, Steven said they would reprocess the enlarged poster sized photo removing the slash for no additional charge. Moreover, they would arrange to get the print to BostonFrameworks for framing (the two stores have regular pick ups). This was all taken care of and the resulting framed print is perfect. The collages likewise were the hit of my father's party. Brian demonstrated a lot of patience as we exchanged multiple emails where I made suggestions for small edits. Finally, he made it all work. All 5 collages are now being displayed in my father's apartment, where he can look at photos of his childhood, his parents, even before he was born, his wife and children. A number of people sing the praises of small businesses. Well, Ward Maps, and the guys at Boston Frameworks, are truly deserving of having their praises sung. They all do beautiful work, are truly talented people, and are very enjoyable to work with. read more

I worked with Steven on a custom wedding invitation for our wedding in Boston. We chose one of their MBTA map cards and they came out Amazing!!! It was a pleasure working with him and I will be returning soon!!! read more

WardMaps offers unique antique pieces and excellent (very hard to find) customer service. I put in a bid on an original antique map and it was accepted. Steven contacted me shortly after to let me know that the map was out of stock (and records just hadn't been updated) and put a full refund through to my card. I wrote back asking if there was a chance there were any other copies of the map elsewhere, and Steven tracked another original down for me, charged my card, and had it shipped without me having to do anything, which was amazing. The package got delayed/lost on its way to me (I had a tracking number for UPS immediately) so I let Steven know and he immediately contacted UPS to file a missing package claim. Lucky for me, the package was found and the map is finally in my hands! It arrived in a flat cardboard slip, folded once in half, in excellent condition except for discoloration along the middle crease. Steven was very responsive and communicative via email throughout this process. read more