The collection is the oldest in the United States and among the finest at any academic institution in the country. It was founded formally in 1818, but of course Harvard had been collecting maps from its beginning. Now the staff is entering the digital arena. The collection is used extensively for teaching and learning. My students see that at the time Harvard was founded, scholars weren't sure what revolved around what.
Some people use the collection to plan their vacations.
Indeed, if you have a jot of imagination, merely gazing at a map transports you. Gazing at the Harvard Map Collection can leave you widely scattered. Into the sea. Through the heavens. Deep in the 1921 Greater Boston sewer system.