Are you exhibiting strange super powers? Do you feel like an outsider? Are you looking for a place where you can escape mutant bigotry and learn how to control your abilities in the comfort of a gigantic mansion. Fortunately, there’s a place you can go: Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning, which also doubles as the base of operations for the X-Men. For years people have been under the assumption that the Institute, like the X-Men themselves, are fictional, but according to Google, it exists!
The mansion is located on Google Maps at Greymalkin Ln, Westchester County 1407, North Salem, NY 10560. This is the same address that is frequently used in the comic books. So if you’re a parent dropping your kid off at this unusual school or are someone trying to escape persecution because your powers are freaking out everyone you know, plug this address into your GPS and you should be able to find it easily. There are even pictures that will help you identity it, although considering how desolate the rest of the area is, it shouldn’t be too hard to find.
The Institute, formerly known as Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, was created as a school for young mutants to learn how to control their abilities in a safe environment. The mansion also serves as the headquarters for the X-Corporation, an organization fighting for the protection of mutant rights across the globe. While this may be the mansion’s "legitimate" location, different mansions were used during the filming of the X-Men movies, including the Casa Loma in Toronto; the Parkwood Estate in Oshawa, Ontario; the Hatley Castle in British Columbia; and the Englefield House in Berkshire, England. The powers-that-be must have decided that filming a movie at the actual mansion would have been too distracting for the students.
Not only is the school listed on Google Maps, but it also has a large amount of positive reviews. Students have praised the school for teaching them how to control their abilities and the helpfulness of the staff. However, the school’s headmaster is less than pleased with the placement of the institute on the map. In his 1-star review, Charles Francis Xavier wrote that the location is incorrect, stating it’s actually located near Breakstone Lake. The Google people might want to double-check that they have the right address. It would be quite embarrassing if someone went to that location and didn’t find anything there...
Now that the X-Mansion is officially listed, Google should see about placing other notable comic book locales on Google Maps, like Wayne Manor, Avengers Mansion, The Daily Planet building or the Baxter Building. With superhero movies more popular than ever, they would make excellent tourist destinations.
