An 8-year-old embarks on a mission to visit every city and town hall in Massachusetts, including a stop in Danvers.

In the atrium of Danvers Town Hall on Friday, Ciara Barber, an 8-year-old from Worcester, stands alongside her mom, Blue Barber. This visit signifies her 102nd stop on an ambitious summer tour, during which she aims to see all 351 city and town halls in the state.

DANVERS —On Friday, 8-year-old Ciara Barber reached a significant milestone as she visited Danvers Town Hall, marking her 102nd stop at various city and town halls this summer. The reception she received there was the most grand and welcoming she has encountered during her remarkable journey.

The soon-to-be third-grader from Worcester has set an ambitious summer objective of visiting all 351 city and town halls in the state, accompanied by her mom and uncle. To document her journey, she maintains her own Instagram page, @town.hall.project. Assistant Town Manager Jen Breaker discovered the little girl and her impressive goal through this social media platform.                                                                         

Breaker expressed her delight, saying, "Honestly, this experience has made my entire summer, and I can't imagine stopping talking about it anytime soon. Her enthusiasm about being here is truly inspiring, and I'm thrilled to offer her a glimpse behind the scenes, something we rarely get the chance to do."

To add an extra touch of excitement for Ciara, a police cruiser, fire truck, and town employees, including Town Manager Steve Bartha, gathered outside Town Hall to greet her upon her arrival. With the assistance of first responders, Ciara had the opportunity to explore the emergency vehicles before Breaker personally led her and her family on a comprehensive tour of the building.

During her visit, Ciara had the privilege of witnessing the town's special vault, where birth and death records are securely kept. She also had the exciting experience of sitting in a seat belonging to a Select Board member in the Daniel J. Toomey room, engaging in conversations with both Breaker and Bartha in their respective offices. Additionally, she made stops at various other departments within the building, making her tour even more memorable.

Ciara received thoughtful gift bags from building inspectors, police officers, and Breaker. Among the presents was a Danvers-branded cooler packed with various town-themed items, including T-shirts, color-changing water bottles, a small replica of Town Hall, and a special certificate to commemorate her visit.

According to Ciara, her most cherished moment of the day was visiting the Human Resources department and bonding with Breaker. As a delightful gesture, Breaker provided Ciara with her business card and encouraged her to send photos of her future stops, fostering a warm and lasting connection between them.

Ciara expressed her fascination with the buildings, stating, "I find them incredibly interesting, and I love discovering more about each one."

The idea came to Ciara's uncle, Adam Barber, during a winter restaurant outing. While they were there, the Mass Lottery was airing on a TV screen, and it mentioned having distributed winnings to all 351 municipalities in the state. This surprising number sparked the idea in his mind.

"At first, I was skeptical, but I decided to map it out with color-coded pins for each county and showed it to my sister," he explained. "She was immediately on board, saying it turned into a checklist, and we just had to do it. When we told Ciara about the plan, she thought it might involve a lot of driving, but she also found it exciting and fun. As we've delved into this adventure, the excitement has only grown."

So far, Adam Barber has been pleasantly taken aback by the kindness and friendliness of everyone they have encountered at these buildings, he shared.“People are just happy to talk and happy to share,” he said.

The family has already visited a majority of the buildings in Worcester County, and their next destination is the Berkshires, where they plan to cover more stops next week.

Prior to their visit to Danvers on Friday, they had the opportunity to meet the mayor of Amesbury at that city hall. Until now, most of their visits involved taking a quick picture in front of the buildings and peeking inside. Nevertheless, these visits have been educational, enabling the family to gain a deeper understanding of their home state.

Ciara's mother, Blue Barber, shared, "Even though I was born in Worcester and lived here for some time, I haven't explored much of the state. As we drive around, we often find ourselves wondering about our location. Just a 20-minute drive outside of Worcester feels like stepping into a whole different world."Ciara isn’t sure if she wants to work in local government someday, since she has dreams of becoming a singer. But she said she’s thinking about it now after all these visits.

Her mom will also get a tattoo of Ciara’s choice to celebrate when they hit all 351 buildings.

“I want to make it a meaningful one,” Ciara said.