diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/notifications.scss.erb b/app/assets/stylesheets/notifications.scss.erb
index 2f750f90..95524caa 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/notifications.scss.erb
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/notifications.scss.erb
@@ -13,6 +13,45 @@ $unread_notifications_dot_size: 8px;
   .notificationsIcon {
     position: relative;
   }
+
+  .notificationsBox {
+    position: absolute;
+    background: #FFFFFF;
+    border-radius: 2px;
+    width: 350px;
+    right: 0;
+    top: 50px;
+    box-shadow: 0 3px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.16);
+
+    .notificationsBoxTriangle {
+      min-width: 0 !important;
+      display: block;
+      position: absolute;
+      right: 48px;
+      width: 20px !important;
+      height: 20px !important;
+      margin-left: -10px;
+      top: -10px;
+      border-top: 1px solid rgba(49, 72, 67, 0.11) !important;
+      border-left: 1px solid rgba(49, 72, 67, 0.11) !important;
+      border-bottom: 0 !important;
+      border-right: 0 !important;
+      background-color: #fff;
+      transform: rotate(45deg);
+      -webkit-transform: rotate(45deg);
+      -ms-transform: rotate(45deg);
+    }
+
+    .notificationsBoxSeeAll {
+      display: block;
+      width: 100%;
+      text-align: center;
+      padding: 6px 0;
+      font-family: din-regular, helvetica, sans-serif;
+      color: #4fb5c0;
+      border-top: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 .controller-notifications {
@@ -66,12 +105,12 @@ $unread_notifications_dot_size: 8px;
 
       & > a {
         float: left;
-        width: 85%;  
+        width: 85%;
         box-sizing: border-box;
         padding-right: 10px;
       }
 
-      .notification-actor { 
+      .notification-actor {
         float: left;
 
         img {
@@ -97,7 +136,7 @@ $unread_notifications_dot_size: 8px;
           display: inline-block;
           margin: 5px 0;
         }
-      } 
+      }
 
       .notification-date {
         position: absolute;
@@ -129,7 +168,7 @@ $unread_notifications_dot_size: 8px;
 
   }
 
-    
+
 
   .notificationPage {
     .thirty-two-avatar {
@@ -139,14 +178,14 @@ $unread_notifications_dot_size: 8px;
       border-radius: 16px;
       vertical-align: middle;
     }
-    
+
     .button {
       line-height: 32px;
-      
+
       img {
         margin-top: 8px;
       }
-      
+
       &.decline {
         background: #DB5D5D;
         &:hover {
@@ -154,7 +193,7 @@ $unread_notifications_dot_size: 8px;
         }
       }
     }
-  
+
     .notification-body {
       p, div {
         margin: 1em auto;
diff --git a/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb b/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb
index 210c0b43..6d75d24e 100644
--- a/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/notifications_controller.rb
@@ -10,10 +10,15 @@ class NotificationsController < ApplicationController
     respond_to do |format|
       format.html
       format.json do
-        render json: @notifications.map do |notification|
+        notifications = @notifications.map do |notification|
           receipt = @receipts.find_by(notification_id: notification.id)
-          notification.as_json.merge(is_read: receipt.is_read)
+          notification.as_json.merge(
+            is_read: receipt.is_read,
+            notified_object:  notification.notified_object,
+            sender: notification.sender
+          )
         end
+        render json: notifications
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/frontend/src/Metamaps/GlobalUI/Notifications.js b/frontend/src/Metamaps/GlobalUI/Notifications.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1ca9e36a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/Metamaps/GlobalUI/Notifications.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+const Notifications = {
+  notifications: null,
+  fetch: render => {
+    $.ajax({
+      url: '/notifications.json',
+      success: function(data) {
+        Notifications.notifications = data
+        render()
+      }
+    })
+  }
+}
+
+export default Notifications
diff --git a/frontend/src/Metamaps/GlobalUI/ReactApp.js b/frontend/src/Metamaps/GlobalUI/ReactApp.js
index 5cfbf255..8cc85840 100644
--- a/frontend/src/Metamaps/GlobalUI/ReactApp.js
+++ b/frontend/src/Metamaps/GlobalUI/ReactApp.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import apply from 'async/apply'
 
 import { notifyUser } from './index.js'
 import ImportDialog from './ImportDialog'
+import Notifications from './Notifications'
 import Active from '../Active'
 import DataModel from '../DataModel'
 import { ExploreMaps, ChatView, TopicCard, ContextMenu } from '../Views'
@@ -107,7 +108,9 @@ const ReactApp = {
       mobileTitleWidth: self.mobileTitleWidth,
       mobileTitleClick: (e) => Active.Map && InfoBox.toggleBox(e),
       openInviteLightbox: () => self.openLightbox('invite'),
-      serverData: self.serverData
+      serverData: self.serverData,
+      notifications: Notifications.notifications,
+      fetchNotifications: apply(Notifications.fetch, ReactApp.render)
     },
     self.getMapProps(),
     self.getTopicProps(),
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/App/NotificationBox.js b/frontend/src/components/App/NotificationBox.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..675a2a3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/App/NotificationBox.js
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import React, { Component } from 'react'
+import PropTypes from 'prop-types'
+
+import onClickOutsideAddon from 'react-onclickoutside'
+
+class NotificationBox extends Component {
+
+  static propTypes = {
+    notifications: PropTypes.array,
+    fetchNotifications: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+    toggleNotificationsBox: PropTypes.func.isRequired
+  }
+
+  componentDidMount = () => {
+    const { notifications, fetchNotifications } = this.props
+    if (!notifications) {
+      fetchNotifications()
+    }
+  }
+
+  handleClickOutside = () => {
+    this.props.toggleNotificationsBox()
+  }
+
+  render = () => {
+    const { notifications } = this.props
+    return <div className='notificationsBox'>
+      <div className='notificationsBoxTriangle' />
+      <ul>
+        {!notifications && <li>loading...</li>}
+        <li>A notification</li>
+        <li>A notification</li>
+        <li>A notification</li>
+        <li>A notification</li>
+      </ul>
+      <a href='/notifications' className='notificationsBoxSeeAll'>See all</a>
+    </div>
+  }
+}
+
+export default onClickOutsideAddon(NotificationBox)
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/App/NotificationIcon.js b/frontend/src/components/App/NotificationIcon.js
index 36b86b72..b265cec0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/App/NotificationIcon.js
+++ b/frontend/src/components/App/NotificationIcon.js
@@ -4,18 +4,14 @@ import PropTypes from 'prop-types'
 class NotificationIcon extends Component {
 
   static propTypes = {
-    unreadNotificationsCount: PropTypes.number
-  }
-
-  constructor(props) {
-    super(props)
-
-    this.state = {
-    }
+    unreadNotificationsCount: PropTypes.number,
+    toggleNotificationsBox: PropTypes.func
   }
 
   render = () => {
+    const { toggleNotificationsBox } = this.props
     let linkClasses = 'notificationsIcon upperRightEl upperRightIcon '
+    linkClasses += 'ignore-react-onclickoutside '
 
     if (this.props.unreadNotificationsCount > 0) {
       linkClasses += 'unread'
@@ -24,14 +20,14 @@ class NotificationIcon extends Component {
     }
 
     return (
-      <a className={linkClasses} href="/notifications" target="_blank">
+      <div className={linkClasses} onClick={toggleNotificationsBox}>
         <div className="tooltipsUnder">
           Notifications
         </div>
         {this.props.unreadNotificationsCount === 0 ? null : (
           <div className="unread-notifications-dot"></div>
         )}
-      </a>
+      </div>
 
     )
   }
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/App/UpperRightUI.js b/frontend/src/components/App/UpperRightUI.js
index d1e53652..a1fa0d32 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/App/UpperRightUI.js
+++ b/frontend/src/components/App/UpperRightUI.js
@@ -4,31 +4,51 @@ import PropTypes from 'prop-types'
 import AccountMenu from './AccountMenu'
 import LoginForm from './LoginForm'
 import NotificationIcon from './NotificationIcon'
+import NotificationBox from './NotificationBox'
 
 class UpperRightUI extends Component {
   static propTypes = {
     currentUser: PropTypes.object,
     signInPage: PropTypes.bool,
     unreadNotificationsCount: PropTypes.number,
+    fetchNotifications: PropTypes.func,
+    notifications: PropTypes.array,
     openInviteLightbox: PropTypes.func
   }
 
   constructor(props) {
     super(props)
-    this.state = {accountBoxOpen: false}
+    this.state = {
+      accountBoxOpen: false,
+      notificationsBoxOpen: false
+    }
   }
 
   reset = () => {
-    this.setState({accountBoxOpen: false})
+    this.setState({
+      accountBoxOpen: false,
+      notificationsBoxOpen: false
+    })
   }
 
   toggleAccountBox = () => {
-    this.setState({accountBoxOpen: !this.state.accountBoxOpen})
+    this.setState({
+      accountBoxOpen: !this.state.accountBoxOpen,
+      notificationsBoxOpen: false
+    })
+  }
+
+  toggleNotificationsBox = () => {
+    this.setState({
+      notificationsBoxOpen: !this.state.notificationsBoxOpen,
+      accountBoxOpen: false
+    })
   }
 
   render () {
-    const { currentUser, signInPage, unreadNotificationsCount, openInviteLightbox } = this.props
-    const { accountBoxOpen } = this.state
+    const { currentUser, signInPage, unreadNotificationsCount,
+            notifications, fetchNotifications, openInviteLightbox } = this.props
+    const { accountBoxOpen, notificationsBoxOpen } = this.state
     return <div className="upperRightUI">
       {currentUser && <a href="/maps/new" target="_blank" className="addMap upperRightEl upperRightIcon">
         <div className="tooltipsUnder">
@@ -36,7 +56,13 @@ class UpperRightUI extends Component {
         </div>
       </a>}
       {currentUser && <span id="notification_icon">
-        <NotificationIcon unreadNotificationsCount={unreadNotificationsCount} />
+        <NotificationIcon
+          unreadNotificationsCount={unreadNotificationsCount}
+          toggleNotificationsBox={this.toggleNotificationsBox}/>
+        {notificationsBoxOpen && <NotificationBox
+          notifications={notifications}
+          fetchNotifications={fetchNotifications}
+          toggleNotificationsBox={this.toggleNotificationsBox}/>}
       </span>}
       {!signInPage && <div className="sidebarAccount upperRightEl">
         <div className="sidebarAccountIcon ignore-react-onclickoutside" onClick={this.toggleAccountBox}>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/App/index.js b/frontend/src/components/App/index.js
index ed24e9d1..207da1cd 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/App/index.js
+++ b/frontend/src/components/App/index.js
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ class App extends Component {
     children: PropTypes.object,
     toast: PropTypes.string,
     unreadNotificationsCount: PropTypes.number,
+    notifications: PropTypes.array,
+    fetchNotifications: PropTypes.func,
     location: PropTypes.object,
     mobile: PropTypes.bool,
     mobileTitle: PropTypes.string,
@@ -38,7 +40,7 @@ class App extends Component {
     const { children, toast, unreadNotificationsCount, openInviteLightbox,
             mobile, mobileTitle, mobileTitleWidth, mobileTitleClick, location,
             map, userRequested, requestAnswered, requestApproved, serverData,
-            onRequestAccess } = this.props
+            onRequestAccess, notifications, fetchNotifications } = this.props
     const { pathname } = location || {}
     // this fixes a bug that happens otherwise when you logout
     const currentUser = this.props.currentUser && this.props.currentUser.id ? this.props.currentUser : null
@@ -58,6 +60,8 @@ class App extends Component {
                                      onRequestClick={onRequestAccess} />}
       {!mobile && <UpperRightUI currentUser={currentUser}
                                 unreadNotificationsCount={unreadNotificationsCount}
+                                notifications={notifications}
+                                fetchNotifications={fetchNotifications}
                                 openInviteLightbox={openInviteLightbox}
                                 signInPage={pathname === '/login'} />}
       <Toast message={toast} />