Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:26 Oxford St.
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Tel:
(617) 495-3045
Established in 1995 as the face to three prestigious research museums –Museum of Comparative Zoology, the Geological Museum, and the Herbaria, the Harvard Museum of Natural History located on the grounds of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will truly spark your yearning to discover the natural world and the human place in it. With over 21 million specimens contained in all (though only a small fraction on display), you are sure to have a most delightful day.
Visit the Museum's Hall of Mammals, the oldest and most dramatic gallery in the Museum that displays 19th century specimens including a full sized giraffe and three whale skeletons. At the African Animals gallery you can see the largest antelope on earth, a hippo and an elephant, all housed behind glass.
The Museum's unique Glass Flowers exhibit showcases more than 830 plant species of miraculous beauty and the Gem and Mineral Hall contains an amazing variety of dazzling specimens of every color, shape, and size, including a 1600 pound amethyst geode.
Special exhibits are shown frequently at the museum and ongoing special exhibits include "Climate Change: Our Global Experiment" - a scientific study of the affects of global climate change and "Dodos, Trilobites, & Meteorites" that showcases treasures from historic expeditions to remote environments.
Located at 26 Oxford Street, the Harvard Museum of Natural History is adjacent to the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, and admission to one Museum admits you to both. Take the Red Line to the Harvard Square stop. Walk through Harvard Yard and one block down Oxford Street. For the MBTA Commuter Rail, take the Fitchburg Line to Porter Square. The museum is less than a mile from Porter Square.
From Harvard Museum of Natural History:
As a member of the Harvard Museum of Natural History, you can delve deeper into the our unique collections, investigate 4.6 billion years of Earth's evolution, and discover the diversity of creatures that, like us, inhabit the planet. Whether you are searching for engaging and meaningful experiences for your family or continuing your own journey of discovery, membership at the Museum offers unique access to the exhibits, experts, and exchanges that illuminate the wonders and complexity of our world.