A Day in Harvard Square

Harvard Gate.

A visit to the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology and the connected Harvard Museum of Natural History can be the highlight of a day in lively and historic Harvard Square.

Admission to Harvard Museum of Natural History is included with entry to the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology

As part of the Harvard Square community, the museums are a vibrant and valuable destination for students, families, and travelers alike. Located on the campus of Harvard University, the museums are just a short walk from Harvard Yard, the MBTA Red Line, and bike share stops.  

Harvard Museums of Science & Culture

While you are in the area visit our partner museums, offering permanent galleries and rotating exhibits, as well as weekly free lectures. See the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East (across the street from the Peabody Museum) and the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments for visiting hours.

harvard museum of natural history great mammal hall.

Harvard Museum of Natural History

26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (Google Map)

Extensive natural-science collections, including animals, minerals, and the famous Glass Flowers.

visitors enter gallery.

Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East

6 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138 (Google Map)

The Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East explores the rich history of cultures connected by the family of Semitic languages. Home to the University's collections of over 40,000 Near Eastern artifacts, the museum collection includes pottery, cylinder seals, sculpture, coins, and cuneiform tablets.

 

man views scientific instruments.

The Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments

1 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (Google Map)

Harvard has been acquiring scientific instruments for teaching and research since 1672. This collection, established in 1948, is one of the three largest university collections of its kind in the world and contains telescopes, timepieces, computers, optical equipment, and more.

 

woman in gallery with banquet table display.

Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology

11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138 (Google Map)

View towering Native American totem poles and large Maya sculptures, examine precious artifacts of the ancient world, and take classes and attend public lectures based on the museum's world-class collections and scholarship. Among the oldest archaeological museums in the world, the Peabody contains one of the finest collections of human cultural history in existence. 

 

boston citypass save 45%on the top 4 attractions.

Boston CityPASS®

Sightseeing in Boston? Save 45% on admission to Harvard Museum of Natural History (including Peabody Museum admission) and three more top Boston attractions. Visit the attractions at your own pace, in any order, over 9 days. One easy purchase and mobile ticket delivery saves time and money. Purchase CityPASS® online for immediate, paperless mobile ticket delivery. LEARN MORE

 

Harvard Resources

Beyond Harvard Square

While you’re here, explore many options for dining, shopping, film screenings, bookstores, performing arts, lodging, and more, all geared towards varied interests and budgets. See a full directory on the Harvard Square Business Association website.