Harvard Museum of Natural History Reviews

Harvard Museum of Natural History picture in Cambridge, MA

Great Mammel Hall picture in Cambridge, MA

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Key Info

26 Oxford St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
Official Website

Details

Museums, Sightseeing Type
2 hours to Half Day Time to Spend

4.4

Overall

Scorecard

Value

3.5
Facilities

3.0
Atmosphere

5.0

Read about how we rank Things to Do.

The world-famous Blaschka Glass Flowers receive a lot of attention at this museum – and rightly so – but there are a lot of other must-see exhibits at the Harvard Museum of Natural History (which also contains specimens from the Museum of Comparative Zoology, the Harvard University Herbaria and the Mineralogical & Geological Museum). After you've had your fill of the stunningly life-like collection of more than 4,000 glass models, which represent more than 830 plant species, make sure to check out the other galleries. Popular exhibits include the Great Mammal Hall, Birds of the World and Climate Change: Our Global Experiment.

Recent visitors – who called the museum "fabulous" and "great for all ages" – said they wished they would have set aside more time to explore all of the exhibits. Reviewers also described the experience as a great value thanks to the two-for-one admission to both the adjacent Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology and the natural history museum.

The Harvard Museum of Natural History is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for major holidays. Admission costs $12 for adults and $8 for youths ages 3 to 18; children 3 and younger enter for free. Tickets include admission to the Peabody Museum, which is adjacent to the museum. Entrance fees are covered for visitors who purchased the Boston CityPASS or Go Boston Card. The museum is a less than a 10-minute walk from the Harvard Square subway stop. Limited metered parking is offered on the surrounding streets, though the museum strongly recommends arriving by public transportation. In addition to the exhibits, restrooms and a gift shop are also offered on-site. For more information, visit the museum's website.

Hotels Nearby

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Irving House At Harvard ...

0.3 Miles Away
3.0-star Hotel Class

Mary Prentiss Inn ...

0.4 Miles Away
3.0-star Hotel Class

A Bed & Breakfast in Cambridge ...

0.4 Miles Away
3.0-star Hotel Class

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#1 Harvard Square Iconic Harvard Square, a bustling epicenter of Cambridge, is packed with quirky boutiques, bookstores, restaurants, cafes, bars, buskers and, of course, students from Harvard University, which borders one side of ... Read more » DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

#2 Harvard University One of the world's most famous universities, Harvard has been educating students since the 17th century. It was named for John Harvard, a clergyman who died in 1638 and ... Read more » S. Greg Panosian / Getty Images

#3 Harvard Museum of Natural History The world-famous Blaschka Glass Flowers receive a lot of attention at this museum – and rightly so – but there are a lot of other must-see exhibits at the Harvard Museum of ... Read more » Courtesy Harvard Museum of Natural History

#4 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Founded in 1861, MIT's emphasis on science and technology is clearly seen in its amazing architecture and sculptures. Take a guided or self-guided tour around the campus to see ... Read more » Glowimages / Getty Images

#5 Harvard Art Museums The Harvard Art Museums are the combination of the formerly separate Busch-Reisinger, Fogg and Arthur M. Sackler museums, making it quite an "eclectic" experience, according to past visitors who say ... Read more » Courtesy Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau

#6 MIT Museum For anyone curious about what the creative minds at MIT are up to, the MIT Museum is a great place to explore. The museum displays objects from its own fascinating ... Read more » Samara Vise / Courtesy MIT Museum

#7 Mount Auburn Cemetery This beautiful and peaceful 175-acre cemetery was the country's first "garden cemetery" when it opened in 1831 and it's filled with artwork, sculptures and gorgeous landscaping. What's ... Read more » Anthony Tulliani / EyeEm / Getty Images

#8 Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters This house has witnessed a lot of history. Not only did it serve as General George Washington's headquarters during the Siege of Boston (considered the beginning stages of the ... Read more » Nick Normal / Flickr

#9 Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology This museum focuses on Native American and Central and South American cultures. Its collection includes more than 5,000 ancient Peruvian textiles and the largest surviving assemblage of artifacts acquired ... Read more » Courtesy Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology

#10 Harvard Semitic Museum Something of a hidden gem, the Harvard Semitic Museum, founded in 1889, boasts more than 40,000 Near Eastern artifacts, mostly from museum-sponsored excavations in Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Syria and Tunisia ... Read more » Courtesy Harvard Semitic Museum