Harvard Museum of Natural History, Boston
Differing from a typical museum experience, both the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the Peabody Museum primarily housed objects, specimens, and artifacts for serious academic study, rather than public entertainment. Surprisingly, the Museum of Natural History is one of the most recent additions to the Boston area's museum scene, established in 1998 to make the university's Comparative Zoology, Herbaria, and the Mineralogical and Geological collections accessible to a broader audience.
Among the museum's most renowned collections is the Glass Flowers, which is also one of its most popular attractions. (Interestingly, some visitors, captivated by the incredibly lifelike botanical specimens crafted from glass, wire, paint, and enamel, may inquire, "But where are the glass flowers?") Because of their astonishing realism, a visit to this collection is especially refreshing during the winter months. Where else can you witness desert cacti, tropical orchids, and blue flag irises in full bloom simultaneously?
Naturally, children are drawn to the dinosaur exhibits, large mammals, and meteorites, and adults often share their enthusiasm. These displays can become quite crowded and noisy, particularly on weekends or weekday mornings when school groups visit. An excellent escape is the small balcony situated just above the Great Mammal Hall, where Harvard's splendid collection of North American birds is showcased. You can relax on a bench by a window and sketch the beautiful hummingbirds and warblers or simply marvel at how these tiny, delicate creatures undertake their biannual migrations across great distances.
Why You Should Visit:
A classic museum, thoughtfully curated for its genre. There's simply an abundance of enjoyable exhibits to explore, which is undoubtedly a delightful predicament. The glass flowers are so lifelike that they are practically indistinguishable from the genuine articles. They are an absolute must-see in your lifetime!
Tip:
Keep in mind that the admission fee also grants access to the adjacent Peabody Museum, allowing you to explore one of the world's foremost anthropological collections.
Among the museum's most renowned collections is the Glass Flowers, which is also one of its most popular attractions. (Interestingly, some visitors, captivated by the incredibly lifelike botanical specimens crafted from glass, wire, paint, and enamel, may inquire, "But where are the glass flowers?") Because of their astonishing realism, a visit to this collection is especially refreshing during the winter months. Where else can you witness desert cacti, tropical orchids, and blue flag irises in full bloom simultaneously?
Naturally, children are drawn to the dinosaur exhibits, large mammals, and meteorites, and adults often share their enthusiasm. These displays can become quite crowded and noisy, particularly on weekends or weekday mornings when school groups visit. An excellent escape is the small balcony situated just above the Great Mammal Hall, where Harvard's splendid collection of North American birds is showcased. You can relax on a bench by a window and sketch the beautiful hummingbirds and warblers or simply marvel at how these tiny, delicate creatures undertake their biannual migrations across great distances.
Why You Should Visit:
A classic museum, thoughtfully curated for its genre. There's simply an abundance of enjoyable exhibits to explore, which is undoubtedly a delightful predicament. The glass flowers are so lifelike that they are practically indistinguishable from the genuine articles. They are an absolute must-see in your lifetime!
Tip:
Keep in mind that the admission fee also grants access to the adjacent Peabody Museum, allowing you to explore one of the world's foremost anthropological collections.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Boston. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Harvard Museum of Natural History on Map
Sight Name: Harvard Museum of Natural History
Sight Location: Boston, USA (See walking tours in Boston)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Boston, USA (See walking tours in Boston)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Boston, Massachusetts
Create Your Own Walk in Boston
Creating your own self-guided walk in Boston is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Boston Introduction Walking Tour
The capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States and it had played a key role in the country's struggle for independence. Founded in 1630 by Puritan settlers from England, it witnessed many events of the American Revolution, including the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston.
... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
North End Food Tour
Boston’s North End is famous primarily for its Italian food. By far not as big as New York's Little Italy, this one-square-mile waterfront community is the oldest in the city, and is packed to the brim with a cornucopia of Italian eateries – restaurants, cafes, espresso bars, pizza and sandwich shops – lined next to each other within just a few short blocks to ensure visitors both a... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.8 Km or 0.5 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.8 Km or 0.5 Miles
North End Walking Tour
The North End was the city's first neighborhood, and one that has been key to its fortunes, having become a hub of commercial, social and intellectual activity by the 1750s. Later known as Boston's Little Italy, it has been home to Italian immigrants through much of the 20th century, and still retains a certain Mediterranean flavor in its many restaurants, cafés, and specialty shops. In... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles
Bunker Hill Walking Tour
Bunker Hill, sitting on the bank of the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts, is a historic site that holds great significance in American history. At its heart stands the Bunker Hill Monument, a towering obelisk commemorating the Battle of Bunker Hill, a pivotal event in the American Revolutionary War.
The battle took place on June 17, 1775, when American patriots faced off against British... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles
The battle took place on June 17, 1775, when American patriots faced off against British... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles
Historical Churches Walking Tour
Boston's great churches are among the most precious of the city's numerous architectural jewels. What makes them special are their unique styles, elegant facades and long history.
Starting with the Old North Church, which towers in the city’s North End, this journey surely feels like taking a step back in time. Legend was made there, in the very place that Paul Revere waited for... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Starting with the Old North Church, which towers in the city’s North End, this journey surely feels like taking a step back in time. Legend was made there, in the very place that Paul Revere waited for... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Historical Cambridge MA Walking Tour
Once a quiet New England farming village-turned capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, today's Cambridge, MA is a university town that dazzles visitors as the home of renowned Harvard University – alma mater of many intellectuals, literary geniuses, celebrities, and wealthy and powerful. Many of America’s elite have spent some time at Harvard, and their contributions to Cambridge have... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
Boston's Marblehead Eateries
With such a diverse variety of dining cuisines and styles, the little town of Marblehead has something to satisfy every budget and culinary palate. You won't find any neon here, none is allowed in town and there are no fast food or drive-thrus establishments either. Most are quaint and...