Harvard Museum of Natural History – Boston, Massachusetts

The Harvard Museum of Natural History, located at 26 Oxford Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a public museum. It is a collection of three separate institutions including the Museum of Comparative Zoology, the Botanical Museum, and the Mineralogical and Geological Museum.

The Museum of Comparative Zoology showcases a varied array of exhibits that range from fossils to modern animals and includes twelve different departments. The names of the department categories are: Biological Oceanography, Marine Biology, Entomology, Ichthyology, Population Genetics, Mammalogy, Herpetology, Invertebrate Paleontology, Vertebrate Paleontology, Ornithology, Invertebrate Zoology, and Mollusks.

The museum’s exhibits include permanent and short-term displays. One of the newest temporary exhibits entitled “Nests and Eggs” is a multimedia exhibit that allows visitors to interact as they learn and observe. Arthropods, a permanent exhibit for quite some time now, showcases a variety of specimens, educational videos, exciting hands-on activities, and live animals.

The Botanical Museum includes an extensive paleobotanical collection. The primary highlight, however, is the Glass Flowers Gallery, which has gained international fame. The Gallery showcases an imaginative collection of more than 3000 glass models crafted by Leopold Blaschka and his son, Rudolph Blaschka. This gallery represents over 800 species of plants. A number of glass bugs are also featured in this collection, adding a nice, realistic touch.

The Mineralogical and Geological Museum, dating back to 1891 at this location, includes an assorted arrangement of minerals, meteorites, rocks, and rough and cut gemstones. The mineral collection is the largest of the collections that are housed in the museum’s depths, reaching more than 50,000 specimens. These minerals are categorized according to chemical composition and systematically organized. Some of the most interesting minerals on display here include minerals from the Tsumeb mine in Namibia, zinc from the Franklin mines in New Jersey, and specimens from the New England area.

Obtained in 1883, the Smith meteorite collection, also housed here at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, has given the museum an international status. Additionally, the micromount collection, donated by A. F. Holden, is impressive in size. This popular collection includes the tiniest of samples that have been tediously prepared for microscopic viewing.

Practical Information about the Harvard Museum of Natural History

Admission prices are collected with varying prices offered for children, college students, adults, and senior citizens. Students from Harvard University can gain free admission with a student ID. Other students can gain a reduced admission price with their student Ids. Additionally, the Harvard Museum of Natural History participates in the City Pass Program, which provides a reduced admission price.

On Wednesdays, special hours for free admission for Massachusetts’s residents extend from September through May from 3:00 pm until 5:00 pm. On Sundays, special hours for free admission for Massachusetts’s residents extend year-round from 9:00 am until noon at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

Although Harvard Museum of Natural History is closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day, it is open daily seven days a week from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm.

A series of educational programs take place throughout the year including Saturday Scholars, Kids Clubs, and adult classes. Occasional evening events are planned throughout the year. An onsite gift shop is open daily and offers a wide variety of items including books, minerals, toys, models, games, and gifts.

Parking is limited at the Harvard Museum of Natural History and taking public transportation is advisable. A limited number of metered parking spaces are available, but these have two-hour limits. Parking garages operated by Harvard University offer limited parking through day permits, accessible online or in person.