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Museums & History| Official Website: Harvard Museum of Natural History Location: 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138 directions Phone:617-495-3045 Hours: Hours Vary see below Ages: Toddlers, Kids, Teens, Adults In/Outdoor: Indoor Cost: $$ see below |
Others to Consider: National Heritage Museum, Boston Museum of Science, Concord Museum, Old Statehouse Museum, Faneuil Hall MarketplaceExplore 12,000 specimens drawn from Harvard’s vast research collections at the University's most visited museum -- dinosaurs, meteorites, gemstones, and animals from around the globe. Look closer at hundreds of animals including giraffe, elephant, rhino, tigers, lions, armadillo, platypus, giant whale skeletons, & more.
The Collection
Get close to the world’s only mounted Kronosaurus, a 135 million year-old, 42 foot-long marine reptile; one of the first Triceratops ever discovered; and amazing gemstones and minerals including a 1,642 lb. amethyst geode. Don’t miss the world famous exhibit of 3,000 ‘Glass Flowers’, amazingly realistic models of plants, fruits and flowers created by father-son glass artists Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka from 1886-1936. Find models of bananas, figs, cacao, pineapple, and cashew nuts to learn what they look like as they grow. You won’t believe they’re not real.
For Kids & Families
On weekends and Wednesday afternoons, trained volunteers are in the galleries with hands-on activities and investigation carts. Check out the weekday afternoon Young Scientists and Animal Artists clubs, weekend Nature Storytime for preschool visitors, Sunday afternoon programs for ‘tweens, and the popular annual Mineral Madness or Fossil Fest family festivals. See a current list of kids classes, clubs and programs at HMNH.
Birthday Parties
Kids can also celebrate a birthday at the museum. Party guests greet live animals, embark on a exploration of the museum, and discover tons of fun. Learn more about HMNH birthday parties.
Changing Exhibits
Changing exhibitions include Sea Creatures in Glass, models of jellies, octopus, anemones, by the same glass artists who created the Glass Flowers, and Climate Change: Our Global Experiment, on the latest research on our changing planet, including an interactive video, and comparative past and present photographs of glaciers, demonstrating dramatic melting.
Handicapped accessible. Ticket includes admission to the adjacent Peabody Museum -- archaeology and cultures of six continents.
 Hours |  Top |
Open daily 9:00am - 5:00pm
Nature Storytimes: Sat.& Sun.: 11 am & 2 pm
The museum is closed on:
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas Day
• New Year's Day
 Cost | Top |
Adults: $9; Children ages 3–18: $6; Under 3/ Harvard ID: Free; Students with I.D. & Seniors (65+):$7
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology included with your HMNH ticket.
Mass. Residents Free Admission Days
Wednesdays from 3:00 - 5:00 pm (Sept. - May)
Sundays for MA residents (year-round) 9:00am - 12:00pm
 Location | Top |
26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138 map
The museum is on the Harvard University campus, just a short, 7-10 minute walk through historic Harvard Yard from the Harvard Square MBTA Red Line ‘T’ station.
 Tips | Top |
- Parking is very limited; MBTA public transportation recommended.
 Related Links | Top |
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 Reviews | Top |
A good experience, Mon 3 Mar 2008
We had a nice to time at the museum this Sunday. There was a do-it-yourself treasure hunt that we followed to find animals of the Chinese zodiac. It was simple but it really made the visit for my seven-year-old. We also tagged along behind a birthday party, because they were learning a lot of cool stuff. There was also a nice story time, and the gift shop has a lot of good stuff in a small area. Even though we arrived a bit after free admittance was over, they were very nice about giving it to us!
Family Programs At Harvard Museum Of Natural History, Wed 13 Dec 2006
We attended the Andy Revkin North Pole event Dec 3..and it was great. Children ranged from 4 or 5 to 'tweens, and the speaker, a famous writer for the New York Times, managed to speak at the right level for kids and still fascinate the adults in the audience. The Family Programs are free with museum admission..and my son has loved the giant geode, the giant sloth and glyptodon, and of course the whale skeletons, since he was 2. This museum is a great option to involve kids in fun learning during the Children's Museum's closing...
A Draw-dropping Array of Animals, Thu 20 Apr 2006
Little and big kids will be astonished at the number of (previously living) animals on display at the HMNH. Giraffes, lions, and other very scary, toothy species give kids a much closer view of wildlife than any zoo. Huge whale skeletons offer a real sense of proportion about sea mammals, and some impressive fossils educate and impress. Check the museum's schedule for special events and presentations.
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