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Harvard Yard, Cambridge, MA

Photo: Nina R from Africa, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingIconicHistory BuffFree

Harvard Yard

Off Massachusetts Ave at Harvard Square, Visitor Center at 1350 Massachusetts Ave · Cambridge, MA

Why you should go…

Harvard Yard is the oldest part of the Harvard campus, a 22.4-acre green ringed by 27 gates, with its first parcel bought in 1637. You can walk past Massachusetts Hall, built in 1720 and the oldest building at Harvard, the John Harvard statue in front of University Hall, Widener Library and Memorial Church. Free student-led historical tours of 45 to 60 minutes leave from the Visitor Center in the Smith Campus Center and require advance registration.

  • #university campus
  • #walking tour
  • #historic district
  • #john harvard statue

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Harvard Yard, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Harvard Square

    Free

    Explore bookstores, cafes, street life and historic Harvard Yard around the busy plaza at the center of Cambridge.

    Steps awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Harvard Art Museums

    Free

    Harvard's art museum near Harvard Square, with more than 50 galleries across three floors around a skylit courtyard.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Tours
    Local Gem

    Trademark Tours

    $25–$50

    Student-led walking tours of Harvard and MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Museums
    Local Gem

    Harvard Museum of Natural History

    Under $25

    Home of the famous Glass Flowers, plus whale skeletons, a 42-foot Kronosaurus, and Harvard's great hall of mammals, steps from Harvard Yard.

    0.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Date Night

    Charles River Boat Company

    $25–$50

    Narrated sightseeing cruises along the Charles River past Beacon Hill, the Back Bay, MIT, and Harvard.

    0.9 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Boston

    Free

    The City of Boston's citywide 250th-anniversary program of historic tours, markers and events.

    1.8 mi awayMore like this