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Harvard Museum of Natural History

Arrangements of glass flowers, rocks from outer space, dinosaur bones, thousands of stuffed animals—just what is this place? It's called the Harvard Museum of Natural History, and it offers plenty of "Ooo, look at that!" type of opportunities for every age group. Permanent and changing exhibits are distributed among the Botanical Museum, the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and the Mineralogical and Geological Museum.

Prehistoric fossils and reconstructed bones in the zoological galleries include the world's only mounted Kronosaurus, a 42-foot-long marine reptile. Modern mammals, birds, and fish-from the hummingbird to the hippopotamus-also have a place here, including pheasants once owned by George Washington.

Headlining the botanical galleries is the prized Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants, known as the "Glass Flowers." Beginning in 1886, two artisans spent 50 years crafting this collection of over 3,000 models that represent more than 830 plant species.

The mineral collections feature an impressive display of New England gemstones in both rough and cut samples. Also on display are several meteorites and a 1,600-pound amethyst geode from Brazil.

Location
The Harvard Museum of Natural History is located at 26 Oxford Street in Cambridge, with public entrances at 26 Oxford Street and 11 Divinity Avenue.

Hours of operation
The museum is open daily, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., year-round. It's closed only on New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Admission

Adults	$6.50
Senior citizens	$5.00
Non-Harvard students	$5.00
Children (ages 3-18)	$4.00

Admission is free to the public on Wednesdays, 3–5 p.m. (September through May); and on Sundays, 9 a.m.–noon. Harvard students with valid ID are admitted free along with one guest. Discounted group rates are available with reservation.

This attraction participates in the CityPass discount program, which provides access to six popular Boston attractions for $30.25 (adults) and $18.50 (children, ages 3-17). CityPass booklets can be purchased at participating attraction locations or at the CityPass Web site.

Contact information and reservations

• Call (617) 495-3045 for general information.
• For group reservations, call (617) 495-2341.
• E-mail hmnh@oeb.harvard.edu.

Special considerations
The museum lot has metered parking spaces, but availability is limited. Some two-hour metered spaces are available on Oxford Street.

Additional information
Visit the Harvard Museum of Natural History Web site.

Please note
Cost, hours of operation, or other information about this attraction is subject to change without notice. We suggest you confirm with the attraction prior to your visit.