Meteorites, massive dinosaur skeletons, dodo remains, and giant whale skeletons adorn the Harvard Museum of Natural history. One of Boston’s best kept secrets, the Victorian-era museum also houses perfect glass replicas of botanically accurate plants. Jaw-droppingly realistic, the “Glass Flowers” are worth the price of admission alone. Animals long-extinct (Triceratops!) are on display mere feet from animals that are currently gravely endangered (Mountain Gorillas), and others you’ve seen in your backyard (American Beaver).
The museum allows us to take a walk through Natural History, as the museum was crafted at a time when no rules on collecting existed. The unique treasures inside include a replica of the world's largest confirmed Gold Nugget, a woodpecker collected by Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis and Clark), and a mastodon that played a part in the most scandalous murder in Harvard history.
This 90-minute tour is great for science geeks, curious minds, or anyone looking for a perfect activity on a freezing or blazing-hot Boston day (as the museum is inside, and climate controlled!). ***Please note that museum admission is not included in the price of this tour. Admission will be a modest additional cost upon arrival***
Highlights
Oldest Rock you’ll ever touch
Giant Amethyst
Glass Flowers
Arthropods (bugs and beetles)
Giant Mammals
Mastodon
Dinosaurs
Bengal Tiger
Mammal Hall (whales, gorillas, platypus)
Bird Gallery
Details
$150 booking minimum covers up to 10 guests. Guests are $10 per person per hour thereafter.
This tour typically lasts 90-120 minutes. We can do it faster or slower, but tend to recommend at least 90 minutes.
This tour path is roughly 9/10ths of a mile, or 1.5 km.
For customized tours, groups under 10 guests are $100-$120 per hour per guide, dependent on season and availability. For customized tours in groups larger than 10, please contact our staff for pricing.
Add-ons
This tour is designed to blend seamlessly with the Tour of Harvard or Tour of Old Cambridge.
We are more than happy to collect additional money from you to pay the museum admission fees all in one chunk. Please contact us for more.
If you would like to also enter the Peabody Museum to see Harvard’s ample collection of archaeological collection, we can happily add 30 minutes to explore this collection for a small extra fee. Admission is already included with admission to the HMNH
For smaller groups, we may also enter the Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments or the Semitic Museum at Harvard, free of cost.
Harvard Art Museums make an excellent complement to this tour for those seeking a day of indoor activities. It can get very hot and very cold in Boston!
We Can't...
We do not arrange lectures from Natural Historians through Harvard. The museum can be contacted directly if you are interested in this type of lecture, but there is no guarantee they will be able to arrange it.
We cannot enter Harvard BioLabs as an add on. We’d love to be able to, but they are closed laboratories, and we fear you won’t be able to sneak in either.
We cannot arrange tours of the warehoused collections, but we certainly encourage you to reach out to the museum if you’d like an insider perspective on the collection and conservation aspect of the Natural History departments at Harvard.