It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Boston, so I figured it was time to return and see what’s new. My last trip was pretty straight forward – since it was my first time visiting I did the Freedom Trail, visited the Boston Common and Public Garden, ate at Faneuil Market, toured the USS Constitution, and had a drink at the Beantown Pub. These are all amazing sights to see, there is a reason why they are so popular! If it’s your first time I would recommend checking out the popular attractions that interest you. On my second trip I was ready to head a bit more off the beaten path. I spent a lot of time in Cambridge and loved the more relaxed suburban, yet totally lively feel. Checking out the Harvard Museum of Natural History [26 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA 02138] was at the top of our list of things to do, it was so amazing!
I’ve been to the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan which is so huge it’s hard to see the whole thing. The Harvard museum is the perfect size. You can spend a whole day really scrutinizing each exhibit, or browse pausing at what really interests you and see the whole thing within two hours. With only a weekend in town we opted for just under two hours – perfect because that’s how much the meters across the street allowed us, PS they only take quarters so have some handy! The huge reason I wanted to come to the museum was to see the glass flowers exhibit. When I entered the room I had a hard time believing that all of these flowers were in fact made of glass and not real.
They were so life like! You can learn up on how they’re made.
Walk through rows and rows of these unbelievable one of a kind treasures.
See exotic flowers.
Ones you may recognize from home.
And learn about the different parts that make up a flower.
An absolutely amazing exhibit I will never forget, worth the price of admission alone ($10 for students, $12 for adults). Other than the intricate glass flowers, they had a small selection of jellyfish and anemone which were equally intriguing to me.
The insect exhibit was really cool – the rainbow array of beetles was stunning.
Don’t miss the real life hissing cockroaches! I loved how there were little environments with living bugs intermingled with the displays. One of the most exciting exhibits at the Manhattan museum is the dinosaur fossils. Harvard has that too!
Amazing dino fossils, but also that of a giant sloth.
Super cool. And for those who studied hominids there is a little homo flores which they dub a hobbit!
The selection of birds they had was amazing. The dodo skeleton was particularly impressive,
Along with the huge display of hummingbirds – who knew there was such diversity amongst them?
There was a large mineral collection filled with stunning colors and designs.
Connected to the Natural History museum is the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology which you also gain entrance to with admission.
This museum is a true gem, and when visiting the Boston area it is a must!