What to do and see in Cambridge, Massachusetts (MA): The Best Museums

March 29, 2022 Enriqueta Cusson

Home to two of America's most prestigious universities, Cambridge exudes a certain intellectual quirkiness. A mix of historical haunts, student hang-outs, alternative art and culture venues, vintage clothing shops, bookstores and ethnic restaurants, the city is, well, really cool. Although it is located just across the Charles River from Boston, Cambridge has a distinct vibe that is noticeable immediately. Start at Harvard Square, a hub of activity and mishmash of trendy stores, outdoor cafes and colorful local characters. Pick up a walking tour map at the visitors information booth in the center of the Square. The route will take you past many important landmarks including the Mount Auburn Cemetery, Tory Row and the Longfellow National Historic Site. Harvard University offers student-led tours through the illustrious buildings and monuments of its sprawling campus. Art and architecture buffs should meander around the M.I.T campus, which includes outdoor sculptures by masters such as Picasso and 20th-century buildings designed by modern greats like Eero Saarinen and I. M. Pei. Along the way, browse through bookstores, stop to watch street performers and grab a coffee at an outdoor café to take in all this captivating city has to offer.
Restaurants in Cambridge

102 Mount Auburn St The Cooper Gallery is adjacent to the Hutchins Center, next to Peet’s Coffee & Tea., Cambridge, MA 02138-5051 +1 617-496-5777 [email protected] http://www.coopergalleryhc.org/
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5.0 based on 3 reviews

The Cooper Gallery

2. The Fogg Art Museum

32 Quincy St Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138-3804 https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fogg-Art-Museum
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5.0 based on 25 reviews

The Fogg Art Museum

Reviewed By Neuron18 - Newton, United States

The Fogg recently underwent an extensive renewal, and what came out was a magnificently lighted and curated museum. There is tremendous care in installations, which change regularly. There are also lectures and special exhibits which are almost always exceptionally rewarding. While there are other excellent museums in Boston, this one must not be missed.

3. Cambridge Artists’ Cooperative

59A Church St Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA 02138-3715 +1 617-868-4434 [email protected] http://www.cambridgeartistscoop.com/
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5.0 based on 7 reviews

Cambridge Artists’ Cooperative

Cambridge Artists’ Cooperative is located in famous Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1988, we remain an artist owned and operated Gallery of Contemporary American Craft showcasing the work of over 200 artists from across the USA.

Reviewed By Neuron18 - Newton, United States

This shop is situated right off one of the main streets of Harvard Square. They feature crafts by local artists and other hand made goods as well. I saw well done jewelry (but very little gold), excellent leather, glass and many textiles. The shop is quiet and the service is welcoming and warm. A place to see beautiful workmanship, and to shop for unusual and very appealing items.

4. Museum of Comparative Zoology

26 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA 02138-2932 +1 617-495-2460 http://www.mcz.harvard.edu/
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4.5 based on 11 reviews

Museum of Comparative Zoology

The Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) at Harvard University is a center for research and education focused on the comparative relationships of animal life.The MCZ's public exhibits can be viewed at the Harvard Museum of Natural History (HMNH).

5. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology

11 Divinity Ave Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 +1 617-496-1027 [email protected] http://www.peabody.harvard.edu/
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4.5 based on 162 reviews

Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology

From towering Native American totem poles and large Maya sculptures to precious artifacts of the ancient world, the Peabody Museum is among the oldest archaeological and ethnographic museums in the world with one of the finest collections of human cultural history found anywhere. The Peabody Museum was founded in 1866 and is one of the oldest museums in the world devoted to anthropology, the study of ancient and contemporary peoples and cultures. The museum building adjoins the Harvard Museum of Natural History complex on the north side of the main Harvard campus. With 1.2 million objects, the Museum has one of the largest archaeological and ethnological collections in the world, including extensive archives of documents and historic photographs. The collections are heavily used by researchers, descendant communities, Harvard faculty and courses given by universities throughout the region. The museum also has an Education department that serves primary and secondary school students.

Reviewed By marcodL8041FK - Big Sky, United States

Check out the Central American stelae. They are accurate castings in plaster. The original ones have degraded from exposure to weather, so reachers come to Harvard to see the best examples of stelae.

6. Harvard Museum of Natural History

26 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA 02138-2932 +1 617-495-3045 [email protected] http://hmnh.harvard.edu/
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4.5 based on 1,183 reviews

Harvard Museum of Natural History

At the Harvard Museum of Natural History, just steps away from the historic Harvard Yard, you can witness the amazing artistry of the celebrated Blaschka glass flowers & sea creature collections, roar with the Siberian tiger, buzz with honeybees, find your birthstone gem, and go back in time in Romer Hall, home of the famous 42-foot Kronosaurus. The Harvard Museum of Natural History is the most-visited attraction at Harvard—for its incomparable collections based on the research of scientists across the University, and its ongoing exhibitions like Climate Change, The Rockefeller Beetles, Birds of the World, Marine Life, and more. The Harvard Museum of Natural History’s mission is to enhance public understanding and appreciation of the natural world and the human place in it, sparking curiosity and a spirit of discovery in people of all ages.

Reviewed By VincentI133

For the same admission ticket you can also access the anthropology museum connected to the natural history museum. Highlights include the extensive collection of glass models of flowers, and the collection of rocks and minerals. Kids would enjoy the taxidermied animal exhibits. Worthwhile coming to Harvard just for this!

7. Harvard University Herbaria

Harvard University 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 +1 617-495-3045 http://www.huh.harvard.edu/
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4.5 based on 11 reviews

Harvard University Herbaria

Originally called the "Museum of Vegetable Products" when it was founded in 1858, today this museum focuses on the study of useful plants and economic botany.

8. Harvard Art Museums

32 Quincy St, Cambridge, MA 02138-3804 +1 617-495-9400 [email protected] http://www.harvardartmuseums.org
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4.5 based on 475 reviews

Harvard Art Museums

The Harvard Art Museums, among the world’s leading art institutions, comprise three museums (the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, and Arthur M. Sackler Museums) all under one roof. Masterpieces among our more than a quarter million works include works by Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keefe, and Jackson Pollock; contemporary works by internationally recognized artists such as Kara Walker, Al Weiwei, and Kerry James Marshall; and an array of remarkable objects from ancient cultures in the Mediterranean, Near East, and Far East. Our special exhibitions give us the chance to showcase an even wider range of works spanning diverse media, genres, and eras. The Museums are open to everyone, 7 days a week.

Reviewed By WillyRandom - Boston, United States

Although I love the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, this is a very refreshing gem across the Charles River that keeps me coming back for the permanent collection, rotations in the Japanese section, and special exhibitions like the current Bauhaus one. It has a great cafe and beautiful indoor courtyard. Some of my favorite, amazing German Expressionist, delightful paintings are here by Franz Marc and Ludwig Ernst Kirchner. Other highlights include two stunning paintings by Gustave Moreau, one by John LaFarge, and my favorite self portrait of Van Gogh. The more I travel, the more I come back and appreciate this place.

9. Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center

41 2nd St, Cambridge, MA 02141-1733 +1 617-577-1400 [email protected]
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4.5 based on 8 reviews

Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center

10. Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments

1 Oxford St Harvard Science Center, Cambridge, MA 02138-2901 +1 617-495-2779 [email protected] http://chsi.harvard.edu
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4.5 based on 2 reviews

Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments

Since its inception in 1948, various Harvard departments and private benefactors have added material to the original nucleus of the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments (CHSI), which now contains over 20,000 objects dating from about 1400 to the present. A broad range of scientific disciplines are represented, including astronomy, navigation, horology, surveying, geology, calculating, physics, biology, medicine, psychology, electricity, and communication. Significant instruments, made obsolete by new technologies, continue to be incorporated. Many of the documents detailing the purchase and use of the instruments have been preserved, and are available for research in the Collection's adjunct library.

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