Harvard University

America’s oldest university, founded in 1636. The John Harvard statue in Harvard Yard and the red-brick college buildings are the first stops on any tour of this prestigious school.

Harvard University was founded in 1636 and is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Its main campus lies around Harvard Square in Cambridge, on the north bank of the Charles River. The core of any visit is Harvard Yard. The John Harvard statue, nicknamed the “statue of three lies” (the figure is not a likeness of John Harvard, he was not the founder, and the founding year is carved incorrectly), is a must-see. Visitors line up to rub its left shoe for good luck. Nearby are Massachusetts Hall, the university’s administrative building dating from 1720, the grand Widener Library (open only to students and faculty) and Memorial Church. Harvard Yard is free to enter. Student-led official tours (free), departing from the Smith Campus Center, must be booked on the official website and last about an hour. Other worthwhile stops on campus include the Harvard Art Museums (with works by Van Gogh, Monet and others, free admission) and the Harvard Museum of Natural History, famous for its “Glass Flowers” botanical models (about $15 for adults). Around Harvard Square you will find the Harvard Book Store, the Harvard Coop campus shop and many cafés. You can walk through campus to the Weeks Footbridge on the Charles River to watch rowing boats. Getting there: take the MBTA Red Line subway from downtown Boston to Harvard station. You step out into Harvard Square, and the trip takes about 15 minutes. MIT is two stops away on the Red Line (Kendall/MIT station), so you can visit both on the same day. Note that most academic buildings are not open to visitors, and do not enter the dormitories. Access to Harvard Yard is limited during commencement (late May) and at the start of the academic year.

Harvard University

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