Walk in Boston # 18, venerable Harvard, is a self-guided tour mainly on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge.
You will need between will 1h30 and 5h to complete it depending of the time you’ll spend in the galleries and museums on your way.
You’ll see shady yards and secluded courtyards, respectable buildings, six museums, a gallery of design and many outdoor sculptures. You’ll also be able to say you went to Harvard University!
This walk is now only available on Payhip in pdf format with a clickable map and updated descriptions.
In this pdf you will also find:
- the list of Highlights.
- the Metro stops to get there and back and infos for Cars.
- tips about restrooms, places to sit and eat.
- details about a particular place you will find on your route.
You can download it (or just the map of the walk) to your phone to help you in your discoveries.
This will allow you to live a unique experience of the city far from what you might find elsewhere.
If you purchased the Boston NYC book, this download will be free for you, just send me a note for an access code for this walk if you don’t have it already.
The description below, incomplete and with cropped photos, gives you an idea of this walk before you decide to buy it.
A: Your tour starts at …e and go to the …first if you took the .. and emerged at another exit.
For years, it hosted a famous International Newspaper stand (it’s on the photo) but it is now (2021) transformed in a public space.
Once you got the feel of the ..- busy and unconventional, enter … by the corner entrance facing you.
A few steps inside the campus will be enough to give you an idea of Harvard University: big lawns with trees, red brick buildings, students reading or playing ball games. It’s both relaxed and serious, a temple of knowledge where you’ll perhaps meet your next president with books under his or her arms.
Your first stop will be the … by Daniel Chester French. It’s not John Harvard however, the … was made after a descendant of him. Nobody knows how John Harvard looked like! Besides, he was only one of the founders of the university, but he gave it his name! It is said that students touch the…for good luck, but it’s a myth. It explains why the … is also named “the three lies …”.
The… is in the vicinity; it would be tempting to climb the stairs and go inside to have a look, but it’s not open to the public. Instead, enter …a few yards away, home to the …. There are sometimes lectures on the 1st floor; if there are not any on the day you come, just pretend you’re looking for the calendar for the next ones! It’s an impressive building, inside and out.
B: Next, you’ll reach the … on the other side of …. A major renovation completed in 2014 combined the …; it means you now have three museums for the price of one! Western paintings, sculptures, and prints, particularly those of the German Expressionists, are on display here. They also have temporary exhibitions.
Don’t forget to go to the 4th floor: it’s where restauration of artworks is done. You cannot enter the area, but you can look at it from behind glass doors; it seems a wonderful place to work, bright and spacious under skylights.
On the …of the museum, you’ll also find the …. It’s the only Le Corbusier building in the USA. You cannot miss it, it’s the only building around with a concrete façade. It’s home to students studios and temporary art exhibitions open to the public.
To see more art, the …, will be next. The 1st floor hosts works by students, or thematic exhibitions related to architecture. The visit is free.
In front of it, on your left, …: it’s a High Victorian Gothic building used for performances, conferences, and student acts.
C: For now, continue on …. with a pretty church on your right.
Take …to the left and then immediately to the right, …
You’ll walk along the … (named from the brewer and philanthrope) and its garden which can be visited free of charge on Wednesdays (1 to 5 p.m.) and Saturdays from 10 to 2 p.m.).
Continue to the campus (the map is not accurate here) then turn slightly left to reach two more museums, the … (free, formerly the … and that’s what is engraved above the door) and the… (entrance fee) with its collections of objects relating to American Indian cultures.
The … is connected to the… with its impressive collection of stuffed animals and fossils, stunning stones, and gallery of glass flowers which were intended for teaching and is now a treasure trove invaluable.
These 3 buildings have the retro charm of 19th century museums
D: Coming out of the … or walking along it on the right after the … if you don’t want to visit them now, you will reach …
Go left towards # 1 and the … a small and quite unusual museum with a free entrance.
Once seen, retrace your steps to the vicinity of the … and turn left to pass under or next to the buildings that are there.
E: You’ll see … in the distance, behind lawns and big trees. It’s part of … and one of the most prestigious law schools in the world.
F: Walk along… on your left until you find a path on your right toward …; cross ..; then the .. Common.
On the other side of .., you’ll see .. on your left, an elegant church whose doors are open to everyone. If you have a look inside, you’ll see it’s pretty there too.
There is a path along it, on its left, with a view of …, the only Cambridge cemetery for about 200 years. Headstone are few because they came later and not everyone could have one.
Take the path to reach … a quintessential New England street (the map here is not accurate as the pathway is not indicated).
At the end of it, you’ll find… Take it on your left.
You are now in the business section of …with cafes, shops, and street performers. If you want to buy souvenirs or books, the … will be further on your left and on …. You don’t have to be a student to shop there, but you won’t get the discounts they have!
You can now stop your tour here if you wish, and just wander in the streets. The .. where you started is close by.
G: If you want to explore more, take the …t. at the end of …; then … on your left.
After two blocks, you’ll see that the area on your right is under construction; there was a community garden there, open to everyone, but who know if it will reappear?
Take…on your right to go and see the .. at the end, one of the twelve undergraduate residential houses of the University. Behind its door, and sometimes accessible, two pretty and secluded courtyards.
Back to … you’ll see the …, a building looking like a Prussian soldier. It’s home to the …, an undergraduate humor publication. It got as many criticism as rave reviews for its unusual design. Wheelwright, one of the founder of the … completed it in 1909, using a style adequately called “mock Flemish”.
H: On …, a street facing …, look up in the air to see gargoyles. Find an alley on your right to visit another secluded and pretty courtyard, this one more accessible!
I: At the end of …., you’ll be on…and … will be on your left.
If it’s time for food and entertainment, there is everything you need around Harvard Square: restaurants, theaters, movies theaters, and clubs.
If however you now want to compare the Harvard campus to the MIT campus, you can take the T. to Kendall/MIT and follow Walk in Boston # 4, sculpture and architecture at MIT.
Convinced that this walk will be exceptional? Find it on Payhip.