Harvard Museum of Natural History

Overview

The Harvard Museum of Natural History showcases the university's vast scientific collections, including mineralogy, zoology, and the world-famous Glass Flowers. It serves as the public face of three Harvard research museums.

Highlights

• Glass Flowers (Blaschka Collection): Over 4,300 hand-blown glass models of 780 plant species, created between 1887 and 1936.
• Great Mammal Hall: Life-sized taxidermy displays including a 42-foot kronosaurus skeleton.
• Mineral Gallery: Over 5,000 minerals and gems, including a 1,642-pound amethyst geode.

History

The museum opened in 1998 as a unified public entrance to three older Harvard museums: the Museum of Comparative Zoology (1859), the Mineralogical & Geological Museum (1784), and the Botanical Museum (1858).

Visitor Tips

• Combined admission: One ticket covers the adjacent Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology.
• Free for Massachusetts residents: On Sundays from September to May (10 AM–noon).
• Duration: 1–1.5 hours.