Harvard University is among the world’s most esteemed universities. You’ve heard of it, of course.
When you visit this campus, you can learn about its history and legacy in addition to assessing the benefits and drawbacks of receiving a Harvard degree and discussing admission requirements with current students.
You should visit Harvard for yourself and experience what it would be like to be a student there, so you made the trip to Boston.
Why is Harvard famous?
Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the United States, Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university. The first university in the United States was established on October 28, 1636, and was named for its first patron, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard. It is among the most prominent colleges in the world due to its riches, rankings, and impact.
The Massachusetts General Court, the colonial-era Massachusetts Bay Colony’s governing body, approved the founding of Harvard. Harvard trained Congregational clergy despite never having a formal denominational affiliation until the 18th century, when its student body and curriculum were steadily secularized.
Harvard became the most prestigious intellectual and cultural establishment among the Boston elite by the 19th century. Charles William Eliot, the president of Harvard from 1869 to 1909, established several professional schools after the American Civil War, transforming the university into a cutting-edge research institution. Harvard was one of the founding members of the Association of American Universities in 1900. Following World War II, James B. Conant liberalized admissions and guided the university through the Great Depression.
Campus of Harvard University
Harvard Yard—also referred to as “the Yard” is the focal point of the 209-acre (85-hectare) main campus of Harvard University. It is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, approximately 3 miles (5 km) west-northwest of downtown Boston, and it extends to the Harvard Square area nearby. Several Harvard buildings, including Houghton, Lamont, Pusey, and Widener libraries, are located in the Yard. Additionally located in Harvard Yard are University Hall, the oldest surviving structure at the university, Memorial Church, and Massachusetts Hall, which was constructed between 1718 and 1720.
The primary academic structures of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, such as Harvard Hall, Sever Hall, and the freshman residence halls, are located in Harvard Yard and the surrounding neighborhoods. The twelve residential homes, which are situated on Radcliffe Quadrangle and south of Harvard Yard close to the Charles River, are occupied by upperclassmen.
With its own dining hall, library, and recreational spaces, each house serves as a community for undergraduate students, faculty deans, and resident tutors.
Law, Divinity (theology), Engineering and Applied Science, Design (architecture), Education, Kennedy (public policy), Extension, and the Harvard Radcliffe Institute in Radcliffe Yard are also located on Cambridge’s main campus. In Cambridge, Harvard also owns commercial real estate.
How do you reach Harvard?
You can still get to Harvard with ease if you’re not participating in one of the bus trips. The MBTA subway’s red line stops at the university. You cannot get off at the incorrect stop because it is clearly designated as Harvard. If you’re on the Red Line, the train ride from downtown Boston takes less than fifteen minutes.
What is the cost of a tour of Harvard?
Adult admission to the Harvard campus costs $20 to $25, though prices can change depending on the time of year. Although you don’t need to purchase the tickets in advance, it would be a smart idea if you are going during the summer, when demand may be higher.
Although there are no gratuities, this is a fully guided tour, and the students who conduct the tours put a lot of effort into giving the greatest experience possible. From what you learn, this is a fair price.
Harvard tour timing and duration
The tours run seven days a week, several times a day. There are fewer trips available from December to February inclusive, so be sure to check ahead. However, there are at least four or five tour start times over the rest of the year. The tour departs every 30 minutes between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. throughout the summer months of June through August, around a dozen times.
The tour of the Harvard campus lasts a little more than an hour. It begins just outside the subway station. You enter through the university gates, round the yard, and pass some of the older structures.
Overall, you walk around a mile, although the guides travel leisurely and there are several breaks to hear stories. Everyone will be able to keep up with your huge group. However, you should wear comfortable clothing and shoes because you might spend time at the campus before and after the tour.
Must See Places at Harvard
If you are visiting Harvard then must see these places and embrace the legacy of Harvard:
- Johnston Gate: This is the oldest and most iconic entrance gates in Harvard, designed in 1889. It is one of the favorites photo spots and is deemed to be coated with a superstition: students should only pass through it twice: once as they enter and finally at the end of their journey at Harvard.
- Widener Library – The architectural showstopper and the most important library at Harvard, hosting over three million volumes. It is dedicated to Harry Widener, a Harvard alumnus who died during the sinking of the Titanic. It is an academic treasure.
- Annenberg Hall – A rather impressive freshman dining hall, boasting with high ceilings and colored glass windows. The dining setup is nothing but comparable to the Harry Potter Great Hall.
- Science Center – A modern building and center for scientific study, where you can see the historic Harvard Mark I computer-an important piece in computing history.
- Harvard Museum of Natural History- Known for its exquisite Glass Flowers exhibit and vast displays, including dinosaur fossils and other natural wonders.
- Sever Hall – This National Historic Landmark designed by architect H.H. Richardson, is considered a masterpiece of beautiful red-brick Romanesque design and intricate stonework.
- Memorial Church – In Harvard Yard, this church is a memorial to Harvard alumni who died in service. Reflective silence prevails here.
- Harvard Law School – Most memorable for Langdell Hall and its mammoth law library, one of the largest in the world, this is Harvard’s greatest gift to legal history.
- Cambridge Common – Just off the campus, this historic park was once used by George Washington to gather Continental Army troops during the Revolutionary War.
