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Harvard Museum of Natural History

Explore 12.000 specimens drawn from Harvard's vast research collections at the University's most visited museum. Highlights include the world famous Ware Collection glass art exhibit of 3.000 "Glass Flowers", amazingly realistic models of plants, fruits and flowers created by father-son glass flameworkers Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka from 1886-1936. Among the other 17 galleries, are "Sea Creatures in Glass", Blaschkas' earlier models of marine animals, "Language of Color", how animals perceive and communicate with color, "Looking at Leaves: Photographs by Amanda Means", and paintings by Jacques Burkhardt of Agassiz's Thayer expedition to Brazil. The museum is on the Harvard University campus, just a short 7-10 minute walk through historic Harvard Yard from the Harvard Square MBTA Red Line T station. Open daily, 9 am - 5 pm, 361 days/year. Handicapped accessible. Explore www.hmnh.harvard.edu for changing exhibitions, dozens of lectures, events, classes for all ages, year round.

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    Harvard Museum of Natural History

    26 Oxford Street
    Cambridge, MA 02138

    Phone: 617-495-3045

    Fax: 617-496-8206

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• Current &
  Upcoming Events

  • Current Events

    06/27/10- 06/30/12	Free Sunday Mornings at Harvard Museum of Natural History Harvard Museum of Natural History Free Sunday Mornings at Harvard Museum of Natural History Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History June 27, 2010-June 30, 2012 Don’t miss the world famous exhibit of 3,000 ‘Glass Flowers’, amazingly realistic models of plants, fruits and flowers created by father-son glass artists Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka from 1886-1936. Explore 12,000 specimens drawn from Harvard’s vast research collections at the University's most visited museum -- dinosaurs, meteorites, gemstones, and hundreds of prehistoric and current-day animals from around the globe. Get close to the world’s only mounted...
    05/22/10- 01/02/11	Headgear: The Natural History of Horns and Antlers Harvard Museum of Natural History Headgear: The Natural History of Horns and Antlers Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History May 22, 2010-January 2, 2011 The Headgear exhibit will feature dramatic arrays of horns, antlers, and head mounts of a wide variety of species drawn from the collections of Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, as well as 3-D diorama and video presentations illustrating the use of horns and antlers in combat. Visitors will be invited to explore some of the properties of horns and antlers by touching real specimens and comparing their own body height to the world’s largest antlers, those of the extinct...
    10/16/09- 12/31/10	Reopening of the Great Mammal Hall Harvard Museum of Natural History Reopening of the Great Mammal Hall Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History October 16, 2009-December 31, 2010 Great Mammal Hall, Phase I Renovations Completed, Reopens October 16, to Commemorate 150th Anniversary of the Founding of Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology. The Great Mammal Hall, a two-story gallery, some 60 feet long by 40 feet wide, is the oldest and most dramatic gallery in the museum, with a 19th century arrangement of specimens that includes a full-sized giraffe, a bison, a narwhal, and three whale skeletons suspended from the rafters. Some creatures on display here,...

  • Upcoming Events

    10/12/10

    Honeybee Democracy Geological Lecture Hall Honeybee Democracy Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Geological Lecture Hall October 12, 2010 As they face the life-or-death problem of choosing and traveling to a new home every year, honeybees employ a complex decision-making process that includes fact finding, vigorous debate, and consensus building. Thomas Seeley, world-renowned animal behaviorist and Professor of Biology at Cornell, will explore what these incredible insects can teach us about collective wisdom and democracy. Free and open to the public, Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street.

• Past
  Events

  • Past Events

    08/19/10	Summer Night at the Museum Harvard Museum of Natural History Summer Night at the Museum Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History August 19, 2010 The Harvard Museum of Natural History hosts extended hours for its final Summer Night. Bring houseguests to see the Glass Flowers and explore the museum and the new Headgear exhibition. Attend a 6 pm gallery tour
    07/15/10	Summer Night at the Museum, Harvard Museum of Natural History Harvard Museum of Natural History Summer Night at the Museum, Harvard Museum of Natural History Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History July 15, 2010 Explore the museum and the new Headgear exhibition. Bring visitors to see the world famous Blaschka Glass Flowers. Join Peter Hedman, 2010 graduate of Harvard College with a concentration in the Earth & Planetary Sciences, for a 6 pm gallery talk on “Rock of Ages: The Evolution of Minerals through Earth History”, and Dr. Vera Domingues, a researcher in Harvard’s Department of Mammalogy, for a 7:00 pm gallery tour on “Natural Selection at Work: Color and...
    06/17/10	Birdology: From Hens to Hummingbirds—And One Big Living Dinosaur Harvard Museum of Natural History Birdology: From Hens to Hummingbirds—And One Big Living Dinosaur Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History June 17, 2010 In her new book, Birdology, award-winning wildlife author Sy Montgomery explores questions such as: Do hawks show emotion, like anger, sympathy and frustration? Are birds actually living dinosaurs? Is there a secret emotional life to birds that we are only beginning to discover? Montgomery will explore these intriguing questions and others. Free with museum admission. Part of Summer Nights at the Museum.
    06/17/10	Summer Night at the Museum Harvard Museum of Natural History Summer Night at the Museum Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History June 17, 2010 Explore the museum during extended hours! Join informal tours of the galleries with Harvard graduate students and participate in special programs. Check out the famous glass flowers, and don't miss the cultural artifacts in the museum's newest exhibit: "Headgear: The Natural History of Horns and Antlers." At 7pm, join wildlife author Sy Montgomery for a lecture and booksigning: "Birdology: From Hens to Hummingbirds—And One Big Living Dinosaur."
    04/28/10	Defining a New Environmental Vocabulary; Talk by Landscape Architect Jane Wolff Harvard Museum of Natural History Defining a New Environmental Vocabulary; Talk by Landscape Architect Jane Wolff Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History April 28, 2010 New Directions in EcoPlanning Annual Lecture by Jane Wolff (Harvard GSD '92), Director of the Landscape Architecture program at the University of Toronto. Wolff's lecture will address the intersection of ecology, design, public education, and grassroots advocacy in intensely inhabited landscapes. She’ll discuss her work in places like San Francisco Bay, the California Delta, and New Orleans. Her goal is to develop an environmental vocabulary that can be shared by planners,...
    04/20/10- 05/09/10	Free Sunday Mornings at Harvard Museum of Natural History Harvard Museum of Natural History Free Sunday Mornings at Harvard Museum of Natural History Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History April 20-May 9, 2010 Bring mothers to see the famed Glass Flowers exhibition at Harvard Museum of Natural History -- 3,000 exquisitely realistic glass models of flowering plants handcrafted by glass artisans Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka in Germany between 1886 and 1936 as teaching tools for students.
    03/26/10	Bizarre Animals: An Evening of Contemporary Art Interventions Harvard Museum of Natural History Bizarre Animals: An Evening of Contemporary Art Interventions Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History March 26, 2010 Bizarre Animals: An Evening of Contemporary Art Interventions is organized by Carlin Wing ’02, Fall 2009 Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies, who will be Artist in Residence at the Harvard Museum of Natural History for the week. Join us as contemporary artists respond to the collections on display in the museum with works in varied media, including music, video and performances. Artists and participants will include current VES students and recent...
    03/21/10	Zombie Insects and Disgusted Humans: How Parasites Affect Behavior Harvard Museum of Natural History Zombie Insects and Disgusted Humans: How Parasites Affect Behavior Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History March 21, 2010 From the dark forests of New Guinea to the woods of New England, various parasites pull off tricks of manipulation that would impress any Hollywood screenwriter: they hijack the brains of insects and literally turn them into “zombies.” In defending against such sinister Svengalis, an array of defensive behaviors has evolved. Darwin was the first to study this in humans, and since then scientists have theorized that fear and disgust might be a defense against certain parasites....
    03/18/10	Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy: Author Talk and Gallery Social with Melissa Milgrom Harvard Museum of Natural History Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy: Author Talk and Gallery Social with Melissa Milgrom Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History March 18, 2010 The Harvard Museum of Natural History is home to some of the country’s oldest and most varied collections of taxidermic animals. Join us for a gallery social and talk by author Melissa Milgrom, whose new book Still Life, delves into the colorful world of eccentric naturalists and gifted museum artisans who create the illusion of life through taxidermy. Books will be available for purchase and signing following the talk.
    03/06/10	Earth Rocks!: A Family Festival Harvard Museum of Natural History Earth Rocks!: A Family Festival Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History March 6, 2010 From rocks, minerals, and fossils to earthquakes, volcanoes, and meteorites, explore the dynamic history of planet Earth in a day-long family festival with hands-on activities and displays focused on geology and related sciences. Experience the museum’s unique collections in a new way and talk with scientists and collectors about their work in the field and behind the scenes. Earth Rocks is made possible in part with support from Cambridge Trust Company.
    02/16/10- 02/19/10	Animal Naturalists: Art and Science Program for Kids Harvard Museum of Natural History Animal Naturalists: Art and Science Program for Kids Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History February 16-February 19, 2010 Spend school vacation in the Harvard Museum of Natural History! Through hands-on activities in the galleries, students will learn while having fun. Combine your love for animals and drawing in this two-part science and art program. Led by a museum science educator, students will investigate the lives of birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, and amphibians. Under the guidance of a professional illustrator, students will sketch these animals while practicing various drawing techniques. The...
    02/12/10- 02/28/10	Gallery Exploration of the Twelve Animals of the Chinese Zodiac Harvard Museum of Natural History Gallery Exploration of the Twelve Animals of the Chinese Zodiac Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History February 12-February 28, 2010 Experience the museum by discovering the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, each linked to a specimen in the galleries. Learn about the cultural significance and natural history of these animals and try your hand at drawing the animal assigned to the year of your birth. This special Gallery Exploration will be available throughout the February school vacation. February Question of the Month, Question for Year of the Tiger: What are the names of all the tiger specimens on display in the...
    01/27/10	Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human Harvard Museum of Natural History Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History January 27, 2010 In his latest book, Catching Fire, Harvard biological anthropologist Richard Wrangham puts forth the bold theory that our Paleolithic Homo ancestors tamed fire and began cooking 1.8 million years ago, much earlier than conventionally believed. Wrangham will discuss how cooking started a revolution in human evolution, which drove large-scale changes in our physiology, behavior, and cognition and has defined our species to this very day. The program will include a discussion moderated by Noel...
    01/23/10	Coyote at the Kitchen Door: A conversation with Stephen Destefano & Amy Stein Harvard Museum of Natural History Coyote at the Kitchen Door: A conversation with Stephen Destefano & Amy Stein Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History January 23, 2010 Wildlife biologist Stephen Destefano’s newest book, Coyote at the Kitchen Door, and the work of photographer Amy Stein both address the blurred boundary between human life and wildlife in modern society. Bears, deer, fox, coyote and birds are increasingly encroaching upon areas considered to be ‘ours’. They’ll discuss how they approach this intersection, each from their own perspective. Booksigning to follow. This event is presented by the Harvard Museum of Natural...
    01/22/10- 04/18/10	Domesticated: Artist’s Exhibition Opening Talk by Amy Stein Harvard Museum of Natural History Domesticated: Artist’s Exhibition Opening Talk by Amy Stein Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History January 22-April 18, 2010 To celebrate the opening of Domesticated: Modern Dioramas of Our New Natural History, visual artist Amy Stein will talk about her unique process of creating and photographing modern dioramas based upon actual news accounts of encounters between humans and wildlife in rural Pennsylvania. Domesticated, opening January 22, 2010 at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, explores the tenuous relationship between humans and animals as human civilization increasingly encroaches upon nature. The...
    01/22/10- 04/18/10	Domesticated: Modern Dioramas of Our New Natural History: Photographs by Amy Stein Harvard Museum of Natural History Domesticated: Modern Dioramas of Our New Natural History: Photographs by Amy Stein Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History January 22-April 18, 2010 The Harvard Museum of Natural History announces a new exhibition, opening January 22, 2010, of striking, large-scale color photographs by New York–based visual artist Amy Stein. Domesticated: Modern Dioramas of our New Natural History, explores the tenuous relationship between humans and animals as human civilization increasingly encroaches upon nature. Domesticated: Modern Dioramas of Our New Natural History: Photographs by Amy Stein will be on display at the...
    01/17/10	A Bite Through Time: Family Program with Tanya Smith Harvard Museum of Natural History A Bite Through Time: Family Program with Tanya Smith Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History January 17, 2010 Our teeth are much more useful than just for eating and smiling. Tanya Smith, Assistant Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard, who studies the teeth of humans, Neanderthals, fossil apes, and other primates, will explore what teeth can tell us about human origins and growth, and how they are actually “tiny time recorders” in our mouth. Free with museum admission to the Harvard Museum of Natural History: Open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, except major holidays. For more...
    12/13/09	The Size and Shape of Nature Harvard Museum of Natural History The Size and Shape of Nature Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History December 13, 2009 How can it be that a tiny ant can lift many times its own weight, while a beached whale cannot support its own weight? Why are large mammals so rare while bacteria are so abundant? Why do some organisms live for hours, while others live for over a century? Using size as a beacon, L. Mahadevan, Harvard Professor of Applied Mathematics and 2009 MacArthur Fellow, will describe how the intersecting worlds of mathematics, physics, and engineering allow us to understand life's variations. Free...
    12/10/09	Harvard Museum of Natural History Harvard Museum of Natural History Harvard Museum of Natural History Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History December 10, 2009 Free admission to the Harvard Museum of Natural History from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. Check out the newly restored Great Mammal Hall and visit the Evolution and Language of Color exhibitions. Take 20% off your purchase at the Museum Shop (not to be combined with other discounts.)
    11/15/09	Dance, Dance, Evolution: Family Program at the Harvard Museum of Natural History Harvard Museum of Natural History Dance, Dance, Evolution: Family Program at the Harvard Museum of Natural History Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History November 15, 2009 People of all ages and cultures enjoy music and dance. But why do we do it? Join Adena Schachner and Timothy Brady, Ph.D. candidates at Harvard and MIT, for an engaging program on the origins of music and dance. Examine how and why evolution happens, and learn about the presenters’ recent studies that show some birds can actually dance to a beat. Free with museum admission.
    11/13/09	“Exploring Art, Nature and City with the Ghost of Darwin” - Artist’s talk with Gail Wight. Harvard Museum of Natural History “Exploring Art, Nature and City with the Ghost of Darwin” - Artist’s talk with Gail Wight. Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History November 13, 2009 If Darwin were to come to your neighborhood today, and you could show him just a few things, what would they be? Artist Gail Wight, Associate Professor of Art at Stanford University, takes Darwin's ghost for a tour around the San Francisco Bay area, seeks out local flora and fauna he would relish, addresses the legacy of his ideas, and considers environmental degradation over the intervening years. She'll discuss this and other new works of art involving science collections, as well as a...
    08/19/09	Drawing Animals, Harvard Museum of Natural History Harvard Museum of Natural History Drawing Animals, Harvard Museum of Natural History Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History August 19, 2009 Drawing Animals: A four-week course for adults Saturdays, November 7- December 5, 9:30–11:00 am. Connect with the natural world and examine the museum’s zoological collection from a new perspective. Join us for a four-session course in observational drawing taught by a professional artist. This course introduces students to basic techniques that they can continue to expand on their own. The first half of each session will be spent in the classroom practicing techniques such as...
    07/16/09- 08/20/09	Summer Nights at the Museum Harvard Museum of Natural History Summer Nights at the Museum Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History July 16-August 20, 2009 Summer Nights at the Museum Thursday Evenings: July 16, August 20 5:00 - 8:00 PM The museum will have extended hours with half-price admission on Thursday nights this summer. Each night will feature informal docent tours of the world famous collection of Blaschka 'Glass Flowers', as well as a special gallery talk in the Museum’s new EVOLUTION exhibition led by a Harvard graduate student. July 16 “Life’s a Niche” – Gallery talk by Luke Mahler, graduate...
    06/09/09	Summer Nights at the Museum Harvard Museum of Natural History Summer Nights at the Museum Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History June 9, 2009 Summer Nights at the Museum Thursday Evenings: June 18, July 16, August 20 5:00 - 8:00 PM The museum will have extended hours with half-price admission on three Thursday nights this summer. Each night will feature informal docent tours of the world famous collection of Blaschka 'Glass Flowers', as well as a special gallery talk in the Museum’s new EVOLUTION exhibition led by a Harvard graduate student. June 18 Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Primate...
    05/17/09	Under New England: The Story of New England's Rocks and Fossils Harvard Museum of Natural History Under New England: The Story of New England's Rocks and Fossils Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History May 17, 2009 Family program with author and artist, Charles Ferguson Barker New England has a spectacular geologic history of colliding continents, erupting volcanoes, and roaming dinosaurs. Charles Ferguson Barker, geologist and author of the children's book Under New England: The Story of New England's Rocks & Fossils, will introduce young explorers to the rich geological landscape of the region. Free with museum admission. Barker studied geology at Boston University and did field work for his...
    04/28/09	The Origin Cycle, Premiere by Firebird Ensemble Harvard Museum of Natural History The Origin Cycle, Premiere by Firebird Ensemble Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History April 28, 2009 The Origin Cycle Classical Music Performance by the Firebird Ensemble and Soprano Jane Sheldon Tuesday, April 28, 7:00 pm In celebration of Darwin Year, the Harvard Museum of Natural History will host a special performance of modern classical music in the museum's zoological galleries. Soprano Jane Sheldon and the Firebird Ensemble will perform six original compositions inspired by the text of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species. One of the premier new music ensembles in the United...
    04/07/09- 03/28/10	Language of Color Harvard Museum of Natural History Language of Color Presented by Harvard Museum of Natural History at Harvard Museum of Natural History April 7, 2009-March 28, 2010 Explore the extraordinary diversity of Nature's palette. Learn how color is produced and how and why color variation has evolved in an amazing variety of animals. Learn about mimicry, camouflage, and how animals communicate with color. See brilliant live poison dart frogs, and learn how and why zebras have different stripes.

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    • Event Name: Language of Color
      "Review in Metrowest Daily News"
      Comment posted by: John from Cambridge, MA, Jun 09, 2009
      

      Harvard Exhibit Explores Nature's Palette http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/archive/x1229542318/Harvard-exhibit-explores-natures-palette

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      Harvard Exhibit Explores Nature's Palette http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/archive/x1229542318/Harvard-exhibit-explores-natures-palette

      All reviews/comments and complete event details