Harvard Campus Cambridge Self-Guided Walking Tour

Welcome to the Harvard Yard Tour

Visit the heart of Harvard University’s campus in Cambridge: Harvard Yard! This Harvard tour covers must-see campus sights like the John Harvard Statue, Widener Library, and former dorms of famous alumni like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Natalie Portman, and more. Explore Harvard’s history, legacy, and fame in full.

About the tour

Dive into the heart of Harvard University in Cambridge with our self-guided, app-based walking tour. Please start at the beautiful Johnston Gate and hear about the strange superstition surrounding it before moving on to the most expensive building at Harvard. Here’s a hint: it’s not what you think!

Next, stride back in time as you cross the Old Yard itself and get a crash course in Harvard’s 1600s origins and their struggles in keeping up with a rapidly changing nation. Did you know when Harvard first started teaching women, the administration insisted they had to be kept in a separate building from the men?

The next stop is a statue of John Harvard himself. This historic landmark stands as a daunting symbol of what this impressive figure accomplished. But there’s also something totally incorrect about it. Can you guess what it is? Download the tour to know more!

Then, you’ll move on to the Harvard Science Center, where you can glimpse the high-tech classrooms where students like Gates and Zuckerberg would have spent most of their time. This multi-story building serves as an impressive melding of history and the cutting edge.

After that, you’ll get a chance to see the awe-inspiring Memorial Church, and stand right in the spot where countless famous names from Oprah to Bill Clinton have stood! Then it’s off to the Widener Library, home to 3.5 million books and even more history. Here, you’ll get to know the man the library’s named for and understand why he was such an important part of Harvard’s story.

Finally, on the Harvard Tour, we’ll visit the dorms where so many famous figures have lived, studied, and built the foundations of great things.

Starting Point Address: Johnston Gate, 1465 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

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