Boston and Cambridge brim with history, museums, shopping at Faneuil Hall

Explore the enduring importance of rivers and canoes in Penobscot tribal life. See the archaeology of Harvard Yard, how students lived at colonial Harvard, and the role of the 17th-century Indian College in Harvard’s early years. Trace the birth of American anthropology through the China trade, the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, the Javanese Village at the Fair, expeditions to the Arctic and the American Southwest, and more in the museum’s 150th anniversary exhibition. Visit the website for special exhibitions. Admission to the connected Harvard Museum of Natural History and its famed Glass Flowers is included. Open daily 9:00 AM–5:00 PM.

How would you like to hang out with a two-toed sloth? Stare into the eyes of a tiger through a glass wall? Feed a budgie from a seed stick? You can do all this and more at the Franklin Park Zoo, the amazing attraction nestled in Boston’s historic Franklin Park. Animals include everything from African lions and pygmy hippos to ocelots, ostriches, kangaroos and giraffes. Immerse yourself in the wonderfully noisy Bird’s World or in the lush greenery of the Tropical Forest with its lemurs, gorillas, hyenas and other surprises. At the Franklin Farm petting zoo, get to know friendly goats; at the Children’s Zoo, laugh at the prairie dog pop-up. There’s also a great outdoor, wildlife-inspired playground.

Just an eight-minute walk from the Harvard Square T Station through Harvard Yard, the Harvard Museum of Natural History is the university’s most-visited museum and a popular destination for travelers from around the world. Visit the Harvard’s Glass Flowers, find your birthstone gem in our expansive mineral gallery, see large Tigers, and view dinosaurs in the paleontology gallery, including the first Triceratops skull ever discovered. The Great Mammal Hall features a giraffe, zebra, sloths, lemurs, and six whales hanging from the ceiling. Recently added permanent exhibits include The Rockefeller Beetles, Sea Creatures in Glass Evolution, Climate Change, and Marine Life. All exhibits draw from Harvard University collections and reflect the most current scientific research.

Let yourself slip back in time with guided lighthouse tours (June-October) and ranger-narrated Discovery and Sunset Cruises (summer). There are also frequent special events and activities held on some islands for people of all ages. Sail the waters that conceal old shipwrecks and histories of war, pirates, and spooks! Find a ferry to the islands.
See Boston Harbor Islands for full description of this park.