Cambridge · Boston neighborhood guide
Things to Do in Cambridge Boston
Harvard and MIT, independent bookshops, and a college-town dining scene, a twelve-minute Red Line hop across the Charles. Here's what's actually worth your time, ranked and judged.
Cambridge in brief
What should you not miss in Cambridge?
Harvard Yard (free, self-guided or student-led tours from Smith Campus Center), the Harvard Art Museums (free admission, Renzo Piano building), and a walk along the Charles River. If you have more time, the MIT campus and MIT Museum are worth the trip east.
How long should you spend in Cambridge?
A half day covers Harvard Yard, the Art Museums, and lunch in Harvard Square. A full day lets you add MIT, the Museum of Natural History, Mount Auburn Cemetery, and a proper dinner.
Is Cambridge worth visiting?
Yes. Two world-class universities, free museums, independent bookstores, and some of the best restaurants in Greater Boston, all connected by the Red Line and walkable squares.
Get oriented
How Cambridge fits together
Cambridge is organized around three squares along the Red Line, each with its own personality.
Harvard Square is the cultural center: bookstores, restaurants, street performers, and the Harvard campus radiating out from the Yard. Central Square, one stop east on the Red Line, is more eclectic and affordable, with dive bars, Ethiopian restaurants, and the Middle East music venue. Kendall Square, another stop east, is the innovation hub next to MIT. The Charles River runs along the southern edge, with walking and cycling paths connecting Cambridge to Boston. Massachusetts Avenue (Mass Ave) is the main artery, running through all three squares. Most of what visitors want to see clusters around Harvard Square and the Harvard campus, with MIT about a 25-minute walk east along the river.
A half-day loop from Harvard Station, in a sensible order:
See & do, ranked
The best things to do in Cambridge
Our honest ranking of what is worth your time across the river, from two of the world's most famous university campuses to a garden cemetery with 200 bird species.
Must-see
The essentials, ranked.- 1
Harvard Square Worth itHarvard Yard & Campus
The oldest university campus in America, free to walk, and the anchor of everything in Harvard Square.
Harvard Yard is the historic heart of the university, founded in 1636. The main gate on Massachusetts Avenue opens into a tree-shaded quad with red brick dormitories, memorial churches, and Widener Library with its grand columned facade. The John Harvard statue in front of University Hall is the most photographed spot; tradition says rubbing his shoe brings good luck, though all three facts on the plaque are wrong (locals call it the 'Statue of Three Lies'). Free student-led tours leave from the Smith Campus Center on Dunster Street and run about an hour. The campus is open 24 hours and free to walk on your own. Beyond the Yard, the campus spreads north to the science buildings and the Divinity School, and south to the river houses along the Charles.
Open 24 hoursGood for families, solo, couples
Sourcesharvard.edulonelyplanet.com
- 2
Harvard Square Worth itHarvard Art Museums
Three world-class art collections under one Renzo Piano roof, and free admission funded by the Rockefeller estate.
The Harvard Art Museums combine three former separate museums (Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, and Arthur M. Sackler) into a single Renzo Piano-designed building on Quincy Street. The collection spans 250,000 objects, from medieval altarpieces and German Expressionist paintings to Chinese jades and Buddhist sculpture. The top-floor galleries get natural light through a glass roof over the central courtyard. The Rothko and Mondrian rooms in the modern art wing are standouts. Admission is free, funded by a bequest from the David Rockefeller estate. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 AM to 5 PM. Allow at least an hour; art lovers will want two.
Good for solo, couples
- 3
Kendall Square Worth itMIT Campus & MIT Museum
The campus is an open-air architecture exhibit, and the museum brings robots, holograms, and kinetic sculpture under one roof.
MIT's campus stretches along the Charles River in Kendall Square, and the architecture alone is worth the walk: the Stata Center by Frank Gehry (crumpled metal and tilting towers), the MIT Chapel by Eero Saarinen (a cylindrical brick chapel with a moat), and the Great Dome on the main building overlooking Killian Court. The campus is free and open to walk. The MIT Museum, relocated to a new building at 314 Main Street in Kendall Square, covers robotics, holography, kinetic sculpture (the Arthur Ganson gallery is mesmerizing), and the history of computing. Admission is $18 for adults, free for kids under 5. Open daily 10 AM to 5 PM.
Good for families, solo, couples
Worth it with more time
Good additions once you've done the icons.- 4
Oxford Street Worth itHarvard Museum of Natural History
The Glass Flowers collection alone justifies the visit: 4,300 hand-blown glass botanical models so precise they look real.
The Harvard Museum of Natural History occupies a wing of the university's science center on Oxford Street. The main draw is the Blaschka Glass Flowers, a collection of 4,300 glass botanical models created by Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka between 1887 and 1936. They were made as teaching aids, and the craftsmanship is staggering: each petal, stamen, and leaf is hand-blown glass, accurate enough to be used in botany courses today. Beyond the flowers, the museum has a mineral gallery, a fossil hall with a 42-foot Kronosaurus, and taxidermy dioramas. Admission is $22 for adults. Massachusetts residents get free admission on Sunday mornings and Wednesdays from 3 to 5 PM. Open daily 9 AM to 5 PM.
Good for families, solo
- 5
Harvard Square Worth itHarvard Square
The beating heart of Cambridge: bookstores, restaurants, street performers, and eight million visitors a year.
Harvard Square is the triangular intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and JFK Street, and the commercial center of Cambridge. More than eight million people pass through each year. The square itself is a hub of independent bookstores (Harvard Book Store, the Coop, Raven Used Books, Grolier Poetry Book Shop), restaurants ranging from Mr. Bartley's creative burgers to Harvest fine dining, and street performers who audition for city-issued permits. Brattle Street, running west from the square, is lined with 18th-century mansions (Tory Row). The Out of Town News kiosk in the center of the square, a Cambridge landmark since 1955, closed in 2019 but the building remains a meeting point. Free to walk; the spending is up to you.
Shops generally 10 AM - 9 PM; restaurants laterGood for solo, couples, families
- 6
Watertown line Worth itMount Auburn Cemetery
America's first garden cemetery, 175 acres of landscaped paths, 200 bird species, and views from Washington Tower.
Founded in 1831, Mount Auburn was the first landscaped garden cemetery in the United States, and it inspired the American parks movement (Central Park and other urban parks drew directly from its design). The 175-acre grounds are more arboretum than graveyard: rolling hills, ponds, 5,000 trees, and paths winding through sculpture and monuments. More than 200 bird species have been recorded here, making it one of the best birding spots in Greater Boston. Washington Tower, a 62-foot granite tower on the highest point, gives panoramic views of the Boston skyline and the Blue Hills. Notable burials include Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Winslow Homer, and Buckminster Fuller. Free admission. Open daily 8 AM to 8 PM in summer, 8 AM to 5 PM in winter.
Daily 8 AM - 8 PM (summer), 8 AM - 5 PM (winter)Good for solo, couples
- 7
Charles River Worth itCharles River Walk
Twenty miles of paths along the river, with sailboat views, the Boston skyline, and a footbridge to Beacon Hill.
The Charles River Esplanade and its Cambridge-side counterpart, Memorial Drive, offer more than 20 miles of connected walking, running, and cycling paths along both banks of the Charles. The Cambridge side runs from the BU Bridge past MIT and through to the Museum of Science. On warm afternoons, the river fills with sailboats from MIT Sailing and Community Boating. The Longfellow Bridge connects Kendall Square to Beacon Hill with a 15-minute walk and panoramic views of both skylines. On summer Sundays, Memorial Drive between Western Avenue and the Eliot Bridge is closed to cars for pedestrians and cyclists. Free, open, and one of the best things to do in Cambridge on a clear day.
Open 24 hoursGood for families, solo, couples
Verdicts and rankings are our own; ratings open each place on Google. Prices, where shown, are an approximate per-person guide in USD.
Eat & drink
Where to eat in Cambridge
Cambridge has one of the best restaurant scenes in Greater Boston, from creative burger joints in Harvard Square to Michelin-recognized pasta and James Beard-winning Mediterranean. These four are the ones worth the trip.
Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage
Harvard Square (1246 Mass Ave)Creative burgers with punning names since 1960, in a cramped, loud, cash-only dining room across from Harvard. The burgers are thick, the onion rings are good, and the milkshakes are better. Budget $10-20 per person. Come at 11:30 AM to beat the lunch rush.
on Google
Oleana
Inman Square (134 Hampshire St)James Beard Award-winning chef Ana Sortun's Mediterranean and Turkish kitchen, with a garden patio that is one of the best outdoor dining spots in the area. The lamb fatayer, black-pepper tagliatelle, and baked Alaska are signatures. Reservations strongly recommended. Budget $60-80 per person.
on Google
Alden & Harlow
Harvard Square (40 Brattle St)A basement restaurant on Brattle Street with modern American small plates and a 'secret burger' that is not on the menu but everyone orders. The raw bar, seasonal vegetables, and cocktails are strong. Reservations recommended. Budget $40-60 per person.
on Google
Giulia
Harvard Square (1682 Mass Ave)Handmade pasta in a warm, candlelit dining room. The tagliatelle Bolognese and the cacio e pepe are both excellent. Michelin recognized. Reservations essential on weekends. Budget $60-70 per person.
on Google
Getting around
Getting around Cambridge
Harvard Station (Red Line)
Drops you at Harvard Square, 12 minutes from Downtown Crossing. The most useful stop for most visitors.
Kendall/MIT Station (Red Line)
For the MIT campus and MIT Museum. The platform has the interactive Kendall Band sculpture: pull the levers to play the instruments.
Longfellow Bridge
Walk from Beacon Hill to Kendall Square in about 15 minutes, with panoramic views of the Charles River and both skylines.
Red Line connects the squares
Harvard, Central, and Kendall/MIT are each one Red Line stop apart. You can walk between any two in 15 to 20 minutes, or ride for two minutes.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Cambridge
Harvard Square
The Charles Hotel and Harvard Square Hotel put you steps from the Yard, bookstores, and restaurants.
Kendall Square / MIT
Innovation hub. The Kendall Hotel in a converted firehouse and the Marriott Cambridge are near the MIT Museum.
Central Square
More affordable and eclectic. Dive bars, Ethiopian restaurants, and the Middle East music venue. Walkable to both Harvard and MIT.
Where to stay in Boston
Compare every Boston neighborhood and find the right base for your trip.
View the guideWho it's for
Cambridge for families, couples, and solo
- Cambridge for families
- The Harvard Museum of Natural History (Glass Flowers and dinosaurs), the MIT Museum (robots and kinetic sculpture), Charles River paths for walking and biking, and Toscanini's ice cream in Central Square.
- Cambridge for couples
- Dinner at Oleana's garden patio, a sunset walk along the Charles River, and drinks at the Regattabar jazz bar inside the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square.
- Cambridge for solo travelers
- Browse Harvard Book Store's basement (staff picks and remainders), duck into Leavitt & Peirce curiosity shop for old Harvard memorabilia, gallery-hop the Harvard Art Museums at your own pace, and eat at Mr. Bartley's counter.
More of Boston
Nearby neighborhoods
A short hop from Cambridge, and worth pairing on the same trip.
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