harvard museum of natural history

虽然很小，但是非常有趣。这个博物馆离harvard square不远，就在哈佛的主校区旁边，里面有很多各种各样的标本和非常非常逼真的玻璃花——或者说，玻璃做的植物标本。如果有机会的话一定要去看一下（glass flower）印象深刻！

This museum appeals immensely to my high school students, but why does it need to be so expensive? We needed to fill in some down time when our flights home were cancelled in February, so we decided to check out the museums in Boston. Our research determined that all of the museums in Boston are very pricey! We opted for this one in Cambridge primarily because it was easy to get to and the least expensive. The kids loved the exhibits, and we spent several hours here. I know I wore out way before my students did. I especially enjoyed the glass flower exhibit, though my high school students didn't waste much time here.Knowing that the endowment of Harvard University is exponentially large, just why do they even need to charge for this museum at all?

Due an event sponsored by Harvard the entry fee was waived, I would have been perfectly willing to pay for entry. As I went from one room with exhibits and artifacts, my interest and curiosity increased to see the next. I left with a little more knowledge than before I entered. I recommend this as a must see if visiting Harvard/Cambridge.

I went for a guided tour of the Glass Flowers and stayed to see more of the museum. I stayed three hours and I know I missed exhibits and gave short shrift to others. Fascinating exhibits of plants and animals, skeletons and bugs, flowers and birds nests. No trip is complete without a tour of the Glass Flowers because that collection is unique. Plan ahead and use the website to purchase a parking pass to the 52 Oxford Street garage so you don't have to worry about parking if you drive in as we did.

Thoroughly enjoyed the glass flower exhibit. The giant sloth, prehistoric crocodile and mastodon were also very well organized yet there was minimal accompanying info for the animal exhibits. We were a bit taken aback by the stuffed animal exhibits. The black bear was surprisingly small yet realistic. Overall it is a very nice museum, nothing overwhelming.

I went to the museum while killing time for a friend to get into town and was not sorry!The glass flower exhibit is absolutely phenomenal, for all sorts of people! Are you interested in art and glassblowing? Marvel at the delicacy and precision! Are you interested in plant biology? Squee over the magnified glass flower parts! Definitely could have mesmerized me for hours if a tour group full of enthused kids hadn't stampeded in, but it was nice to see them so excited about going to a museum (it was also a weekday, so I could have seen that one coming).I quite enjoyed the various animal exhibits– from the skeletons that hung from the ceiling to the giraffe and other animals split up by continent. The birds definitely creeped me out, mostly because they looked like they were ready to come back to life and take revenge on who put them there in the first place, but also because I think birds are kinda evil. So take that as you may.The Peabody Museum of Anthropolgy and Ethnography was AMAZING. I spent nearly an hour in their Latin America wing (transparency sake: I'm a Latin American Studies student, so that's my jam)– mainly in awe over their Día de los muertos altar. It was massive, surrounded with beautiful artwork from the community, and so very full of love.There's definitely something for everyone in this museum!The only downside was one of the guys that worked in the museum, just outside of where all the animals were in the... dinosaur exhibit? We definitely talked about dinosaurs, but I'm not sure if that's what the exhibit was 100% for. Anyways, he was rather patronizing and definitely made the museum a less enjoyable.

I went to this museum on a Sunday, a few days after a big snowstorm, so I did find parking on the street, which I was told was unusual. If one lingers in the rock and mineral area like I did, the visit would take 2-3 hours, otherwise 1-2 hours.I started at Harvard's Peabody museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I then went into the Natural History museum, which is connected to the former and both museums can be entered for the same entrance fee. For seniors (65+) and students the cost is $10 and for adults, it is $12. Children are $8 I believe. This museum is just on the 3rd floor of the building.I was blown away by the large room with a huge rock and mineral exhibit. In the same room was a geological time line of the earth and the development of the rocks and minerals in the room. The lighting was fantastic, so the rocks and minerals sparkled. I plan to take my 3-year-old grandson back just to see this room.The gift shop is on the other side of this exhibit. While small, it has quite a variety of items, and I definitely enjoyed browsing the children's section and saw many books I had not seen before.Right next to it is a glass flower exhibit and I found it hard to believe that the stems and leaves were also made of glass. I checked with a staffer, and she confirmed it. There is a exhibit of glass sea animals, which I did not see but was told it was also fantastic.There is a small section on skeletons of animals, including dinosaurs. It is worth looking at, but is crowded in a small area with no setting and little explanation.The area that really upset me was the collection of animals--most stuffed, mostly all crowded in one area with no settings (like in the NY Natural History Museum, for example). It is very out of date--may not have been updated for at least 50+ years. There are birds set the same way, and butterflies and other insects pinned on boards. I had to leave the area. If such animals are to be displayed, the exhibit has to be updated and put in such a way as to be educational.

I loved the display of glass flowers. It is truly amazing what a person can do with glass. The colors even after so many years are still exceptional.

The Glass Flowers could've mesmerized me for hours. They look more than real, and the detail (botanically and artistically) is amazing! Also enjoyed the Climate Change exhibit because it makes you think, and engage in conversation with others.

Small but great variety! I regularly go to the American Museum of Natural History in NYC and this one had things I'd never seen. Plus the glass flowers and sea creatures were great.

This museum is adjacent to Peabody Museum. It was much more than I expected, especially the “Glass Flowers", Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants. It has collection of over 4,000 models, created by the glass artisans, Leopold Blaschka and his son, Rudolf. The commission began in 1886, continued for five decades, and represents more than 830 plant species. A must see!!!

It's a great place to take the kids on a cold day. We took our two toddlers who enjoyed naming all the animals and running around looking at the huge bones. Admission is free to Mass residents on Sunday mornings from 9-12.

Took our 2 year old granddaughter who loved the skeletons of various birds and animals. We loved the crystal exhibit and the glass horticultural flower exhibit. Lots more to see, will go back next time we are in Cambridge.

I'll start my brief review by restating what is made obvious by my title, you really, really need to see the glass flower collection! I'm not an avid gardener, nor have I ever been trained in anything such as botany or the like (aside from a semi-joke horticulture course many moons ago), but the glass flowers are just something you can appreciate regardless of how invested in plants you are. The skill that the sculptors exhibited was just absolutely incredible. The flower collection is quite expansive, and while you might find that you are a bit less interested by the time you get to the end (especially if you have small children at foot) the initial reaction alone is worth it. That being said, there is obviously a lot more to see here at the museum than the flowers. If you even remotely like minerals, you will not be disappointed by the collection here. The younger members of your group will likely love the vast animal/fossil/insect collections on display. Though be warned, if you are especially squirmy around big bugs you probably want to avoid that room, as some of them are still alive! (But quite contained, rest assured).Another plus is that for the cost of admission you also gain access to the Peabody Archeology museum. Admittedly I haven't been yet, because we spent so much time in the Museum of Natural History that we were suffering from the classic case of "Museum Burn Out" by the time we were ready for the Peabody Museum.On the whole, I'd definitely recommend it. I will qualify my review by saying that I was able to visit during one of their free days, so cost was not a factor. However, I'd be quite comfortable with the admission price based on how much time we did spend in there and how much more there was to see should you decide to see both museums at the same time. Certain areas of the museum might be a little dry for younger children (as many such museums can be) but on the whole there are plenty of rooms they are bound to love!

The whole family loved our visit here. So many interesting things to see, and a lot for the kids to learn.