Its mission: “…to enhance public understanding and appreciation of the natural world and the human place in it, sparking curiosity and a spirit of discovery in people of all ages.”
Animals and Plants and Rocks, Oh My!
The Earth and Planetary sciences gallery allowed my daughter to realize that a rock is not just a rock. Minerals and gems from around the world are on display, including a massive 16-hundred pound amethyst geode. The colors and textures had us awed and amazed that they were straight from nature, and in many cases, were so unusual looking, one would feel as if they were from another planet. That out of space feeling is encouraged as kids have the chance to touch real meteorites and watch educational videos.
Creepy and Crawly to the Cute and Cuddly
From microscopic mites to king crabs, butterflies, giant wood spiders, tarantulas, millipedes and much more will have kids and parents ah-ing and oo-ing and leaning in to learn.
From New England’s Forest to Africa and Beyond
Fossils explaining the history of vertebrates are bountiful, and young dinosaur lovers will have plenty to look at, yet even the youngest visitors were still interested by the time they reached the Great Mammal Hall, the oldest gallery in the museum, where three whale skeletons suspended from the ceiling kept the experience looking up.
Glass Flowers
One thing unique to this museum is the Ware Collection of Glass Flowers. Encompassing an entire room, these glass models of different plants were created in the 1800’s and are so realistic that it’s hard to believe they aren’t the real thing—and they’re made of glass. The botanical models were created for teaching, but are truly pieces of art to be appreciated.
The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm and in addition to the permanent exhibits and temporary displays also features lectures, classes and events—make sure to check the website. As the museum curators encourage visitors to “look closer, dig deeper,” they’ve made sure there’s plenty for all to see.
Sounds like fun! We are excited to check out the London Natural History Museum soon, and we’ll add Boston to our list for our next (first for the kids!) visit there!
Had no idea that Harvard had a Museum of Natural History. I love the mission!
We loved our day at the New York Museum of Natural History so I am sure that we would have a great time at this one too. Thank you for sharing it with us!