Home to two of the most prestigious universities in the U.S., Cambridge has a distinguished feel, with fine dining, museums and riverside strolls among its charms.
Tour the grounds of Harvard and admire the elegant buildings in which some of America’s finest minds have been nurtured. Visit museums and galleries within the grounds, before making your way to the contrasting Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where cutting-edge architecture houses students that are shaping the future. Cruises down the River Charles, numerous boutique stores and a culinary culture to rival some of the finest cities in the country will keep you busy for the rest of your stay.
Cambridge was founded in 1630 and is the fifth-largest city in Massachusetts. It’s known as the “City of Squares” because of the way town planners designed the town around an easily navigable network of plazas.
Take a tour of the Harvard grounds and learn about the many famous alumni who have studied here, including President Barack Obama and poet T.S. Eliot. Conduct some learning of your own and stop in at the Harvard Museum of Natural History where over 12,000 specimens are on display. Art fans should head to the Harvard Museum of Art, which is made up of three distinct sections focusing on Western, Germanic and Asian art.
Visit MIT for the architecture alone, with the stunning Stata Center and Simmons Hall among the highlights. Don’t miss the MIT museum, which focuses on exhibits that showcase scientific, artistic and technology innovations in the modern era.
Stroll beside the Charles River, which boasts hundred of acres of nature reserve on each of its banks. Take a visit to Mount Auburn Cemetery, the first landscaped cemetery in the United States. It’s also notable for being the burial place of the poet Henry Longfellow. Visit Longfellow House in the town to find out more about this literary great.
Cambridge is well served by public transport, with a good network of trains and public buses covering all the major sights. It’s also an easy city to cycle around in. Rent a bike during the warm summer months and discover the extensive network of cycle routes.