Points of Interest

The Streets of Cambridge
A bit of curiosity, a sense of adventure and comfortable walking shoes are all you need to enjoy the international city of Cambridge. Here to be explored are the resources of world-renown educational institutions and museums that satisfy the most varied of interests. Countless examples of distinctive architecture abound. Historic sites offer perspectives from other times midst a contemporary society that is rich in its mix of cultures. Shops of every type invite you to browse and to buy. There are theatres and music, besides, bookstores and cafes, and restaurants that will suit any taste and style. This map gets you well on your way to discovering it all.

Cambridge Common
For nearly 350 years the site of historic events — political, religious, and social. Freedom of speech was declared here in 1637; freedom of religion in 1740. On this site George Washington took command of the First Continental Army in 1775. Map F-3

Christ Church
This, the oldest church building in Cambridge, housed the first of the non-Puritan congregations. (Zero Garden Street, 617-876-0200) Map F-4

Old Burying Ground
The oldest cemetery in Massachusetts. Buried here are eight presidents of Harvard, two black patriot soldiers of the American Revolution and many colonial settlers. (Corner of Garden St. and Mass. Ave. 617-349-4684) Map F-3

The Hooper-Lee-Nichols House
Along Tory Row, this historical site is open to the public with tours available. Call the Cambridge Historical Society. (159 Brattle Street, 617-547-4252) Map E-3

The Blacksmith House
Longfellow’s “Village Smithy” made this historic building famous. Currently the site of the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. (56 Brattle Street, 617-547-6789) Map F-3

Mt. Auburn Cemetery
Founded in 1831. Here in the oldest rural garden cemetery in the country are buried such notables as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Mary Baker Eddy. Map D-1

Harvard University Museums of Natural History
The Glass Flower Collection is housed in the Botanical Museum. Also located under this roof are the Peabody Museum of Archeology, the Museum of Comparative Zoology and the Harvard Mineralogical Museum. (26 Oxford Street, 617-495-3045) Map F-4

The Arthur M. Sackler Museum
The Sackler Museum houses Harvard’s collection of Asian, Ancient, and Islamic art. It was designed by the British architect James Stirling, who is considered one of the leading architects of our time. The first floor is dedicated to special art exhibits of all kinds. (485 Broadway, 617-495-8286) Map G-4

The Fogg Museum
Two floors of galleries surround a graceful Italian Renaissance courtyard. On view are masterpieces of Western painting and sculpture, including outstanding works by Fra Angelico, Rubens, Poussin, Van Gogh, Cezanne and Pollock, among others. There are temporary exhibits of prints, drawings, paintings and sculpture. (32 Quincy Street, 617-495-9400) Map G-3

The Busch-Reisinger Museum
The German Baroque building is the home of the famed Flentrop organ donated by the late organ virtuoso E. Power Biggs. The museum is noted for art and architecture of northern and central Europe. (32 Quincy Street, 617-495-3045) Map G-4

Longfellow National Historic Site
Home of 19th century poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on what was once called Tory Row—present day Brattle Street. (105 Brattle Street, 617-876-4491) Map F-3

Harvard Yard
Originally a stockyard for cattle, the “Yard” remains the center of campus. Eighteenth century buildings include Massachusetts Hall, Hollis Hall and Holden Chapel. A statue of John Harvard sits in front of University Hall, designed by Charles Bulfinch. With its great steps, the Widener Library is one of the largest university libraries in the world with more than eight million books. Map F-4

MIT Visual Arts Center
The Center boasts changing exhibits of contemporary paintings. Featured are sculpture, photography, architecture, design and experimental media. Sited throughout the MIT campus as well are several major outdoor sculptures. (20 Ames Street, 617-253-4680) Map J-3-4

MIT-Museum
Dedicated to the social and educational history of MIT and its role in the development of technologies. The Compton Gallery and the Hart Nautical Gallery elsewhere on campus supplement the main museum. (265 Mass. Ave., 617-253-4444) Map J-3

Public Art
Public art pieces are to be found throughout the city, from major outdoor sculptures at MIT to the Arts on the Line murals and other works in all the MBTA subway stations.
Winthrop Park In 1631 Winthrop Square was the center of the Newtowne settlement, a marketplace where local farmers gathered once a week to sell their produce. In 1846, the Square was enclosed with a post and rail fence and landscaped as a park; it became a green and shady space in what had long since become the Town of Cambridge. Come visit and relax in Winthrop Park, the oldest park in Cambridge. (Corner of Winthrop and JFK Streets) Map F-3

Semitic Museum, Harvard University
The Semitic Museum, founded in 1903, is Harvard University’s museum of ancient Near Eastern archaeology. Permanent exhibits are: The House of Ancient Israel: Domestic, Royal, Divine, featuring a full-scale, furnished, model of a rural house (ca. 1000-600 BCE), Nuzi and the Hurrians, detailing everyday life in northern Mesoporamia about 1400 BCE; and Ancient Cyprus: The Cesnola Collection. (Open Mondays through Fridays, 10am to 4pm; Sundays, 1 to 4pm; closed holiday weekends. Gift shop.)

Explore Cambridge’s Revolutionary History
In the early years of the Revolutionary War, soldiers from all over New England were stationed in Cambridge. The British marched through town. George Washington really did sleep here–and Mrs. Washing-ton, too. The map and guide, Washington Takes Command; Cambridge During the American Revolution, explores events in Cambridge and identifies historic sites throughout the city. The illustrated map, published by The Historic Cambridge Collaborative (831 Mass. Ave.), the Cambridge Historical Society (159 Brattle St.), the Visitors Information Booth in Harvard Square, and the Longfellow National Historic Site (105 Brattle St.). For information, 617-349-4683 or 617-547-4252.