Harvard University, Cambridge: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

Harvard University occupies a 85-hectare campus centered on Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, across the Charles River from Boston. Founded in 1636, it is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. The Yard's centerpiece is the John Harvard statue outside University Hall—a bronze figure by Daniel Chester French, known as the "Statue of Three Lies" because it misidentifies the subject, the founding date, and the founder. The Harvard Art Museums, designed by Renzo Piano and reopened in 2014, combine three formerly separate collections under one roof. is just one of many options in Cambridge. Major attractions worth considering include Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge Common, and Charles River.