Why visit
The headline exhibit sounds unpromising and proves unforgettable: the Glass Flowers, over four thousand botanically exact models blown and shaped by the Blaschka father and son between 1886 and 1936, so lifelike that visitors circle cases repeatedly confirming they are truly glass - a fusion of art and science with no equal anywhere. Around them, Harvard's teaching collections open to the public: whale skeletons overhead, the great mammal hall's dense Victorian taxidermy, dinosaurs including a towering kronosaur, and a gem-and-meteorite gallery that outsparkles expectations. It is compact by MFA standards - ninety minutes to two hours - which suits it perfectly to the Harvard half-day this guide's universities itinerary builds, three minutes' walk from the Yard. Admission is moderate with family pricing (verify at hmnh.harvard.edu); Massachusetts residents' free windows do not apply to visitors.
