Cambridge Innovation Walk at Harvard Yard to MIT with Guide

Cambridge, USA
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Duration4h 15m
Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before
Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away
TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted
LanguagesEnglish, Spanish
Private tourOnly your group will participate

Overview

Explore innovation in Cambridge on this unique walking tour from Harvard Yard to MIT and Kendall Square. Led by a seasoned Boston entrepreneur and innovation professor, this 2.5-hour journey covers 2.5 miles of fascinating history, revealing the stories behind early tech giants and groundbreaking research. Discover how this vibrant area transformed into a global hub for innovation, from wartime radar advancements to the evolution of social media and biotech. This is more than just a walk; it's an insightful narrative of how ideas evolve into impactful companies.

- 2.5-hour guided walking tour through Cambridge's innovation landscape
- Learn about the origins of companies like Facebook and Microsoft
- Discover the history of wartime radar research and its modern implications
- Experience an insider's perspective on entrepreneurship and innovation in Cambridge

What's included

  • 2.5-hour guided walking tour from Harvard Square to Kendall Square
  • Tips on museums, restaurants and places to visit after the tour
  • Stops at 10 locations, including Harvard Yard, MIT and the Stata Center
  • Live commentary from a local entrepreneur and innovation professor
  • Stories and insider knowledge about Harvard, MIT, Central Square and Kendall Square
  • Food and drinks, including coffee or snacks during the Central Square break (if you want)
  • Public transportation fares, such as the Red Line to the meeting point or back from Kendall Square
  • Optional costs only: coffee at the break, transit fares, and museum admission after the tour

What to expect

  1. Harvard Square
    15m · Admission ticket included
    Meet your guide in this lively square, surrounded by cafés, bookstores and street life, for introductions and an overview of the tour.
  2. Harvard University
    15m · Admission ticket included
    Stroll through the historic heart of America’s oldest university and hear how centuries of research laid the groundwork for world-changing ideas.
  3. Harvard University
    15m · Admission ticket included
    Pass through Harvard Yard’s classic brick-and-iron main entrance and learn about the university’s early history.
  4. Harvard University
    20m · Admission ticket included
    Science Center: Hear the story of the Harvard Mark I, one of the earliest large-scale computers, and how computing grew out of academic research.
  5. 20m
    Walk the innovation corridor linking Harvard and MIT, and learn how talent, ideas and investment flow between the two universities.
  6. Central Square
    20m
    ake a coffee and restroom break in this vibrant neighborhood, and hear how innovation spread from the universities into the city.
  7. Cambridge
    20m
    See the historic building where famous candies were once made, now converted into pharmaceutical research space, a symbol of Cambridge’s transformation.
  8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
    20m
    Arrive at MIT’s main entrance and learn about its “mind and hand” culture of hands-on, applied research.
  9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
    30m
    MIT Great Dome and Killian Court: Take in MIT’s most iconic view and hear how the institute became a powerhouse of invention.
  10. Stata Center
    15m
    Explore the outside of this playful Frank Gehry building, on the site of the WWII Radiation Laboratory where radar research helped win the war. Today it’s home to computer science and AI research.
  11. Kendall Square
    20m
    Kendall Square: End the walk in one of the world’s densest biotech and life sciences clusters, surrounded by research labs and startups.
  12. Kendall Square
    20m
    Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC): See the building where thousands of startups got their start, and hear your guide’s personal story of launching his startup career here.
  13. 15m
    Broad Institute (exterior): View one of the world’s leading genomics and biomedical research centers and learn how its work connects to the biotech companies nearby.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

The meeting point is outside the Smith Campus Center, 1350 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, across from the historic kiosk in Harvard Square. It’s steps from the Harvard Red Line station.

End point

Kendall Square, near the Kendall/MIT Red Line station on Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142

Additional information

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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$49.00 per person
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