Sea Monsters: Wonders of Nature and Imagination

Embark on a daring voyage into the depths of human imagination at the Harvard Museum of Natural History’s new exhibition, Sea Monsters: Wonders of Nature and Imagination. Featuring ancient mariners' maps, literature, works of art, and natural history specimens, this exhibit explores the allure of serpents, krakens, and other monsters of the deep. Peer into the minds of scholars from centuries past, and study sea creatures whose real lives are often more astonishing than the fantastical beings we might have imagined. Dive into the ocean of human consciousness, where dreams and fears entwine with reality, offering profound insights into our world and ourselves. Join us in unraveling the mysteries of the deep sea and the human psyche, where sea monsters—both real and imagined—beckon us to explore the unknown.

Harvard Museum of Natural History

Castaway: The Afterlife of Plastic

In this exhibition, the art collective TRES invites us to share their 2016 journey to document, collect, and photograph debris along the beaches of Australia. Evoking archaeology, marine biology, and cartography, their images summon us to more deeply engage with the natural vistas and objects they have encountered, and to examine and interpret them with fresh perspectives. TRES transports us with photographs of glowing orbs that resemble celestial spheres more than the bottle caps they once were. Making their way as garbage to Australia from as far away as China, these objects have been scarred by Bryozoa, tiny micro-organisms which can be seen in the display case in this exhibition. Now, plastic items such as these lay scattered about the otherwise pristine-appearing landscapes. The rhythmic flow of images challenges us to make sense of the terrain. With hand-drawn maps and charts, TRES attempts to bring order to a perplexing world, where plastic objects resemble organic ones, and “natural” landscapes bear unmistakable traces of human-made pollution.

Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology

Peabody Museum Tours Led by Harvard Students

Regular museum admission rates apply. Free museum admission for Massachusetts residents every Sunday morning from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Proof of residency required. Free museum admission is not available to commercial groups. *Blackout dates: November 1, November 27, 2025–January 29, 2026 and March 14–22, 2026 Harvard student guides connect visitors with the research, teaching, and Indigenous engagement surrounding the cultural heritage in the museum’s care. How do items come to the museum? Who studies them? How are they cared for? How do they return home? Visitors may drop in at the scheduled times. No reservation is required. Tours meet in the lobby and last approximately 45 minutes. Groups of 10 or more groups may contact reservations to schedule other times, student schedules permitting. Please complete the reservation request form.

Hybrid Lecture Benjamin Franklin, Frankenstein, and the Age of Revolution

Hybrid Lecture <a href="https://hmsc.harvard.edu/calendar_event/benjamin-franklin-frankenstein-and-the-age-of-revolution/">Benjamin Franklin, Frankenstein, and the Age of Revolution</a> Thursday, March 5, 6:00–7:00 pm ET, Advance registration recommended for <a href="https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8Ic-gb1aTouMXH9hDt8MCw">online</a> and <a href="https://forms.office.com/r/QfCQQcxbCx">in-person</a> attendance Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA Speaker: Joyce E. Chaplin, James Duncan Phillips Professor of Early American History, Harvard University Ask anyone why Benjamin Franklin is famous and they will likely mention his role in the American Revolution. Yet Franklin’s celebrity began with his science. Decades before independence, Immanuel Kant hailed him as “the Modern Prometheus,” a bold defier of nature whose scientific experiments made him an international star and helped launch his political career. In this lecture, Joyce Chaplin, author of The Franklin Stove: An Unintended American Revolution (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2025), traces Franklin’s scientific pursuits, showing the central role of science in Franklin’s life—and in the revolutionary era more broadly. She will also discuss how Franklin’s reputation lived on in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818), a powerful meditation on the rewards and risks of scientific ambition.&nbsp; Free admission. Free event parking at<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/52+Oxford+St,+Cambridge,+MA+02138/@42.3801643,-71.1153065,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x89e37740b4804b09:0x1ca7c4a4324b1694!8m2!3d42.3801643!4d-71.1153065!16s%2Fg%2F11c2133ff1"> the 52 Oxford Street Garage</a> starting at 5:00 pm. Presented by the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology &amp; Ethnology, and the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture. This lecture is presented to mark the 250th Anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.&nbsp; Image: Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky, Benjamin West, c. 1816. Courtesy of the Philadelphia Art Museum: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Wharton Sinkler, 1958-132-1

Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA

Science Spotlights: The Case of the Immortal Chemicals & Learning about the Deep Past from Ancient DNA

In-Person Presentation <a href="https://hmsc.harvard.edu/calendar_event/science-spotlights-the-case-of-the-immortal-chemicals-learning-about-the-deep-past-from-ancient-dna/">Science Spotlights: The Case of the Immortal Chemicals &amp; Learning about the Deep Past from Ancient DNA</a> Saturday, March 7, 2:00–3:30 pm Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Classroom B, Third Floor Meet up-and-coming scientists and learn about questions at the forefront of research today in this series of short talks. 2:00–2:30 pm – The Case of the Immortal Chemicals Speaker: Ethan Sontarp, Graduate Student with the Sunderland Group There’s a mystery that needs to be solved: where does invisible pollution go when it is released into the environment? Scientists use chemical fingerprinting to do detective work, uncovering why certain man-made pollutants are so resistant to breaking down and where they like to go. By following this trail of clues, researchers can learn how to stop pollution from entering our food and drinking water. Join Harvard scientist Ethan Sontarp to discover how environmental detective work can help protect the world around us. 3:00-3:30 pm – Learning about the Deep Past from Ancient DNA Speaker: Daniel Tabin, PhD Student in the David Reich Lab&nbsp; Writing has only been around for about 6,000 years. This means that the stories of people who lived before that time were never recorded for future generations. Thankfully, these stories are not lost forever. How can we learn about the adventures, relationships, and challenges of people who lived long before anyone ever put words on a page? Join Harvard scientist Daniel Tabin to discover how ancient DNA can help us piece together the lives of people who lived thousands of years ago—and hear about the remarkable stories he has helped bring back to light. 20-minute talk followed by 10-minute Q&amp;A session. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Regular museum admission rates apply. Presented by the Harvard Museum of Natural History and Harvard Museums of Science &amp; Culture

Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Classroom B, Third Floor

The Future of the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife

Hybrid Lecture <a href="https://hmsc.harvard.edu/calendar_event/the-future-of-the-ancient-egyptian-afterlife/">The Future of the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife</a> Wednesday, March 11, 6:00–7:00 pm ET, Advance registration recommended for <a href="https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_b4XrcYzySCWk4QIRA0pYnw">online</a> and <a href="https://forms.office.com/r/1bMC0SkwGT">in-person</a> attendance Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA Speaker: Rune Nyord, Associate Professor and Chair, Art History Department, Emory University Could some of our familiar ideas about the ancient Egyptian afterlife be more Christian than Egyptian? Recent studies suggest that themes we often assume to be central, such as judgment, salvation, and eternal life, were profoundly shaped by the Christian expectations of early Egyptologists. This poses a significant challenge for contemporary Egyptology: how should we think about ancient Egyptian religion when our basic framework has been shaped so strongly by Christianity rather than by Egyptian evidence? Rune Nyord proposes a new way forward that re-centers the social setting of the ancestor cult and considers funerary texts such as the Book of the Dead as ritual texts—continuous with other Egyptian ritual practices—rather than as “guidebooks” to the afterlife. Free admission. Free event parking at<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/52+Oxford+St,+Cambridge,+MA+02138/@42.3801643,-71.1153065,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x89e37740b4804b09:0x1ca7c4a4324b1694!8m2!3d42.3801643!4d-71.1153065!16s%2Fg%2F11c2133ff1"> the 52 Oxford Street Garage</a> starting at 5:00 pm. Presented by the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East and the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture. Detail of Hunefer: Papyrus of Hunefer. British Museum, EA9901. © The Trustees of the British Museum. Shared under a <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__creativecommons.org_licenses_by-2Dnc-2Dsa_4.0_&amp;d=DwMGaQ&amp;c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&amp;r=fFpxpgSXL3fy-I31CvFUAvpbnNnT9z_GMMfIVwNBIlQ&amp;m=y955znE2XIYscJcpDdbTEjdMMrZOGxq_rUtCxqTNWtYnoAn9NboL5Uv5hTNzX5To&amp;s=tELRzwv5Xsrt7SKiQov59PfT3drS8zlmmJmuCjq2eRA&amp;e=">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) licence</a>.

Family Activities at the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East

Join HMSC volunteers for a live story reading and hands-on, family-friendly activities at the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East. Recommended for ages 5–12. Admission to the museum is free. Sponsored by the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East and the Harvard Museums of Science &amp; Culture.

Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East

Science Spotlights: Amazing Axolotls!

In-Person Presentation <a href="https://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/event/science-spotlights-amazing-axolotls">Science Spotlights: Amazing Axolotls!</a> Saturday, February 28, 2:00-2:30 pm Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Classroom B, Third Floor Meet up-and-coming scientists and learn about questions at the forefront of research today in this series of short talks. Speaker: Dr. Jessica Whited Whited Lab, Harvard Stem Cell Institute Have you ever wondered what makes axolotls so unique? Do you want to learn more about these fascinating creatures? Join Dr. Jessica Whited and explore the natural history of axolotls and how they are helping scientists unlock clues about how body parts can be regenerated. 20-minute talk followed by 10-minute Q&amp;A session. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Regular museum admission rates apply. Presented by the Harvard Museum of Natural History and Harvard Museums of Science &amp; Culture Photo: Hayden Graham

S22: conversations

Wondering what to do in Boston? Places to eat? Free activities? Good for a group? Date night spot? Girls night out? The best things to do? Ask Joyraft!

Best places to go in Boston? Things to do? Places to eat?

Questions & answers about things to do in Boston

Recs 💬

Community recs 💬

S4: top picks

The most fun, cool and unique things to do in Boston. Can’t miss events, shows and experiences. Concerts, restaurants, bars, free things in Boston and beyond.

The most fun and cool events happening around Boston

Hot and new things to do in Boston

Hot & new

Hot & new 🔥

S11: happening this weekend

What to do in Boston this weekend? From festivals, concerts, performances, free events, screenings and more, Joyraft has the best things to do in Boston.

25+ things to do in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville this weekend

Things to do in Boston this weekend

This wknd

This weekend for you

S21: roundups

Our top picks: outdoor dining, free events, spring festivals, best bars, upcoming concerts, museum parties - the latest in and around Boston.  Slug: joyraft-top-picks-best-things-to-do-boston-ma

Top picks of the best things to do in and around Boston

Joyraft picks: Boston’s best things to do

Roundups ⭐️

Curated by Joyraft ⭐️

S28: calendar experiences

This week in Boston

This week in Boston 📆

This week 📆

S20: c+d experiences

Discover new, unique events and experiences happening in and around Boston. Perfect for date night, good for a group or with a friend. Be the first to know.

The newest events happening in and around Boston

The newest events on Joyraft

Just added

Just added to Joyraft

S16: editor picks

The most unique and can’t miss things coming up in Boston / Cambridge / Somerville and beyond. Festivals, food, drinks, fairs, concerts, art and free activities.

Unique and Can’t Miss Things to Do in Boston

Can’t-miss things to do in Boston 🚨

Can't-miss things to do 🚨

S2 (A): top experiences

The most popular things to do on Joyraft. Concerts, restaurants, bars, events, parties, openings, kid friendly, date ideas, free things in Boston and beyond.

Top 20 things to do in Boston

Top 20: Joyraft’s most popular

Top 20

Top 20 on Joyraft

S3 (A): trending experiences

Discover can’t miss events and things to do in Boston. The most fun, unique and cool events coming to the Boston area this spring and summer.

The hottest events happening in Boston

Trending events on Joyraft

Trending 📈

S17: interest based

Your guide to everything free in and around Boston. From events, to fairs, to festivals, to outdoors. Joyraft has all the free events happening near you.

100+ free things to do in Boston and beyond

Free things to do in Boston

Free things to do

S19: interest based

Kid-friendly events in Boston

S18: interest based

Where to eat and drink in Boston? Joyraft has Boston’s newest bars, restaurants and specials. Drinks and pre fixe dinner menus. Cambridge & Somerville too.

Where

hmsc

Experiences

Sea Monsters: Wonders of Nature and Imagination

Castaway: The Afterlife of Plastic

Peabody Museum Tours Led by Harvard Students

Peabody Museum Tours Led by Harvard Students

Peabody Museum Tours Led by Harvard Students

Peabody Museum Tours Led by Harvard Students

Monumental Ritual Texts in Ancient Egyptian Pyramids

ArtsThursdays: Revolutionary Teas

Science Spotlights: Amazing Axolotls!

Hybrid Lecture Benjamin Franklin, Frankenstein, and the Age of Revolution

Science Spotlights: The Case of the Immortal Chemicals & Learning about the Deep Past from Ancient DNA

The Future of the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife

Family Activities at the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East

Peabody Museum Tours Led by Harvard Students

Peabody Museum Tours Led by Harvard Students