The Urban Science Loop ride offers a packed itinerary full of hands-on learning and engaging exhibits, all accessible by bike and public transit. You will visit three of the most iconic science museums in the Boston-Cambridge area: the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the MIT Museum, and the Boston Museum of Science (with a possible bonus stop at the Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Museums).

One of our goals at CycleToScience is to cut through the red tape that tends to separate genuine scientific laboratories and urban communities. We therefore applaud these museums for maintaining investment in onsite scientific research and specimen management, while simultaneously creating places of interest for a broad array of visitors. For example, each of these sites can be rented by members of the public for private events. A full route description follows below.

The Urban Science Museum route takes riders on a loop through Boston and Cambridge, MA. It is straightforward for riders to begin wherever is most convenient. One option if starting from Boston is to connect from the esplanade to the Museum of Science just across the Charles River. From there, continue on to the MIT Museum in the Kendall Square area, and finally travel west from there to Harvard. Circle back to the esplanade to complete your loop. This ride passes parks, canals, and lively neighborhoods, making it a fun experience for tourists, families, and casual cyclists. BlueBike rentals at each destination and access via the Red and Green Lines further increases flexibility. Riders can hop on or off the route based on energy and time.

This ride links together three distinctive science museums, two of which are associated with major research universities in Boston's scientific ecosystem. Harvard's Natural History museum was established in 1998 as a public-facing outlet for three research museums that each contain large specimen collections for scientific study. (Read more about the museum's history here). Today, it continues to be well-known for its glass flower exhibit and collections of zoological and geological specimens. The MIT Museum, founded in 1971, was originally developed to collect and maintain historical artifacts from within MIT. Through the years, the organization shifted its focus increasingly to the public. Newly renovated/relocated as of 2022, today's MIT Museum feels fresh and airy. The space exposes visitors to a longstanding hologram collection and kinetic sculpture exhibition, among other rotating displays that frequently involve participation from MIT laboratories. Plus, they originated the Cambridge Science Festival. Finally, the Museum of Science, founded in 1830, is one of the oldest traditional science museums in the country, and curates interactive exhibits and a large planetarium. We particularly appreciate their focus since 2005 on turning the museum into a Living Laboratory .

While the route is urban, it passes leafy university quads, Charles River views, and old architecture. Cyclists may also stop at small local businesses participating in Bicycle Benefits for discounts and refreshments (sticker required). Some of our favorites include Punjabi Dhaba on 225 Hampshire St for a free samosa when showing your Bicycle Benefits sticker. Also check out other Bicycle Benefits spots in the area!

Each museum offers hands-on exhibits and public programming.

Each also caters to the scientific community in different ways. For example, The Mineralogical & Geological Museum is located in the basement of the Natural History Museum. It contains over 150,000 mineral samples, which can be researched and requested for analytical sampling. As another example, The Collection of Historical Scientific Museums is home to a collection of 20,000 objects where researchers in medicine, natural and physics sciences, industry, and more can contact the museum to study the instruments.

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