Harvard Square is a regional center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, organized around Harvard University, the Harvard Coop and the Harvard T station. Take the Red Line or a bus to arrive, then explore the square’s streets, campus edges and nearby public spaces on foot.
- Transit: Harvard Square Station is on the MBTA Red Line, with bus connections nearby.
- From the hotel: Harvard Square is about 1.4 miles from A Cambridge House Inn.
- Nearby green space: Cambridge Common sits next to Massachusetts Avenue and Harvard Yard.
- Parking: On-street spaces are limited; nearby garages and a municipal lot offer alternatives.
Getting to Harvard Square from North Cambridge
The Red Line and local buses provide the simplest transit connections to Harvard Square. Harvard Square Station sits on the Red Line, and buses serve the area underground near the trains and along Massachusetts Avenue beside Harvard Yard and Cambridge Common.
From Logan International Airport, Harvard University recommends taking the Blue Line or Silver Line downtown and transferring to the Red Line. If you arrive at South Station, transfer to the Red Line; from North Station, take the Orange Line and then transfer to the Red Line.
Davis station is a 7-minute walk from A Cambridge House Inn, making it a useful starting point for a transit trip. The Harvard Square Business Association also recommends buses serving the square, and public bicycle racks are available throughout the area.
If you drive, Harvard University says parking around Harvard Square is extremely limited and metered spaces are usually quite full.
Nearby options include Charles Square Garage at 1 Bennett Street, Harvard Square Parking Garage at 20 Eliot Street, Church Street Lot at 35–53 Church Street, Smith Campus Parking Garage at 1350 Massachusetts Avenue and University Place Parking Garage at 45 University Road.
Cambridge’s Harvard Square Lot 2 is at 110 Mount Auburn Street. Its listed rate is $3 per hour, with a 2-hour maximum from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and a 4-hour maximum from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday except holidays. Check the official site before you go for current parking details.
A walk through the square
Harvard Square is best understood as a meeting point of university life, transit and local commerce. The Cambridge Office for Tourism describes it as centered on Harvard University, the Harvard Coop and the Harvard T station; the district has approximately 900,000 square feet of retail space.
The City of Cambridge describes the square as having three and a half centuries of growth and change. Winthrop Square, at the meeting of Mount Auburn Street and JFK Street, was one of the area’s early open-air markets in the pre-Revolutionary era and remains a historic open space.
From the square, follow Brattle Street westward for shopping and pedestrian plazas. The street also leads to the Cambridge Center for Adult Education and the American Repertory Theater. Public bicycle racks throughout the square make it possible to arrive by bike and continue on foot.
Harvard landmarks nearby
Harvard Yard is directly across the street from the Harvard stop on the Red Line, so it makes a natural next stop after arriving. Its paths and gates put the university’s central campus within an easy walk of the square.
Cambridge Common lies next to Massachusetts Avenue and Harvard Yard. The Common has a place in the city’s history: George Washington massed troops there, and his headquarters was in Massachusetts Hall in the Yard.
For another campus-side stop, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is among the landmarks in the surrounding Harvard area. The Harvard Art Museums guide covers another cultural option in Cambridge.
Where to pause for culture and green space
Cambridge Common offers an open-air pause beside Harvard Yard and Massachusetts Avenue. Its paths and trees sit close to the square’s busy streets, and the Common’s historical connection to George Washington adds context to a walk through the area.
For more on the park’s background and layout, see the practical guide to Cambridge Common. The Cambridge KiOSK, a community space and visitor information center in a historic structure, is operated by CultureHouse in collaboration with the Cambridge Office for Tourism and the City of Cambridge. Its programs are free and open to the public.
To build a fuller day around the neighborhood, use this one-day Cambridge itinerary from North Cambridge alongside a walk through Harvard Square.
Practical visiting notes
Plan to get around the square on foot once you arrive: Harvard Yard, Winthrop Square and Cambridge Common are all nearby, and the square connects to several streets with shops, plazas and cultural destinations. If you’re driving, choose a garage or lot before setting out rather than relying on a metered space.
The Cambridge Office for Tourism identifies a public toilet in MacArthur Park near Church Street, in a stand-alone gray kiosk on the sidewalk. Parking rates and conditions can change, so check the official site before you go.
FAQs
How do you get to Harvard Square by subway?
Take the MBTA Red Line to Harvard Square Station. The station has bus links underground near the trains and along Massachusetts Avenue.
Can you reach Harvard Yard from the T?
Yes. Harvard University says the Harvard stop on the Red Line is across the street from Harvard Yard.
Is parking available at Harvard Square?
There are garages and lots nearby, but parking is limited and metered spaces are usually quite full. Cambridge’s Harvard Square Lot 2 has posted hourly rates and time limits.
What green space is close to Harvard Square?
Cambridge Common is next to Massachusetts Avenue and Harvard Yard. Winthrop Square is another historic open space, at Mount Auburn Street and JFK Street.