The Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology is a Harvard University museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at 11 Divinity Avenue. It’s also commonly searched for as the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography in Cambridge. It’s a useful stop to pair with the connected Harvard Museum of Natural History, since regular-hours admission to either includes entry to both.
- Location: 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge
- From A Cambridge House Inn: about a 26-minute walk or 7-minute drive
- Usual hours: daily, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, with holiday closures and occasional schedule changes
- General admission: $20 for adults; tickets are sold at the admissions desk and museum shop
What to expect at the Peabody Museum
The Peabody Museum is a Harvard museum focused on archaeology and ethnology, established in 1866 as a research and teaching institute. Its connection to the Harvard Museum of Natural History makes it easy to include both museums in one visit: regular-hours admission to either covers entry to both.
General admission includes all exhibits. Some galleries have dimmed lighting to protect objects or specimens, including Wiyohpiyata and the Hall of the North American Indian. Benches are available throughout the museum, and the museum asks visitors to keep its narrow passages accessible.
If you’re planning a broader museum day, see this guide to visiting the Harvard Art Museums for another Cambridge museum option.
Hours, admission and tickets
The museum’s usual opening hours are daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, though listed holiday closures and occasional late openings or early closings can affect a visit. Check the official site before you go.
General-admission tickets are available only at the admissions desk and museum shop. Admission costs $20 for adults, $18 for seniors age 65 and older, and $15 for non-Harvard students with ID and youth ages 3–18. Children under 3 enter free. Harvard ID holders receive free admission for themselves and one guest, and museum members receive free admission.
Massachusetts residents can enter free with proof of residency on Sundays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and Wednesdays from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The offer isn’t available to commercial groups.
How do you get to the museum from North Cambridge?
The museum is about a 10-minute walk, or 0.4 miles, from Harvard Square station on the MBTA Red Line. From Harvard Square, walk through Harvard Yard, then continue down Kirkland Street for one block to Divinity Avenue. If Harvard Yard is closed, sidewalks go around it.
From A Cambridge House Inn, the museum is about a 26-minute walk or a 7-minute drive. The museum recommends public transportation because parking is limited. The closest garage is 52 Oxford Street Garage, about 0.1 miles or a 3-minute walk from the main entrance.
Limited two-hour metered parking is available on Oxford and Kirkland Streets; meters accept U.S. quarters, credit cards or the Passport parking app, and parking is free on Sundays.
A Bluebikes docking station is one block from the museum entrance. If you plan to use it in winter, check station locations beforehand.
Plan for access and a comfortable visit
The front entrance at 11 Divinity Avenue has eight steps and isn’t accessible. The accessible entrance is next door, at the connected Tozzer Anthropology Building, 21 Divinity Avenue, about 80 feet away. From there, take the elevator to the first floor and follow the hallway to the Peabody Museum lobby.
All exhibitions are accessible, and wheelchairs are available to borrow on a first-come, first-served basis at the admissions desks at the front desk and museum shop. Accessible restrooms are on the Peabody Museum’s ground floor and on the third floor of the connected Harvard Museum of Natural History.
Personal photography is allowed, but flash and tripods aren’t permitted in the galleries. Food and drink aren’t allowed in galleries, and the museum asks visitors to leave its narrow passages clear.
Pair the museum with nearby Harvard stops
The connected Harvard Museum of Natural History is the most straightforward addition to a Peabody Museum visit: regular-hours admission to either museum includes entry to both. For another campus-area walk, use this Harvard Square guide to plan time around the square.
Cambridge Common is another nearby stop to consider; this guide to Cambridge Common covers the park and its history. Check the route and opening details for each stop before setting out, especially if you’re visiting when Harvard Yard access may be limited.
FAQs
Does admission include the Harvard Museum of Natural History?
Yes. Regular-hours admission to either museum includes entry to both.
Can you buy general-admission tickets online?
General-admission tickets can only be purchased at the admissions desk and museum shop.
Where is the accessible entrance?
It’s at the connected Tozzer Anthropology Building, 21 Divinity Avenue, next door to the Peabody Museum’s front entrance.