Harvard Science Center
The Harvard Science Center is Harvard's main classroom and laboratory building for undergraduate science and math, at 1 Oxford Street in Cambridge, just north of Harvard Yard. Josep Lluís Sert designed the concrete and steel building, which was completed in 1972 and opened in 1973. It is part of Harvard University, and its free Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments is the main reason visitors go inside. Harvard has announced that the building will be renamed Zimmer Hall, so you may see either name. This guide covers the address, hours, what to see and how to reach it from Boston.
Location
The Science Center is at 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, on the north side of Harvard Yard, near Oxford and Kirkland Streets. Cambridge sits across the Charles River from Boston, and the Science Center is within about a 15 minute walk of the river's edge, so it is not on the water itself. To get there, take the Red Line to Harvard station, walk toward Harvard Yard and continue to Oxford Street. Use "1 Oxford Street" in your map app. The hop-on hop-off buses do not stop in Cambridge, so the planning section below explains the tour that does.
History
The Science Center was built between 1970 and 1972, was completed in 1972 and opened in 1973. Josep Lluís Sert, then dean of Harvard's Graduate School of Design, designed it with Sert, Jackson and Associates. It broke from the Georgian brick style that Harvard had used for generations, and its modernist look still stands out beside the older buildings around the Yard.
The building was designed as a shared home for science teaching. It holds five large lecture halls, smaller classrooms, teaching labs, the Cabot Science Library, the History of Science, Mathematics and Statistics departments, and a rooftop observatory. A renovation in the 2000s added space for the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments.
In June 2026 Harvard announced that the building will be named Zimmer Hall, after a $100 million gift from the Zimmer Family Foundation. The change does not move the building, and the address stays the same.
Hours And Visiting
Harvard does not publish a single set of hours for the whole building. The Science Center is a working teaching building, so most floors serve classes, labs and offices. The part most visitors can use is the Putnam Gallery on the first floor, which belongs to the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments. It has been listed as free and open from 11 AM to 4 PM, Sunday through Friday. Hours shift with the academic calendar and with university holidays, so confirm them on the collection's own visit page before you travel.
What To See
Plan your time around three things: the instrument collection, the building itself and the plaza.
The Collection Of Historical Scientific Instruments
The collection holds about 20,000 objects, some of them centuries old, including sundials, compasses and teaching apparatus. Its permanent exhibit, Time, Life, & Matter: Science in Cambridge, sits in the Putnam Gallery. It is one of the four Harvard Museums of Science & Culture, and it is free.
The Building
Sert's design is the attraction for architecture fans. Look at the concrete and steel structure, the large windows and the way the building sits beside the older brick halls around Harvard Yard.
Science Center Plaza
The plaza between the building and the Yard is the best place to stop. It has hosted food trucks, markets and concerts, and tents go up here for Commencement. The Tanner Fountain, a sculptural ring of boulders that runs in warm weather, sits on the plaza.
Nearby Attractions
The Science Center is a short walk from the rest of Harvard's campus. The Harvard Museum of Natural History is on the same street, and Harvard Yard is just to the south. Harvard Square has the bookstores, cafes and shops that most Cambridge visitors head for next, and it has its own page on this site. For a closer look at the campus as a whole, start with our Harvard University guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Harvard Science Center?
The Harvard Science Center is Harvard's main classroom and laboratory building for undergraduate science and math, at 1 Oxford Street in Cambridge. Josep Lluís Sert designed it, and it was completed in 1972 and opened in 1973. Harvard has announced that the building will be renamed Zimmer Hall.
What is the address of the Harvard Science Center?
The address is 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. It sits just north of Harvard Yard, near Oxford and Kirkland Streets.
What are the Harvard Science Center hours?
Harvard does not publish one set of visiting hours for the whole building. The Putnam Gallery on the first floor, which belongs to the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, has been listed as free and open 11 AM to 4 PM Sunday through Friday. Hours change with the academic calendar, so confirm them before you go.
What is inside the Harvard Science Center?
The building holds the Cabot Science Library, the History of Science, Mathematics and Statistics departments, five large lecture halls, teaching labs and a rooftop observatory. Visitors can see the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, which has about 20,000 objects, some of them centuries old.
Is the Harvard Science Center open to the public?
Parts of it are. The Putnam Gallery is free, and the plaza outside is public. Most other floors are used for classes, labs and offices, so access can depend on the academic calendar and Harvard's current rules.
Who designed the Harvard Science Center?
Josep Lluís Sert designed it, working with Sert, Jackson and Associates. Sert was dean of Harvard's Graduate School of Design at the time. Construction ran from 1970 to 1972, and the building opened in 1973.
What is the Harvard Science Center plaza?
It is the open space between the Science Center and Harvard Yard. It has hosted food trucks, markets and concerts, and it holds the Tanner Fountain, a sculptural ring of boulders that runs in warm weather.
Why is the Harvard Science Center being renamed Zimmer Hall?
In June 2026 Harvard announced that the building will be named Zimmer Hall, after a $100 million gift from the Zimmer Family Foundation given in 2018. The building keeps the same address, 1 Oxford Street. You may see both names, so look for either one on signs and maps.
How do I get to the Harvard Science Center?
Take the Red Line to Harvard station and walk toward Harvard Yard. The Science Center is on Oxford Street just north of the Yard. Use 1 Oxford Street in your map app.
What is near the Harvard Science Center?
The Harvard Museum of Natural History, Harvard Yard and Harvard Square are all close. Our Harvard University guide and Harvard Square page cover the area in more detail.
Can I see the Harvard Science Center on a Boston Sightseeing hop-on hop-off bus?
No. The hop-on hop-off buses run on routes in Boston and Charlestown, and none of the stops is in Cambridge. The Boston & Cambridge City Tour is a guided shuttle tour of about 3.5 hours that covers Cambridge highlights. Check the tour page for its current stops before you book.
Plan Your Boston Tour with Boston Sightseeing
The Boston Sightseeing hop-on hop-off buses stay in Boston and Charlestown, so they do not reach Harvard. The Boston Sightseeing Boston & Cambridge City Tour is a guided shuttle tour of about 3.5 hours with a lunch break at Quincy Market, and it covers Cambridge highlights. It is not a hop-on hop-off service. Check the tour page for its current stop list before you book if the Science Center is on your list.
If you plan to spend more time in Boston proper, the double-decker bus connects sites such as Old North Church and the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum. The tour map shows every stop, and our ticket options explain which stops each ticket covers.
Our Tour Packages
Single Ride Pass
$33.25
Explore Boston in 90 Minutes
Ride above the crowd and enjoy the panoramic view of Boston
- Boston City Tour Single Ride Pass
- Stop-1 to Stop-8
- Blue Route Tour
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- 90 Minutes Tour
- 1 Day Validity
- Hop-on Hop-off Tour
- Charlestown Sightseeing Tour
Hop-On Hop-Off All Day
$41.55
Boston City Sightseeing Tour
Experience historic Boston with unlimited hop-on hop-off at your own pace.
- Stop-1 to Stop-8
- Hop-on Hop-off Boston Tour
- Blue Route Tour
- Double-Decker Bus Tour
- 90 Minutes tour
- 1 Day Validity
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- Charlestown Tour
Hop-on Hop-off Boston & Charlestown Tour
$48.65
Boston & Charlestown Tour
Experience the charm of Boston & Charlestown with Boston Sightseeing at your own pace.
- Hop-on Hop-off Boston Tour
- Stop-1 to Stop-11
- Hop-on Hop-off Charlestown Tour
- Blue & Orange Route Tour
- Double-Decker Bus Tour
- Shuttle Bus Tour
- 120 Minutes Tour
- 1 Day Validity
2 Days Boston & Charlestown Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
$70.40
2 Days Boston & Charlestown Tour
Explore Boston & Charlestown with Boston's first double-decker bus at your own pace.
- Hop-on Hop-off Boston Tour
- Stop-1 to Stop-11
- Hop-on Hop-off Charlestown Tour
- Blue & Orange Route Tour
- Double-Decker Bus Tour
- Shuttle Bus Tour
- 120 Minutes Tour
- 2 Days Validity
Cruise Terminal Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
$52.00
200 Minutes Hop-on Hop-off
Get onboard from Boston Cruise terminal and explore the historic beantown with Boston Sightseeing double-decker bus.
- Hop-on Hop-off Boston Tour
- Stop 1-8, 12-15
- Blue & Purple Route Tour
- Double-Decker Bus Tour
- Shuttle Bus Tour
- 200 Minutes Tour
- 1 Day Validity
- Charlestown Tour
Boston & Cambridge City Tour
$63.00
Guided Photo & City Tour
A 3.5-hour guided shuttle tour featuring Boston’s most iconic neighborhoods, Cambridge highlights, waterfront views, and curated photo opportunities.
- Guided Boston & Cambridge sightseeing tour
- Approximately 3.5 hours
- Curated stops and photo opportunities
- Climate-controlled shuttle bus transportation
- Live local tour guide
- 45-minutes Quincy Market lunch break
- Same-day tour experience
- Double-Decker Bus Service
- Hop-on, hop-off service
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