Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments

This museum at Harvard University houses over 20,000 historical scientific instruments collected over time. The collection includes telescopes, microscopes, measuring devices, and other tools that scientists used in their work across different periods.

Harvard started collecting scientific instruments in 1672 for teaching and research purposes. The formal collection was established in 1950 to preserve these important objects for the future.

The instruments on display were once used in classrooms and research labs, showing how people learned and discovered through hands-on work. You can see the tools that shaped how science was actually taught and practiced over the centuries.

The museum is centrally located in Cambridge and easy to reach on foot, with plenty of space to explore the displays. It helps to set aside enough time to look at the many objects without rushing and learn more about how they were actually used.

This is one of the three largest collections of historical scientific instruments at universities worldwide. Many of the objects still work, showing how thoughtfully early scientific instruments were designed.

Location: Cambridge

Inception: 1950

Part of: Harvard Museums of Science and Culture

Address: 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

Phone: +(617)4952779

Website: https://chsi.harvard.edu

GPS coordinates: 42.37650,-71.11610

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:49