Harvard Museum of Natural History

05/27/2026

Alyssia Wiesenbauer 26’, a Harvard Department of the History of Science concentrator, arrived at Harvard with an interest in studying volcanoes. She is leaving with a deep knowledge of how people live with volcanoes, museums, and a new birdwatching hobby.

As part of her work with the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture student board, Alyssia led a number of student tours. “I have always loved how excited people get when they realize how much exists behind the scenes, from individual objects to the people who take care of them,” she said.

After graduation, she will return to her home state of Hawaii to work on a photo digitization project at the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

In 2018, the volcano Kīlauea erupted and damaged the family home of Alyssia Ursula Pualani Wiesenbauer ’26, located on the east side of the Island of Hawaiʻi. The experience was terrifying. But it also inspired a fascination with how generations of people have learned to coexist with the lava-sp...

05/26/2026

Congratulations to Lauren Bartel ’26, Harvard Museums of Science & Culture student board leader and integrative biology concentrator, in the The Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology at Harvard.

She has been participating on the board since her first year. Lauren says, “It is always so meaningful to see new faces and introduce students to the museums at Visitas and beyond,” Bartel said. “Some of the students ended up joining the board, just like I did.”

Read about her thesis on Florida scrub-jays, and her plans post graduation:

As a high school senior from the Miami area, Lauren Bartel ’26 knew about Harvard’s rich array of museums. She finally got to experience their collections in person after traveling to campus for Visitas, a welcoming event held every spring for those admitted to the College. Bartel was so taken t...

05/19/2026

Next Thursday, May 28, join us for a FREE night at two of the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture. Come with a date, with friends, or make new friends while strolling through the galleries. All ages are welcome!

𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: Blaschka Glass Flowers, and a new rubies installation - this gemstone is known for its extraordinary beauty and offers a rich source of scientific insight.

𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 & 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲: Explore 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑰𝒓𝒂𝒏: 𝑨 𝑽𝒊𝒔𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝑻𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒚, a new exhibition by Iranian photographer and filmmaker Azadeh Akhlaghi. Akhlaghi’s project stages and photographs pivotal moments from Iran’s tumultuous 20th-century history.

More event details here: https://tinyurl.com/ATMay2026
𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵: 𝘌𝘑𝘚𝘗 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 | 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘢 𝘚𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰

05/18/2026

Now open! Rubies is a new, intimate collection of stunning minerals, gemstones, and jewelry on display in the Earth & Planetary Sciences Gallery.

Ruby, the red variety of the mineral corundum, owes its vibrant color to trace amounts of chromium in its crystal structure. This element also gives many rubies a striking fluorescence, glowing bright crimson under ultraviolet light. Ruby’s internal world—its inclusions, growth zoning, and rutile “silk” needles—records its geological journey and can reveal its origin, making ruby a gemstone of extraordinary beauty and a rich source of scientific insight. Visit 9am-5pm ET: https://tinyurl.com/VisitRubiesHMNH.

Shown here:《 The Soul of Flame II 》 Brooch, The Ikhor Collection

05/17/2026

Do you ever wonder how fruit flies ALWAYS seem to find your ripe bananas? On Saturday, May 23, Bronwyn Miller, Graduate Student in the Harvard Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (de Bivort Lab), will reveal her research on the “secret lives of fruit flies.”

Fitz Dougherty, Graduate Student in the Harvard Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (Holbrook Lab), will also present on microscopic holes in plants that are important for photosynthesis, cooling, and the release of nectar to attract pollinators.

Saturday, May 23, 2:00–3:30 pm
More information: https://tinyurl.com/SciSpotlightsMay2026
Regular museum admission rates apply; recommended for ages 10 and up.

05/10/2026

This bouquet includes forget-me-nots, lobelia, phlox, flax, and mignonette. A ribbon around the stems reads “Dedicated to Mrs. and Miss Ware / L. & R. Blaschka.” Would you believe they are all made of glass?

Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka made the bouquet in 1889 as a gift for Elizabeth C. Ware and her daughter, Mary Lee Ware. In fact, the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants, better known as the Glass Flowers, is named in honor of the Ware family.

Elizabeth and Mary were early supporters of the collection, providing funding for more glass models after seeing examples of the Blaschkasʼ work. They remained devoted benefactors for the entire production, which spanned 50 years. In 1890, the collection was presented to Harvard University as a gift in memory of Elizabethʼs husband and Maryʼs father, Dr. Charles Eliot Ware (Harvard class of 1834).

Come see the bouquet on display at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in the exhibit, Glass Flowers: The Ware Collection of Blaschka, Glass Models of Plants.

The Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants, Harvard University Herbaria/Harvard Museum of Natural History

05/09/2026

Happy World Migratory Bird Day! The Wood Thrush (Hylocichla Mustelina, Turdidae family) is one of many migratory songbirds that return to New England every spring, traveling thousands of miles from Central America.

🪽 These birds return to Massachusetts from late April to early May.
🌳 Settling primarily in deciduous and mixed forests, the Wood Thrush are generally found in the Central and Western regions of the state.
☀️ The Wood Thrush breeding season is from May to July. The birds form breeding pairs in early May, males often establishing breeding grounds first for females to construct cup-shaped nests soon after.
🪹 Massachusetts’ vast mature forests, with their dense shrub layers and closed canopies, offer ideal conditions for nesting.
🫐 Departing back south in late summer or early fall, the Wood Thrush consume more fruits and berries with increased lipids for good fuel.

Check out the Wood Thrush species in the New England Forests and Birds of the World exhibits!

Scientific information from Mass.gov, Mass Audubon, and EOL.org.

05/07/2026

Find out what you can expect on your visit to the museum!
https://tinyurl.com/KultureCityHMNH

04/28/2026

Botanizing is a natural history hobby based on observing and appreciating plants—like birdwatching, but for the botanical world. On Thursday, April 30 join Ben Goulet-Scott (PhD '22) from Letsbotanize at the FREE evening museum event ArtsThursdays: Botanical Wonders.

Ben will guide visitors on how to botanize, use a hand lens, and use the new book "Let's Botanize: 101 Ways to Connect with Plants" (Storey Publishing). While you are here, complete a botanizing scavenger hunt inside the New England Forests gallery to get a Let's Botanize sticker! More details about the free event: https://tinyurl.com/ATBotanicalWonders

04/27/2026

This Thursday (April 30th) join us for a free night of after-hours activities:

🪷 Marvel at the internationally acclaimed Blaschka Glass Flowers.

🌱 Learn how to observe and appreciate plants with Ben Goulet-Scott, co-author of Let’s Botanize: 101 Ways to Connect with Plants ().

🌼 Make a felt flower bouquet with Alex Makes Art . Seating is first-come, first-served.

🌿 Explore behind-the-scenes plant collections with Harvard staff and scientists.

🧊 🎟️ Enjoy beverages for purchase and enter a free raffle to win museum gifts and membership.

Details on attending and free parking: https://tinyurl.com/ATBotanicalWonders. We hope to see you there!

Photo © Tony Rinaldo