The Top 10 Photo Spots in Harvard Square
If you leave Harvard Square with nothing else - you can be sure to leave with some killer memories; here are 10 locations to document those memories with perfect pictures!
1. Johnston Gate
Typically, this is the first stop on Trademark Tours’ walking tour of Harvard. Johnston Gate is the best way to enter Harvard and the perfect spot for your first image. Legend has it that you are only supposed to go through the gate once as an incoming freshman, and once as an outgoing senior. So be sure to use the side gates after your picture to get into the yard!
2. John Harvard Statue
Originally seated just north of the campus, today the famous John Harvard Statue sits smack dab in the middle of Harvard Yard, and is the third most photographed statue in the country. People come from all over to rub his bronze toe for “good luck,” but we recommend washing your hands after for better luck. Students on campus call this the statue of Three Lies. Come on the Harvard Tour to find out why!
3. Out of Town News
The meeting point for our Tours of Harvard is itself a historic landmark in the city of Cambridge. The structure itself is on the National Registry of Historic places. So no visit to the city is complete without snapping a pic under the iconic awnings. For bonus points, head inside and pick up a copy of the Harvard Crimson!
4. Charles River / Weeks Bridge
One of the most beautiful areas in Cambridge is on the banks of the Charles River. Our favorite spot to snag a photo by the water is in the middle of The John W. Weeks Footbridge. Built specifically for pedestrians moving between the Business and undergraduate campuses, Weeks bridge is the perfect location to get a shot complete with boaters and bell towers in the background.
5. Harvard Stadium
Built in 1903, our football stadium is the nation’s oldest permanent concrete structure for intercollegiate sports. That’s a mouthful of a fun fact, but the massive, colosseum-like structure makes for great images. This was also home field for the Boston Patriots for one year, their last before moving to Foxboro and becoming the New England Patriots. Every year it hosts “The Game” between Harvard & Yale - come on a Harvard Tour to hear stories about pranks at the games!
6. Steps of Widener Library
One of our favorite stories on the tour is the founding of Widener Library, the crown jewel of the largest private library collection in the world. You’ll need a student ID to get through the front doors and into the stacks. But grabbing a seat on the impressive set of stairs out front is free, and you can snap a picture of either of the imposing library or the sprawling New Yard, where graduation takes place
7. Cambridge Common
Just steps away from Harvard Yard is a slice of American history. Legend has it that Cambridge Common is where George Washington first gathered his troops at the start of the Revolutionary War. Shortly after the Civil War, the city erected a massive monument to the Union soldiers, with statues of a soldier and Honest Abe Lincoln. You can still see war reenactments taking place on the common, and it always makes for a good pose.
8. Lampoon Castle
The Harvard Lampoon is the comedy rival to the Harvard Crimson, our famed student newspaper. Even if you’ve never heard of the Lampoon, you’ve seen their influence. In addition to spawning the National Lampoon and movies like Animal House and Caddyshack, dozens of alumni have gone on to write for popular shows like The Simpsons and SNL. If you are a Conan O’Brien fan, we recommend a red wig out in front of the quirky looking building
9. Memorial Hall
Arguably the most beautiful building at Harvard, Memorial Hall was built as a memorial to the Harvard students who fought and died for the union during the Civil War. You can find their names engraved on the walls of the center transept. The majority of the building is actually used as the freshman dining hall. Unfortunately you need a freshman ID to get inside this section, but the best pictures are outside anyway.
The Secret Hahvahd Tour Photo Spot
In fact, the absolute best place to get a picture with Memorial Hall is a tour secret. Years ago we discovered a location which wasn’t difficult to reach, but also wasn’t obvious to find. And when we discovered that this location perfectly framed the tower of Memorial Hall behind the subject of the image… well, come on a Hahvahd Tour to discover it for yourself!
