Cambridge: Harvard, history and green spaces

Cambridge offers families different ways to shape a stay: historic sites, art and architecture sit alongside opportunities to walk, run and cycle. As you plan your trip, you can consider whether cultural discoveries or time outdoors should be the main focus. History is reflected in places such as Cambridge Common and Fort Washington Park; for exercise, trails around Fresh Pond and bicycle rental offer a different perspective, among other options.

History in specific places

Cambridge Common is a National Historic Landmark. At the same time, it is a place of everyday activity: more than 10,000 pedestrians and cyclists use its paths and sidewalks each day. Its historical designation and present-day use are different aspects of the place. If you plan a visit, you will encounter both a designated historic landmark and an area whose paths are used by many people in their daily lives.

Fort Washington Park preserves the last remaining physical remnant of the many fortifications that the Continental Army built around Boston during the Revolution. This single surviving remnant brings the fortifications of that era into focus, without requiring you to work through an extensive list of historic sites. If you are especially interested in the Revolutionary period, you can make the park a distinct historical focus of your stay.

Harvard, art and architecture

Harvard Yard is the oldest part of Harvard University's campus and its historic center. Harvard also offers accommodation in the Cambridge Public Art & Culture Tour, which explores outdoor art, architecture and cultural institutions. This gives you different ways to engage with culture: you can focus on the history of a part of the campus or take a broader look at art and architecture.

Harvard Square can also be explored on a self-guided walking tour. A walking tour of Harvard Square takes you to the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger Museum and Sackler Museum, under the umbrella of the Harvard Art Museums. For families who enjoy engaging with art, this specific connection between the three museums is a helpful point of reference for planning the day. The Harvard Public Art & Culture Tour and the walking tour of Harvard Square are two different ways to discover culture in Cambridge.

Free time by the water and in the park

At Fresh Pond, you can walk, run and cycle along a 2¼-mile-long perimeter road. The distance gives you a concrete reference point for planning your day; which activity you choose depends on whether you want to cover the route on foot or by bicycle. Compared with the historical and cultural attractions, Fresh Pond is an option for outdoor exercise.

Danehy Park includes the Louis A. DePasquale Playground, the first playground in Cambridge to incorporate universal design fully across all play elements. This is a distinctive feature of the playground and may be relevant to families who want to include playgrounds in their outing plans.

Choosing Cambridge as a vacation destination

Bluebikes offers an accessible, affordable and sustainable way to cycle through its bike-sharing system in Cambridge and the Greater Metro Boston area. If you want to include cycling in your trip, you can consider this service alongside the opportunities to walk and run at Fresh Pond. These experiences offer different focuses: history and museums, exercise along a perimeter road, or a playground with universal design fully integrated across all play elements.

When looking for a vacation rental in Cambridge, you can first decide which of these interests should shape your trip. Those who want to focus on art and history will find specific points of interest at Harvard, Harvard Square and Fort Washington Park. For more exercise, the perimeter road at Fresh Pond and the bike-sharing system are options to consider.

More places to explore: Arlington, Billerica, Framingham, Westford, Lexington, Wakefield, Ayer and Tyngsboro.

For the broader travel overview: Middlesex.