Harvard University Tours and Tickets

Yes, you can just walk around Harvard’s campus. If you’d like a free walking tour, current students lead them across Harvard grounds, including Harvard Yard. If you’d like to skip the group tours but still want to explore campus, download Harvard’s tour app from their website to start exploring the university’s landmarks on your own.

Yes, a few buildings across the Harvard campus are open to the public. The Welcome Pavilion and Arcade are open daily; the Harvard University Visitor Center is open Monday through Saturday. Of course, there are also beautiful outdoor spots like the Arnold Arboretum that are open to the public and worth exploring.

Many visitors to the Harvard campus will choose to take a public tour. They’re free with registration, offered daily, led by students, and last between 45–60 minutes—and, yes, they include Harvard Yard. Otherwise, on the Visit Harvard mobile app, you can take a self-guided tour and hit some of the major landmarks yourself.

Yes, you can visit Harvard without being a student. Touring the campus is quite popular—simply register on Harvard’s app to hop on one of the student-led tours from the visitor center, or take a self-guided tour. As one of the country’s finest institutions (one that is nearly 400 years old), there’s a lot to explore.

You can walk around Harvard pretty much anywhere outside—in fact, visiting the historic campus is quite popular. Beyond witnessing the famous Harvard Yard (the oldest part of the university), gaze upon the Gothic-Revival Memorial Hall, see the statue of John Harvard and rub his left foot for good luck, wander the scenic Arnold Arboretum, and more.