Join us for a journey of discovery through one of the greatest museums in the world! Although the Museum of Comparative Zoology was originally founded in the mid-nineteenth century by one of Darwin’s most prominent adversaries to display the wonders of God’s creation, its ground-breaking biogeographical organization led another great biologist who visited it to comment on the irony “that the naturalist who was most opposed to the theory of evolution should be the first to arrange his museum in such a way as best to illustrate that theory.” What better way to study the wonders of the natural world than to join your fellow Humanists for a guided tour of this institution led by one of Harvard’s most popular professors, Andrew Berry? (You may recall Professor Berry from our Darwin Day celebration in 2009, though you might not recognize him without his Charles Darwin costume.)

This tour is a special public program of the Humanist Learning Lab (our secular youth program), so children and teenagers are especially encouraged to participate, but the tour is designed to be exciting and fascinating for community members of all ages! Since we’ll be visiting a museum filled to the brim with irreplaceable treasures, children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult.

On Sunday, October 28, we’ll be meeting at the Humanist Community Center (12 Eliot St, 3rd floor, in Cambridge) at 1:00 pm, so we have time to walk to the museum together in time for the program to begin promptly at 1:30. Professor Berry will begin by telling us a bit about the history of the museum, and then lead us through some of the highlights. The tour will conclude at 3:00 pm, at which point you are free to explore on your own until the museum closes at 5:00 pm. (Your ticket for our event will also get you into the Museum of Natural History next door if you wish to visit that as well.)

Buy your tickets here.

As part of our group, you will get discounted admission to the museums! We can only accommodate 20 people for the tour, so make sure to reserve your spot early by purchasing a ticket below. We are asking for a suggested donation of $5 per person to the Humanist Community at Harvard in addition to the cost of museum admission (though you are more than welcome to join our tour even if you are unable to make this donation).

Please direct any questions to Chelsea Link, the director of the Humanist Learning Lab, at clink@harvardhumanist.org. By the way, rolling admissions for the Humanist Learning Lab are ongoing, so young people from ages 8-18 who enjoy the tour are invited to enroll! Please contact Chelsea with questions.

Photo credit: Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer