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On Campus Information Sessions & Tours

Registration instructions.

• Registration for a campus visit is required .
• To sign up, please select an available date from the calendar below. Multiple events may pop up when you select an available date. Click on the event labeled "On-Campus Visit" at the time that works for you, and then complete the registration form on a new page.
• Once your registration is complete, we will be in touch via email with helpful information to plan your visit and visit reminders.
• If you arrive on campus without registering, a member of our visitor team will help you to determine your best options including providing information about a self-guided tour and helping you to register for an open tour date and time.
• Sign up for an online session here  - this is a 1 hour live session with an admissions officer. 
• Click here to do a self-paced virtual tour  of Harvard's campus. 
• If you are in the area, you may stop by our office at 5 James Street from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday (11am-5pm on Wednesdays) and pick up a self-guided tour map and ask questions of the Visitor Center staff. 

COVID-19 Precautions

Group visits/tours, important information for your visit.

• Special Accommodations - there will be space on the registration form to request special accommodations. Please note that we require 21 days advance notice in order to secure ASL interpreters. We cannot provide interpreters for other languages at this current time. Those requesting the use of a wheelchair must leave a current driver’s license or state ID with our Visitor Center personnel until the chair is returned. 
• Most buildings are closed to the public. Public restrooms will be available in the Elizabeth Cary Agassiz House before/after the information session, and at the end of the tour at Smith Campus Center.
• At this time, it is not possible to store luggage or other personal property during your visit. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, especially for families who have traveled long distances to join us.
• Your registration and attendance have no bearing on the admissions process should you decide to apply.
• Guests are not permitted to record any part of the information session and/or tour. 

On-Campus Visit Calendar & Registration

• Can I take a tour of the Harvard campus?

Apr 15, 2024 • Knowledge

The Harvard University Visitor Center offers in-person tours daily. Additional tour offerings include the self-guided historical tour on the Visit Harvard mobile app, available to download on  iOS  and  Android  devices. During business hours you may purchase a Self-Guided Tour Map for $3 available in multiple languages.

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Unless noted otherwise, all dates and times on the site are based on local time in Cambridge, MA, and all currency amounts are in US Dollars.

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Harvard Campus Tour: 15 Best Places to Visit at Harvard

From lofty libraries to picturesque walks, from Harvard Square to Charles River, here are the 15 best places to include on your Harvard campus tour!

Whether you’re a new Harvard student starting your school year, or visiting Harvard University on a campus tour, there is so much to discover. My lovely university is a heaven for students, tourists and photographers alike. During my time at Harvard, I got plenty of visitors, both friends and family. And for everyone, it was an overwhelming experience taking in all the beauty of our breathtaking campus.

Harvard University is one of the most visited places in Boston, and even all of East Coast. A Harvard University tour is a memorable experience, since every visitor has seen parts of the campus either in movies, pictures or places that have been inspired by Harvard architecture.

Harvard Campus Tour – Where to Go

Harvard University is full of new and old buildings, beautiful architecture and iconic spots to take your pictures. Of course, some of the best places at Harvard are reserved for the students, so if you aren’t one, it’s best to visit with a student or during the Open House.

But whether you have a Harvard ID or not, Harvard University will have a lot to offer you if you’re visiting. From hallowed libraries to historic dining halls, busy dorms to picturesque riverside walks, here is my list of the 15 best places to visit at Harvard.

Harvard Square and the Coop

Harvard Square may not be the most iconic place at Harvard if you’re just googling images of the university. But for every student and visitor, this is where the tour starts. Harvard has a whole T station (metro, subway or underground) dedicated to it, called Harvard Square, which can be the starting point of your Harvard university tour. It’s also the meeting point if you ever lose your tour partners!

Located at the junction of John F. Kennedy Street and Massachusetts Avenue is the building of Cambridge Savings Bank, which has become something of a landmark over the years. Along with this building, other structures and shops such as bookstores, toy stores, and a Bank of America also surround Harvard Square.

Harvard Square is unmissable, central and is the congregation point, where students run into old friends, meet new acquaintances and grab a bite to eat. The most popular and central spot is Starbucks, below the Cambridge Savings Bank, which is right at the corner of Mass Ave, and opened while I was a student at Harvard. Right outside is the Cambridge Visitor’s Information Center booth.

Some other popular spots next to it are the Au Bon Pain, next to Starbucks, and The Coop, across the road, where you can buy all possible books and official Harvard merchandise.

Harvard Yard & John Harvard statue

The green space between undergraduate dormitories is called Harvard Yard, which is enclosed by iron fences, walls and gates. Harvard Yard is the most iconic place at Harvard University, and is a must on any Harvard campus tour.

It is one of the oldest areas that became a part of Harvard University in the late 1600s, housing Harvard College dorms. Now it is also home to the famous John Harvard Statue, where you can see throngs of tourists taking pictures every time, everyday, touching his shoe to take pictures.

However, Harvard students would never touch it, because we all know that urinating on John Harvard’s shoe is one of three traditional deeds some Harvard College students strive to complete. It still remains the most touched spots of Harvard University. Sigh.

Harvard Yard is spread over 25 acres (10 ha) and it’s boundaries have 25 gates, opening at Mass Ave, Science Center. The yard is also home to libraries and memorial church, where the Harvard graduation ceremony takes place annually.

The Yard is the best place to soak the sun and read, be around College students. If you’re traveling in the fall season, it’s a beautiful place to take pictures. Here, you can see the New England fall colors in their full glory.

Widener Library

This is right in the part of Harvard Yard that is behind the John Harvard statue (called Tercentenary Theater). Widener library is the oldest one at Harvard University. And it’s the largest private and university-owned library in the United States. It is home to 3.5 million books, countless stacks and all types of reading spaces.

The library is named after Harvard College alumus and book collector Harry Elkins Widener, who died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912.

Although Harvard has many beautiful libraries, Widener is my favorite one. With high ceilings, chandeliers and royal chairs, it’s easy to forget Widener can also have so many hidden low-lit spots in its depths too. I used to spend all my free time there as much as possible, discovering new reading spots and books. My favorites were the comfy high-backed chairs that face the tall windows opening into Harvard Yard.

Memorial Church

Situated right across Widener Library, this is another iconic building in Harvard University and one of the best parts of Harvard. Most Harvard students see and pass by it daily, whether on their way to their dorms, dining halls or classes. And of course, almost all Harvard students graduate here, although not every student has been inside it!

The interiors themselves are often used for ceremonies, commemoration, etc. For example, the only time I ever went inside was for a candlelight vigil for Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Although every year, the Church is home to bittersweet memories for everyone. The area in front of Memorial Church, the central green of Harvard Yard, is known as Tercentenary Theater. This is where the Harvard commencement ceremony takes place every year. Many celebrities and famous Harvard alumni have delivered graduation speeches on its porch, such as Steven Spielberg, Mark Zuckerberg, J.K. Rowling and John F. Kennedy.

Memorial Hall & Sanders Theater

Memorial Hall is yet another iconic building in Harvard University. The building is located near the Yard, at the junction of Cambridge, Kirkland, and Quincy Streets. It has high Victorian Gothic architectural style. Constructed in 1878, the building has many stained glass windows, ribbed vaults, spires and pointed arches.

Also called Mem Hall or just ‘Mem’, the building used to be the background of the John Harvard Statue in the early 1920s and before. Mem Hall houses three parts: Sanders Theater, Annenberg Hall and Memorial Transept.

Memorial Transept is a vault that anyone can enter, and is serves as the congregation space for Sanders Theater. It has a high vaulted ceiling and large stained-glass windows above the entrance on either side. Great place to take pictures, if only it were better lit. Either way, it’s an important one to include in your Harvard campus tour.

The Sanders Theater is Harvard University’s largest indoor space. Used for lectures, concerts and most notably, the annual graduation ceremony for Harvard College students. Sanders is where they receive their diplomas.

Even Harvard students aren’t allowed inside, unless it’s for a mandatory lecture or they have a pass for a particular lecture or ceremony. Most lectures that take place in Sanders are by celebrities or famous alumni, such as Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Theodore Roosevelt have spoken there. One of the times I have attended a lecture there was when Bill Gates came to speak.

Although if you are accompanied by a Harvard student and you request, they may allow you to take a peek inside when the theater is not in use.

Annenberg Hall

Located inside the Memorial Hall, Annenberg Hall serves as the dining hall for freshmen of Harvard College. When it was constructed in 1874, people from all over the country came to visit, since it was one of the largest indoor meeting spaces ever constructed in the US.

It is also breathtakingly beautiful, and serves a large selection of food (yum!). With its large expansive, unobstructed space, Annenberg Hall is designed in Gothic style. It has stained glass windows, wooden trusses and vaulted ceiling. The hall is decorated with large hanging candelabras. Its walls have paintings of benefactors and presidents and its ceiling is so high I’m not even sure it exists!

Originally meant to be a place for alumni meetings, Annenberg was soon converted to a dining commons. Now it is used for the freshmen students only. And as a grad student, I only got the opportunity to eat there during the days my own dining hall was closed. (Of course, then my dorm mates and I loved it, because we were treated to their desserts, ice-cream and beautiful entrées.)

It is also used for dances, banquets, examinations and more. Also, Annenberg is what inspired the Great Hall in Harry Potter movies. Only Annenberg Hall is more beautiful.

Read more: Annenberg Hall & Harvard Memorial Hall: All You Need to Know

Science Center

Located north of Harvard Yard, Science Center is home to the computer labs, classrooms and science library for undergraduates. The first floor also houses a nice cafe where I frequently lunched.

To someone expecting the classic Harvard style of architecture, Science Center is not much to look at. In fact, not even many Harvard students find it pretty. That’s because it was constructed in the ’70s, amid the modernist movement, when designers sought to do something different than the existing antiquated Georgian architectural style.

The plaza in front of the Science Center is home to the beautiful Tanner fountain, where kids are often found playing and water-splashing! Students often put up Yard sales, College club events and protest rallies there. Oftentimes, you can also find food-trucks, farmers’ markets and even Quidditch practices there.

Harvard Graduate School of Design

Graduate School of Design or GSD is my alma mater, which is mainly located on 48 Quincy Street in a building named Gund Hall. The Gund is also constructed in glass, steel and concrete (just like the Science Center) and is different from the iconic Harvard architectural style.

Gund Hall has a stepped design, where different studios form the levels, called trays. The building has a lot of clear glass, allowing natural lights into the trays, where students have their drawing boards or desks.

GSD also has a yard where student works are often exhibited, including those using 3D printing, robotic machines, CNC machines, etc.

The area near the entrance at the first floor of GSD is used to exhibit student work throughout the year. These exhibitions are specifically designed to give a new “interior look” to the space with each exhibit, often theme-based or interactive. This space also houses temporary events, student performances and the spillage from the events happening in cafeteria called Chauhaus and the Piper Auditorium.

Harvard Law School & HLS Library

Harvard Law School (HLS) is located near the northwest of the Harvard Yard. The HLS library is a beautiful old building with a big yard in front of it. Named Langdell Hall, it is immediately recognizable with its large windows, columns and Harvardian architecture style.

HLS library has a large, high-ceilinged chandelier-lit reading space with countless stacks filled with law-books. But they serve free hot-chocolate at night, so it’s a good place for non-law-students to study, too. You can get in with a Harvard ID, and discover their chessboard coffee tables, too! HLS library is my second favorite library after Widener, and was also my first workplace after my Harvard graduation, where I worked for a whole year to create digital learning spaces.

Wassterstein Hall Harvard Law School

Take a secret underground passage from the HLS library and it takes you to the newly built Wasserstein Hall. (You can also get to it from above the ground, tho, but where’s the fun in that?) It is one of the newest and most beautiful buildings in all of Harvard University, and was opened when I was a student.

The Wassterstein houses a large fireplace-lit study space with the coziest high-backed chairs, two cafeterias and a bar, pool table and the most gorgeous toilets you can find on-campus. Even balconies and a grand semi-circular staircase. What more reason could there be to include it in your Harvard campus tour? I used to lunch here everyday when I was an employee at the HLS library, and the first-floor cafe is great for an evening snack (they have great fries).

Natural History Museum

Located north of the Science Center and near the graduate dorms, the Natural History Museum is a great place where many students don’t even go throughout their time at Harvard! Although admission is open only to Harvard community.

It is such a hidden gem within the university, especially to go if you’re visiting harvard with kids. In fact, the only time I went here was when I was showing my parents around the campus the day before my graduation ceremony (they loved it!).

The museum is home to many permanent and temporary exhibits that any student will love. These include a paleontology exhibit, which has the fossils of Kronosaurus, a 42-foot-long prehistoric marine reptile. Also, there’s exhibits of birds, wildlife microbes and a famous glass-flower exhibition.

Radcliffe Quad

Located north of the Harvard campus, the Radcliffe Quad, or just “Quad”, is not much of a touristy spot, but is a great place to visit if you’re a Harvard graduate student and looking to explore the campus. The Radcliffe Quadrangle houses the Quad green and undergraduate dormitories, including the oft-photographed Cabot house and Pforzheimer house.

The walk from Cambridge Commons to Radcliffe Quadrangle is a beautiful one, and depending on the season, you’ll see brilliant tulips or fall colors.

Malkin Athletic Center & Harvard Stadium

Harvard stadium.

The Malkin Athletic Center (MAC) and the Harvard Stadium are located at completely different parts of the campus, but I have to include them together here.

The Harvard Stadium is south of the campus, across from HBS. The world-renowned stadium was built in 1903, and is a National Historic Landmark. It’s an essential part of any Harvard campus tour.

The Stadium is primarily a College football stadium, but they also use it for music festivals and other sports. It’s next to the humongous Blodgett Pool (one one that you see Robert Langdon swimming in in the Da Vinci Code movie).

Malkin Athletic Center (MAC)

The MAC is my favorite gymnasium at Harvard and is the perf spot for all Harvard students to work out. The gym is located south of the Harvard square, and is a large five story facility.

In the center is a large pool, and the upper floors have the cardio rooms with a view of the pool. Actually, I find the group exercise mezannine space overlooking the pool even prettier! This is where I discovered my passion for Zumba (miss it!). The building also houses many weight rooms, strength training equipment, basketball court and what not.

Charles River

The Charles river is an iconic body that divides the main Harvard campus. The north part of the campus on the north of Charles is the Cambridge campus, that borders at Memorial Drive. And the southern one is Allston campus, that starts at Soldiers Field Road. These two are connected by the Anderson Memorial Bridge, which is the perfect spot to take pictures and view both sides. It’s a must-see spot when visiting Harvard and MIT.

The space next to Memorial Drive is where you’ll see the bike path, students lounging around after classes, and skateboarders. The John F. Kennedy Memorial Park is right next to it, featuring a fountain. And while you’re here, also walk around to discover tiny lanes, tree-lined avenues. If you’re on a self-guided harvard tour, walk west, and enjoy a quiet cappuccino at Darwin’s, or go up north to have a cup of tea at Pete’s Cafe.

Harvard Business School

Harvard Business School is the top-pick for MBA tourists or student-visitors who like business management. Located in Allston, the HBS campus is a bit separated from the main campus by the Charles River. However, it’s a beautiful campus that all students and visitors should check out on their Harvard campus tour.

Right from across the river, you’ll see the iconic Baker Library, a world-famous building. It has the best place to take a picture at Harvard – in the HBS yard, with Baker Library forming the backdrop. And if you want one with the Harvard sign, check out the HBS sign at the back entrance.

The next spot to check out is Spangler Center, which is the student center. A relatively new building, Spangler has the same Georgian architecture style that the old Harvard buildings have. Inside is a massive student lounge that’s actually the last place I can concentrate in, because it seems a bit daunting.

The HBS cafeteria is inside too, which is rather nice and serves different cuisines everyday. The dining hall is gorgeous with large tables and chandeliers (although nobody joins you if you’re eating alone). Step underground to their bar and also check out their underground passages while you’re at it. (It leads to the library).

– Experience the Harvard Student Life with Me: How is Life at Harvard – Is Harvard Worth It? Analyzing Costs to Benefits for a Degree – What Kinds of Students Get into Harvard?

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Where can i find a tour of harvard’s campus.

A tour is a great way to get to know the campus! Harvard Information Center, located in the Smith Campus Center, offers free student-led walking tours through Harvard Yard. Tours are one hour and provide a general overview of the main Cambridge camps and University history. The Information Center also has maps for self-guided walking tours. For details and schedule, as well as links to tour information at the graduate schools go here . The Admissions Office offers separate tours for prospective students.

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The Top 10 Harvard Campus Spots to Visit During Visitas

By Lucy Liu

You’ll definitely want to see what Harvard’s campus has to offer at Visitas. If this is your first time exploring the area, though (that guided admissions tour you took freshman year doesn’t count), even figuring out where to start can be a challenge. Lucky for you, we’ve put together 10 great spots to visit when you find free time in your Visitas schedule.

The John Harvard Statue

Take an officially-not-a-tourist-anymore photo, and remember to wash your hands before eating if you touch the foot. With so many visitors touching it every day, John Harvard’s metal foot is really not the most sanitary spot on campus.

The Smith Campus Center

The Smith Campus Center just opened last fall and sports quirky chairs, plant walls, and cafes to eat at. You can even try going up to the top floor for a stunning view of campus. Stop by to soak in the bright colors and general sense of pleasantness here.

Harvard Art Museums

Visit for a beautiful and unique way to spend an afternoon. The collection is quite impressive, and during Visitas you’ll get free admission.

Natural History Museum

If you’re more of a STEM person, try the Natural History Museum instead. Again, you’ll have free admission, so there’s no excuse not to check it out. Current exhibits include ones featuring glass flowers, glow-in-the-dark ocean-inspired paintings, and arthropods.

The Charles River

Go at sunset! It’s undeniably beautiful, and if you walk over from the Yard you’ll get to pass some of the upperclassmen houses (you’ll live in one of those from sophomore to senior year) and see what they look like.

Stop by the iconic library itself. Its stone steps are a great place to sit when the weather’s nice, and if you write a thesis this is probably where you’ll take a photo with it. If you decide to go in, remember to be mindful of the people studying inside so you don’t get any unpleasant glares.

Annenberg Hall

Members of the general public can’t enter Annenberg, so you’ll feel a little like a celebrity when you walk in for the first time. Enjoy the first of your many meals here!

Curious George Store

This is the only one in the world, and it’s right here in Harvard Square. Need we say more?

The Radcliffe Quad is home to three of Harvard’s 12 upperclassmen houses, the studio that dance groups use, and the Student Organization Center at Hilles (a building used by various extracurricular groups). It could become a big part of your life depending on your upperclassmen housing assignment and which extracurriculars you get involved in, so getting a glimpse of it now might be a good idea. Don’t be shy; it doesn’t bite.

Head to the largest bookstore in the Square to find a souvenir for yourself or a Harvard Mom/Dad shirt for those back home. If you’re looking for other Harvard gear vendors, there are plenty of options around the Square. These include but are not limited to the stand near the Harvard Square T stop as well as The Harvard Shop, which is run by students.

There’s lots to do on campus, so pull out your Google Maps and start exploring. Which of these places could you see yourself spending a lot of time at next year?

Want more content like this once you get to campus? Subscribe to Harvard Today , Flyby’s daily newsletter with campus events, free food, Crimson content, the daily menu, and more!

Click here to read more of the Flyby Guide to Visitas!

Humor & Harmony Festival schedule announced; when you can buy tickets

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - Several events for Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s Humor & Harmony Festival are locked in, according to Visit Shreveport-Bossier.

The highly anticipated festival will take place from Thursday, Aug. 8 to Sunday, Aug. 11, and is meant to showcase a mix of comedy, music, sports and more.

The four-day festival will span across Independence Stadium, Stageworks and the Shreveport Convention Center. On Wednesday (June 26), the full festival schedule was shared on the Humor & Harmony website.

Thursday, Aug. 8

• Lineup: Andrew Schulz • Bill Bellamy • Bubba Dub • Chico Bean • Dc Young Fly • Earthquake • Gary Owen • Haha Davis • Jj Williamson • Katt Williams • Lavell Crawford • London Brown Matt Rife • Michael Blackson • Nate Jackson • Rudy Rush • Ryan Davis • Tony Roberts
• Plus Musical Performances By Moneybagg Yo • Muni Long

Friday, Aug. 9

• A 3-on-3 pro basketball game will be played with Big3 League players at the former Expo Hall, according to Visit Shreveport-Bossier.

Saturday, Aug. 10

• Lineup: 41 • 2 Chainz • 310babii • Al B Sure • Byron Messia • Cam’ron • Christopher Williams • Cj • Dave Hollister • Flo-rida • Fredo Bang • French Montana • Gillie • Gina Thompson • Guordan Banks • J. • Jeremih • Keith Sweat • Ken Burke • Koffee Brown • Lil Mo • Lil Romeo • Master P • Mann • Monica • Monifah • Pleasure P • Qc • Ray J • Skilla Baby • Soul 4 Real • Xxl Freshman Class • Yung Bleu
• A car show at the Shreveport Convention Center will showcase 50 Cent’s personal vehicles & collections from his friends, according to Visit Shreveport-Bossier.

Sunday, Aug. 11

• The car show will continue, according to Visit Shreveport-Bossier.

Tickets are set to go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Monday (July 1).

Those who signed up for presale links will be able to buy tickets on Thursday (June 27) starting at 10 a.m. The presale continues through Sunday (June 30) at 10 p.m.

Copyright 2024 KSLA. All rights reserved.

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Shreveport leaders say safety is priority for 50 Cent’s Humor & Harmony Festival

Latest news.

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50 cent announces guests, artists for upcoming humor & harmony festival in shreveport.

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You are here, announcing free monthly events at harvard forest.

We are excited to announce that we will be hosting free monthly events at Harvard Forest! Every second Saturday, meet at the Fisher Museum ( 324 N. Main St, Petersham ) to explore the beauty and wonder of our local landscape. Each event is F REE AND OPEN TO ALL!

S ee event details for information about weather cancellations. Generally, each event will include a short, level walk. Please wear long pants and closed-toed shoes. RSVP not required . Questions or accessibility considerations? Contact Elodie Eid , Education Assistant.

We will walk in the woods and learn how to identify mosses at the Harvard Forest, and then we will look at some specimens under a microscope!  

• Includes a short, level walk
• Rain or shine, canceled in the event of lightning or thunder

August 10th: Nighttime Moth Party August 24 th Rain Date 7:30PM - 9:30PM

Come join us with special guest Nancy Lowe for a moth cloth party! First, we’ll enjoy s’mores around a campfire. Once the sun sets, we will set up cloths and lights to attract moths. Watch in am azement as the se beautiful creatures of the night come to visit us! 

• Includes a short, level walk  
• Postponed in the event of rain (Rain date: August 24 th )

Learn about the diversity, resilience, and abundance of oak trees ! Oak trees are a keystone species in our local ecosystem and  are a vital ally to humans, insects, and countless other living beings .  Here at the Harvard Forest, we have been making fascinating discoveries on how oaks respond to climate change and more.

• Rain or shine. Canceled in the event of lightning or thunder

Learn about acorn harvesting and processing, start to finish! Acorns are an important food for Indigenous peoples here and all over the world. Come learn about the process and its history!

• Rain or shine. Canceled in the event of lightning or thunder.

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About the Author

Isabelle DeSisto  is a member of the Harvard Class of 2020 and a resident of Mather House. She is pursuing joint AB/AM degrees in Government and Regional Studies: Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This summer, she spent one month in Moscow and two months in Havana conducting research for her senior thesis on Soviet-Cuban educational exchange programs during the Cold War.

My Summer Research in Moscow and Havana

A cold war adventure .

by Isabelle DeSisto | May 7, 2019

On June 1st, 2019, I set off for Moscow with a stack of business cards, three hard drives and a suitcase full of peanut butter. In other words, I was equipped with all of the essentials for a three month-long research trip to Russia and Cuba. But I also knew that preparation would only take me so far in these countries; the real keys to success would be patience, persistence and a healthy dose of luck.

The idea for my research project had come to me while I was studying abroad during the fall of 2018 in Havana, Cuba. One sunny Saturday I decided to take a day trip to Jaimanitas, a neighborhood famous for its winding streets lined with colorful mosaics and makeshift art galleries. A painting hanging on the gate outside one of the art galleries caught my eye, and I struck up a conversation with its owner. As it turned out, he had spent five years studying in Moscow in the early 1960s. This piqued my curiosity; I too had studied in Russia and had a keen interest in Soviet history.

Back at Harvard, I couldn’t stop thinking about this man’s experience. Paradoxically, what made it interesting to me was that it was hardly unique; tens of thousands of Cubans had received university degrees and academic training in the Soviet Union. Yet this phenomenon had been largely ignored by the academic world. Try as I might, I couldn’t find a single book or article that provided a comprehensive analysis of the experiences of these students and the role they played in Soviet-Cuban relations. I concluded that if nobody had studied them, then I would just have to do it myself. So I decided to dedicate my senior thesis research to the topic of Soviet-Cuban educational exchange programs.

Thanks to generous funding from the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, and the Government Department, I designed a project that allowed me to spend one month in Moscow collecting archival materials and two months in Havana conducting interviews. This proved to be an invaluable opportunity to travel and gather original data, while exploring an understudied dynamic of international relations during the Cold War.

When I got to Moscow, I had never set foot in an archive. My first visit to the Russian Archive of Socio-Political History (RGASPI) was an exercise in humility. After fumbling over the payphone in the lobby, I tried to make small talk with the secretary in charge of archival entrance passes. “You know what? I really couldn’t care less,” she told me bluntly when I had finished explaining the topic of my research. Not a good start. Luckily, by the end of the month, she had warmed up to me. Each morning I would ask her how she was doing, and she would respond with one of two things: “Thank God it’s Friday,” or “It’s too hot!” On my last day, she gave me a wink and told me that she would miss me.

The majority of my work Moscow was centered around three archives: RGASPI, which holds the records of the Komsomol (communist youth league); the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF), which is home to the documents of the Ministry of Higher Education of the Soviet Union; and the Russian State Archive of Contemporary History (RGANI), which houses the materials of the Soviet Communist Party. I found the archives to be relatively well-organized—that is, if you know what you are looking for. Unfortunately, the legacy of the Soviet bureaucracy lives on; each archive has its own convoluted process for obtaining access, ordering files, and making copies, and each maintains its own arcane set of rules. For example, in GARF and RGANI you are not allowed to charge your laptop, even though there are plenty of outlets along the walls. In RGASPI, no drinks are permitted—even water. At first, I was outraged, but I quickly learned that the best way to get the documents you want is to put your head down and follow the rules. Of course, no amount of good behavior will get you access to the scores of documents that are still classified.

Ultimately, working in the archives was an exhausting but rewarding experience. Despite the limitations, I was able to find and copy a significant amount of relevant information. In my free time, I also managed to conduct a handful of interviews with Soviet diplomats (including one former Soviet ambassador to Cuba), Russians who had Cuban classmates in university, and Russians who received training in Cuba.

As June came to a close, I was sad to go. I liked the ugly-but-functional Soviet-era apartment where I was living; I had developed a comfortable routine at my local gym, and I still hadn’t finished sampling all of Moscow’s trendy vegetarian restaurants. But I knew that I had to move on. During my last three days in the city, the temperature dropped dramatically and it began to rain nonstop. The Caribbean was calling my name.

When I saw that the Russian airline Aeroflot had a direct flight from Moscow to Havana, I couldn’t believe my luck. However, I soon realized that if something looks too good to be true, that’s probably because it is.

My first major problem came in the form of a short-lived visa crisis.

In order to legally travel to Cuba for the purpose of academic research, I had to receive permission from both the American and Cuban governments. On the U.S. end, I was traveling under the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s (OFAC) General License, which permits certain trips to Cuba, including educational travel for the purpose of research. On the Cuban end, I received an academic visa through the Institute of History of Cuba (IHC). However, I would first need to buy a “Tarjeta del Turista” (tourist card) in order to enter the country, before going to the IHC to pick up my academic visa. Generally, when people travel to Cuba, their airlines sell them the tourist card at the airport, or as part of the ticket price. I assumed that I would just get one in Sheremetevo airport before leaving Russia.

Then, the day before I was supposed to fly to Cuba, I learned that Russians are one of the few nationalities that do not need a tourist card. Consequently, my airline did not sell them. I read online that it would be possible to buy one upon arrival in Cuba, but that most airlines would not let passengers board without one.

To quell my fears, I paid a visit to Aeroflot’s corporate office on Stariy Arbat street. “Tourist card?” the attendant said quizzically, “I have never heard of that.” She put in some calls to her superiors, most of whom were similarly confused. Finally, she suggested that I go to the Cuban embassy to inquire about the card. Unfortunately, it was a Saturday evening and my flight was leaving Sunday morning. “Well,” she said, “Maybe a travel agency can sell you one.”

Trying to keep my cool, I visited one, two, three travel agencies. None of them had even heard of the tourist card.

Feeling defeated, I returned to the Aeroflot office. The attendant was concerned, but there was nothing that she could do. “If I were you,” she said, “I would show up at the airport tomorrow morning and try to get through. If they don’t let you on the plane, then you can try to switch your ticket to a later date and apply for the tourist card at the Cuban embassy.” I nodded my head. I didn’t seem like I had much of a choice.

At four o’clock the next morning, I dragged myself out of bed and took a taxi to Sheremetyevo airport. When I got there, the baggage drop-off line for Aeroflot had already snaked around the entire lobby. Even after living in Cuba for a whole semester, this was the longest line I had ever seen. The tourist card was no longer my biggest problem; if things didn’t start moving, I might miss my flight altogether.

But, if Russia has taught me anything, it’s how to be assertive. I fought my way through the baggage line and then the security line, ruffling a few feathers along the way. When I arrived at the gate, the plane was already boarding. I walked up to the check-in counter, handed my passport to the attendant, and smiled innocently. “Where’s your Cuban visa?” he asked me. “Oh, don’t worry, I am supposed to buy one in the Havana airport,” I said self-assuredly. “Are you sure? Who told you that?” he asked. “Well, I spoke with someone from the airport,” I replied, hoping that this white lie would not get me into trouble. He looked at me suspiciously, but then waved me along. Feeling a surge of relief, I dashed into the shuttle bus before he could change his mind.

When we finally touched down in Havana after a grueling thirteen-hour flight, I hoisted my backpack over my shoulder and speed-walked to the immigration desk. Fortunately, the process ended up being quite simple. I did have to wait about thirty minutes for the woman working at the desk to come back from her lunch break, but when she did she was happy to sell me the tourist card. Unable to believe my luck, I waltzed through passport control and to the baggage claim. By that time, almost everyone was gone, except for a crowd of angry people around the lost luggage counter. “What a bummer for them,” I thought, scanning the belt for my suitcase. But it was nowhere to be seen. It appeared that my luck had run out.

Thus began an action-packed two months in Cuba. I suffered for a few days in the tropical heat, wearing the same pair of jeans I had arrived in and desperately praying that my suitcase would turn up. Thankfully, it did. But I wasn’t out of the woods just yet. Havana welcomed me with both the usual challenges—food poisoning, shortages and bureaucratic red tape, to name just a few—and the unusual: a mysterious rash, a stolen wallet, and a run-in with a rusty barbed-wire fence that prompted a trip to the emergency room for a tetanus shot.

I had initially planned to conduct both interviews and archival research in Havana, but it became clear early on that it would be impossible to gain access to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Education archives. For one thing, I was a young American with a research project that, despite being historical in nature, was still politically sensitive. Beyond that, I had arrived in the middle of the summer, at a time when already-unpredictable institutions close up shop completely. Fortunately, if I had learned one thing during my semester in Havana, it was that you have to roll with the punches. No archives? No problem. I would focus on my interviews.

Over the course of my eight weeks in Cuba, I conducted nearly sixty interviews, with both Cuban diplomats and Cuban graduates of Soviet universities. I had arrived in the country with just a few names and phone numbers, convinced that I would have no trouble making connections once I was on the ground. And I was right; by leveraging the contacts I already had and then asking each interviewee to recommend others, I was able to build a full schedule of interviews.

Interview work was without a doubt the most gratifying part of my research. People opened their homes to me—a complete stranger—and shared intimate details of their lives as students in the Soviet Union. It was fascinating to listen to their anecdotes and reflections, and to learn about how their experiences have impacted their lives today. The majority of my interviewees recall their university years with great fondness and nostalgia; they were thrilled to have the chance to reminisce on this formative period of their lives. As we sipped on cup after cup of Cuban coffee, I heard stories of friendship and love, confusion and disappointment. Certain experiences were universal: the challenge of learning Russian, the shock of adapting to a new cuisine, climate, and drinking culture, the first time they saw the snow. Others were more personal: giving birth in a Soviet hospital, sneaking over the border to Romania, being subjected to a barrage of tests after the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown. I feel very privileged to have had this rare window into the private lives of so many people. Their stories reinforce my belief that this research is valuable.

Conducting interviews also allowed me to explore parts of Havana that I wasn’t able to visit during my semester abroad. Some days I would have three back-to-back interviews on opposite ends of the city; this forced me to become an expert at navigating Havana’s bewildering bus routes. I was living in El Vedado, a quiet, mostly residential neighborhood, but my interviews took me everywhere from Centro Habana, with its maze of pothole-covered alleyways, to the glamorous mansions of Miramar and far-off corners of Boyeros and Guanabacoa. Although I was familiar with the public transportation, I always opted to walk if given the chance. Not only was this a way to escape the sweltering, suffocating city buses, but it also helped me gain a much richer understanding of life in Havana. As I sidestepped puddles and cracks in the sidewalk, I passed teens playing pickup basketball, old men engaged in fierce games of dominos, couples munching peso pizzas, and street venders hawking flowers, tamales, and plump avocados. At first, this was a sensory overload: teens selling WiFi cards, speakers blasting reggaeton music, men hurling catcalls from every corner. Eventually, though, I grew to love the frenzied pulse of the city.

My free time in Havana was limited, but I savored every second of it. Sunset jogs along the seawall, Saturday mornings at the beach, and afternoon shopping trips to the agromercado were a few of my favorite pastimes.

On my last weekend in Cuba, I took a short trip to Cienfuegos, a southern port city that was settled by French immigrants in the early 19th century. I had visited Cienfuegos once during my semester abroad, and was impressed by its stunning neoclassical architecture. I was also intrigued by the story of the Juraguá Nuclear Power Plant, whose solitary gray dome is just visible from across the bay. For years, the plant was a shining example of Soviet-Cuban collaboration, but it was abandoned—unfinished—when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and financing dried up. The plant is strictly off-limits to foreigners, but the nearby Ciudad Nuclear (Nuclear City), which was built to house its engineers and technicians, is still accessible. During my first trip to Cienfuegos, I skipped the Ciudad Nuclear; this time I made sure not to make the same mistake.

It was fascinating to wander through the town, which is nothing more than a few streets of apartment blocks, surrounded by farmland. Strolling past stray dogs and sleepy horses, I searched for traces of the Ciudad Nuclear’s peculiar past. The only clue I found was a curious pattern of bricks laid in spirals along the walls of the main avenue. Could they be an allusion to the shape of a nuclear reactor, or were they a mere coincidence?

I tried to picture in my mind what the Ciudad Nuclear might have looked like if the plant had been finished: engineers hurrying to work, freshly painted balconies, a sense of hope and prosperity. But all that was left of that dream was the name of the town—and perhaps a few mysterious brick swirls.

I remembered the 1986 nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl and wondered if Cuba had in fact dodged a bullet when the government decided to abandon the plant. Although Juraguá’s planned reactors were not the same as Chernobyl’s, any reactor is a risk—especially for a country that today lacks the necessary funds to maintain its most basic infrastructure. But then I thought of all of the nuclear engineers who had spent years training in the Soviet Union and in Cuba, only to be told one day that their life’s work would be dismantled. No story is single-sided.

As my time in Cuba drew short, I, too, began to feel a sense of nostalgia. My whirlwind research trip was coming to a close, and an even more challenging journey lay ahead: turning the heaps of documents and hours of interviews I had collected into a singular thesis. The prospect was daunting, but I felt motivated. I recalled the professors and advisors who had supported me when my research was still in its embryonic stages, the archivists who had transformed from grumpy gatekeepers into crucial allies, and the dozens of Russians and Cubans who had selflessly shared their stories with me. This project was theirs too.

Although my senior year is just beginning and many months of work still separate me from a finished product, I am confident that the memories of these adventures and the people who made them possible will motivate me to the very end.

More Student Views

Platanos and Polychronic Time: How Puerto Rico Transformed My Clock

by Isabella Lashley

Growing up in New York, the boiling and frying and smashing and refrying of platanos was a tradition that tied me to my family and to Puerto Rico, an island I had seldom visited, but I knew was home.

A Shift in Paradigm: Harvard’s Trailblazing Course in the Brazilian Amazon

by Eduardo Vasconcelos

Former Harvard President Claudine Gay had all it would take to be a tremendous leader of the institution. Her vision, bold humility and intellectual vibrancy were deeply appreciated by the community of university affiliates, as shown by the mobilization of more than 700 Harvard faculty in support of her presidency.

Eyes Closed, Eyes Open: The Puerto Rico Winter Institute

by Maya Peña-Lobel

¡Ojos cerrados! On my fifth day in Puerto Rico as part of the 2024 Harvard Puerto Rico Winter Institute (HPRWI), my peers and I went to a workshop at a small but mighty theater collective called Agua, Sol y Sereno.

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The A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University was established in 1987 as a training ground for professional theater. A two-year, graduate-level program, the Institute was created with an understanding that students can best prepare for a life in the performing arts by immersing themselves in the work of a professional theater, and by studying with faculty who are practicing theater artists.

Over the past three decades, graduates of the Institute have become leaders in the arts. Graduates of the acting program have performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and at theaters around the country, while also appearing in feature films and as series regulars on numerous television shows. Graduates of the dramaturgy program serve as dramaturgs, literary managers, theater critics, and artistic directors in this country and abroad. Graduates of the voice pedagogy program teach at top American universities.

In 1998, the Institute formed a historic partnership with the Moscow Art Theater School. The birthplace of the Stanislavsky System and the artistic home of the playwright Anton Chekhov, the Moscow Art Theater (MXAT) is one of Europe’s leading companies. The partnership with MXAT has given Institute students the opportunity to train with leading Russian actors, directors, choreographers, historians, and critics, and to be immersed in one of Europe’s most vibrant theater capitals.

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Graduates of the A.R.T. Institute have entered their respective industries with a far-reaching intellectual curiosity, a diligent sense of professionalism, and an extensive set of practical skills. Having garnered experience from their training abroad, their coursework stateside, and their collaboration alongside industry professionals, students have left the Institute prepared for the wide variety of work in today’s American and international theater.

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How Much Did Ole Miss Football Spend on 2024 Non-Conference Schedule?

Ben king | jun 23, 2024.

• Ole Miss Rebels

OXFORD, Miss. -- More details on the Ole Miss Rebels' 2024 non-conference football schedule have been revealed, as the Clarion Ledger explained just how much money the program spent on part of its schedule last week.

The Rebels spent $3.7 million to create their 2024 non-conference schedule. Per the Clarion Ledger, Ole Miss will compensate the Furman Paladins, Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, and Georgia Southern Eagles to engage in those three matchups. The Rebels are also set to travel to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, who will in return travel to Oxford in 2025 for a game.

Ole Miss' matchup versus Wake Forest in 2024 satisfies the SEC's mandate that each school must play at least one non-conference game against a power conference team. The Rebels' net payout this season is $1.6 million more than in 2023 because they are paying for one more matchup than they did a year ago. Last season, playing against the Tulane Green Wave in New Orleans saved Ole Miss a buy-game check.

Current Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter agreed to the games versus Georgia Southern and Middle Tennessee, while former AD Ross Bjork set up the matchup versus Furman and the two-year series against Wake Forest.

The pay out for every Ole Miss non-conference game in 2024 can be found below.

Furman: $500,000

Middle Tennessee State: $1.6 million

Wake Forest: N/A due to travel

Georgia Southern: $1.6 million

83 years later, 105-year-old finally earns master's from Stanford

Virginia Hislop has spent a lifetime trying to increase access to education, and now, at 105 years old, she appears to have completed her own schooling.

On Sunday, Hislop celebrated Stanford University's conference of a master of art's degree in education — 83 years after having left campus just shy of the degree. Her son-in-law had contacted the institution and discovered a final thesis, her unfulfilled obligation, was no longer required.

“I’ve been doing this work for years and it’s nice to be recognized with this degree,” Hislop told Stanford for a story about her nearly lifelong journey to a stage on campus , where a diploma in a Cardinal-red cover was placed in her hand.

In 1941, on the eve of the United States' direct involvement in World War II, and as her fiance was preparing to be called to serve, Hislop skipped out on the thesis.

Her Stanford days, starting in 1936, were nonetheless fruitful, and she earned an undergraduate education degree before moving directly to postgraduate studies.

She wanted to go to law school, Hislop has said, but her father wouldn't pay for it, so she opted for the briefer time required for teaching.

Hislop had completed coursework for a master's and needed only to turn in the final version of her thesis, she has said. Instead, she told NBC Bay Area, she skipped town and had a honeymoon in Oklahoma near her husband's Army post at Fort Sill.

"Not my idea of a place for a honeymoon," she told the station, "but I had no choice in the matter."

At the time, such a sacrifice — trading her career for marriage and a future family — was seen as a way to support the war effort. It was a sacrifice for America.

She had grown up in Los Angeles, but after the war the California girl found herself with husband George in Yakima, Washington, where George took part in the family business of ranching.

They raised two children, which put Hislop's focus on a passion stoked during her days in Palo Alto: education.

"I didn’t return to teaching, but I feel I put my teaching certificate to good use serving in committees and on boards and trying to improve the educational opportunities every chance I got," she told the Yakima Herald-Republic in 2018.

She opposed middle school curricula that required home economics but not advanced English for her daughter, so she ran for the Yakima School District Board of Directors and won, according to the publication.

Hislop also successfully lobbied for independent community college districts in Washington state at a time when Yakima's two-year college was under the otherwise K-12 district.

She was eventually recruited to raise funds for what would become Heritage University, a women-founded, women-led institution about 20 miles south of Yakima.

She launched the school's annual Bounty of the Valley Scholarship Dinner, which by 2018 had raised nearly $6 million to help students attend the institution. Hislop is listed by the school as a board member emerita.

At Pacific Northwest University, a medical and health sciences school in Yakima, a scholarship, the Virginia Hislop Emergency Fund , bares her name.

Her interest in broad access to education may have been inspired by an aunt who was the principal of a public school in West Los Angeles' Sawtelle Japantown neighborhood when Hislop grew up in L.A.

Sawtelle is an area originally anchored by a housing and care facility for disabled veterans of the Civil War, but it evolved into a community populated by Japanese Americans and Latinos.

Hislop said she was moved by her aunt’s experience seeing education change lives on L.A.’s Westside, according to the Yakima Herald-Republic.

“Aunt Nora would tell us about some of the Hispanic students in her school and how they were doing and the difference that education made for them,” she told the publication. “It seemed to me that without an education, your future was limited and with an education it was unlimited.”

Her new degree is punctuation for a life spent advocating for public education for the masses.

On Sunday, Daniel Schwartz, dean of Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, handed Hislop her master’s diploma with a broad smile, describing her as “a fierce advocate for equity and the opportunity to learn."

Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 

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