mit guided tour

Suggestions or Feedback?

Whether you’re a prospective student or a tourist visiting the Boston area, we invite you to explore our dynamic campus and experience firsthand how MIT is making a better world .

MIT is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, across the Charles River from Boston. The main entrance is 77 Massachusetts Avenue.

For maps and questions, stop by the Information Center in Room 7-121, inside the main entrance on the right. Office hours are 9–5, Monday–Friday, excluding legal and Institute holidays .

On This Page

Campus tours and information sessions, getting here and getting around, while you’re here.

MIT's main entrance, 77 Massachusetts Avenue. 

MIT Undergraduate Admissions runs information sessions and tours for prospective students Monday through Friday. Campus tours are open to the general public and are led by current students. You can also stroll the campus on your own using our self-guided walking tour.

Prospective undergraduate students

Prospective graduate students usually arrange visits through the department they’re applying to, though MIT Sloan and select departments within the School of Engineering offer tours

General public

Group tours

Self-guided walking tour [link when ready]

When navigating to campus, use the address for MIT’s main entrance, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge . We recommend that you take public transportation or a taxi/rideshare service to campus.

Via public transportation

Boston’s public transportation system is the MBTA , known as “the T.”

Subway : Take the Red Line subway to the Kendall/MIT station or to the Central Square station. Kendall/MIT is the closest stop to the campus; the walk from Central Square takes about 10 minutes.

Bus : The #1 bus stops at MIT on Massachusetts Avenue and provides transportation between Harvard Square and Dudley Square (in Boston). The CT1 bus is similar to the #1 bus but has a shorter route and limited stops; it runs along Mass. Ave. from Central Square to Boston Medical Center.

Shuttle : The EZ Ride shuttle runs to and from Boston’s North Station, with stops at Kendall Square and around MIT’s campus (Note: EZRide is not operated by the MBTA; fare is $2 cash per trip).

From Logan Airport

Taxi or rideshare : Taxi fare from the airport is about $35–$40, and a rideshare service can range from about $20–$35. During non-rush hour, the ride will take about 15 minutes; during rush hour, it may take 30 minutes or more.

Subway : From any terminal at Logan Airport, take the Silver Line bus to South Station. At South Station, change to the Red Line subway to Kendall/MIT (inbound toward Alewife). The ride should take about 30 minutes.

Parking in Cambridge and Boston can be expensive and hard to find. Whenever possible, park your car at your hotel and use public transportation [link to public transportation above] or a taxi/rideshare service. If you must drive to the campus, on- and off-street parking is available for a fee, but most public parking is not very close to the center of campus. More parking information is available from Parkopedia .

• Visiting prospective students may park in designated areas on a first-come, first-served basis.

Other resources

• Accessibility map
• Self-guided walking tour map

There is plenty to see and do, both on campus and in the greater Boston area.

On the MIT campus

Stop by  Killian Court and the Great Dome , one of the most iconic spots on campus.

Take in the galleries and exhibits at the MIT Museum , where art, science, and technology intersect.

Explore public art on campus , including works by Picasso, Calder, and other major artists.

Visit the List Visual Arts Center , MIT’s contemporary arts museum.

Admire students’ creative work at the Wiesner Student Art Gallery .

Browse MIT’s special collections, including historical documents, rare books, and maps, at the Maihaugen Gallery of the MIT Libraries .

Learn about nautical engineering at the Hart Nautical Gallery , which houses one of the most important collections of nautical materials in the country.

Witness the work being done at the cutting edge of cancer research at the Koch Institute Public Galleries .

Delight in a display of hacks on the Charles M. Vest Student Street in the Stata Center .

Shop at the MIT Coop for MIT-branded apparel and other souvenirs.

Around Cambridge and Boston

Trace the footsteps of Boston’s founders on the Freedom Trail .

Quack your way through a duck tour .

Visit Fenway Park , home of the Boston Red Sox.

Learn about the life and presidency of John F. Kennedy at his namesake library.

Appreciate the classics at the Museum of Fine Arts , or get some hands-on learning at the Museum of Science .

Climb to the top of the Bunker Hill Monument for a panoramic view of Boston.

• Where to eat
• Where to stay

Welcome! 

To register for a visit, please select a visit day from the calendar and fill out the form with your info. And that’s it! We’ll be in touch soon with additional info to help you plan your day and remind you when it’s time for your visit. We can’t wait to meet you!  Session schedule:  Sessions take place Monday through Friday. If the calendar does not yet have the date you plan to visit, please check back a month from your desired date. 

No walk-in availability: All visitors must be pre-registered to attend Admissions programming. Walk in visitors will be provided with a self-guided walking tour map. 

Group Visit with Guided Gallery Tour

Available Mondays (start times 10am, 11:30am, and 1pm), Thursdays and Fridays (start time 11am).

Guided tours are available for:

Student Groups (ages 10-18, college undergraduates)

$10 per student with $150 minimum per group. One adult chaperone for every ten students is required and admitted free. Additional adults pay $14.

One-on-one aides and/or paraprofessionals necessary for individual students are admitted at no charge.

Cambridge Public Schools are admitted for free in line with our Cambridge Resident Membership program. Discounts are available to local public school districts serving low-income students. Please complete the online booking request and our staff will contact you to discuss pricing. Adult Groups (ages 19 and up)

$18 per adult with $150 minimum per group. One group leader admitted free.

Senior Groups (ages 65 and up) $15 per adult with $150 minimum per group. One group leader admitted free.

Tour Options

1. AI: Mind the Gap

Join us in shining light on the tremendous promise, unforeseen impacts, limitless potential, and murky misconceptions of artificial intelligence.

2. Gene Cultures

Explore how art and science stand in conversation and help us uncover compelling insight into gene editing.

3. MIT Collects

Explore our collections gallery and hear about the role of play in scientific endeavors at MIT.

Reserve your group visit with guided gallery tour .

MIT Institute Events

Search this site

• Registration
• Event management
• Information for non-MIT event planners
• Delegations and official visits
• Events Calendar
• Commencement
• Conference rooms
• Lecture Halls
• On-campus housing
• Special event venues
• Event registration
• Vendors & resources
• Venues & spaces
• Accessibility
• About visiting
• About attending events
• About planning events
• MIT in general
• Finding people
• Lecture series
• OneWorld @ MIT Festival
• Presidential Inauguration

MIT Visitors

Currently, visitors are welcome in outdoor spaces on campus and may enter non-residential campus buildings while escorted. See the visitors policy for full details and the visitor information pages for more on the MIT Welcome Center ,  directions and parking , where to dine or stay , and what to do while on campus .

Related resources:

• Campus tours & info sessions
• MIT Events Calendar

MIT Admissions

If you are interested in learning more about MIT and our campus, there are online information sessions  and other resources on the Admissions website  to help answer your questions and allow you to  explore MIT .

Interactive MIT campus map

• To Admissions
• To Events Calendar
• Past events

Tuesday: 12–6 pm Wednesday: 12–7 pm Thursday: 12–7 pm Friday: 12–6 pm Saturday: 12–6 pm Sunday: 12–6 pm

Tours and Group Visits

Dr. Cathleen Chaffee, PhD, Chief Curator at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY and group of visitors at the List Center galleries in Introducing Tony Conrad: A Retrospective.

Learn more about contemporary art through thoughtful conversation and engaging first-hand exploration of art objects.

During our exhibition and public art tours, visitors are invited to look closely at original works of art and engage in discussions with a focus on artists’ practices, materials, exhibition themes, as well as social and cultural contexts for understanding.

For all tours, visit requests must be made at least 2 weeks in advance. We can accommodate groups between 5-20 people at a time. Late arrivals may receive a shortened visit and groups that are more than 15 minutes late may not receive a tour. Please contact listprograms [at] mit.edu (listprograms[at]mit[dot]edu) to book a group tour.

Exhibition Tours

Join a member of our staff or a tour guide for a 30-minute guided tour of our current exhibitions. Schedule a tour of the List Center’s current exhibitions for any high school, college, adult group, or organization.

Public Art Tours

Join a member of our staff or a tour guide for a 45-minute guided tour of MIT’s Public Art Collection. With MIT’s steady expansion efforts and our  Percent-for-Art  program, new works are continually being added across campus. Join one of our scheduled public art tours or book your own group visit for any high school, college, adult group, or organization. 

Self-Guided Tours

Explore the List Visual Arts Center’s current and past exhibitions using our  Digital Guide , available on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app. Access high-resolution photography, videos, tours, and more, all from wherever you are.

Enjoy a customized, self-guided tour of public art and architecture across the Institute through our  Public Art Map . If you are on campus, use our  Mobile Public Art Map  that includes suggested routes, information about artworks on view, and transcribed audio and video content. Listen to commentary by artists, architects, scholars, and curators – including Alicja Kwade, Anish Kapoor, Cai Guo-Qiang, Beverly Pepper, Juame Plensa, Louise Nevelson, Matthew Ritchie, and Olafur Eliasson – focusing on over sixty works of art and architecture throughout the campus.

Tour Guides

The Tour Guide Program provides knowledge of MIT’s Public Art Collection, contemporary art practices, visual literacy and analysis, critical thinking, and public engagement with art, architecture, and environs. Join a public art tour or book your own group visit led by one of our Tour Guides. Support for the Tour Guide Program has been provided by the Ellis L. Phillips Foundation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can my group park.

Public parking in Kendall Square is limited, but metered spaces are close by and garage parking is available at  90 Broadway Street . Parking is also available on campus after business hours and on weekends; visit  MIT Parking and Transportation  to find out more. 

What if my group is running late?

Please reach out to listprograms [at] mit.edu (listprograms[at]mit[dot]edu)  with your approximate arrival time. Late arrivals may receive a shortened tour. Groups that arrive more than 15 minutes late may not receive a tour.

What should my group expect in case of inclement weather?

Plan for the tour to proceed during light showers. In case of inclement weather, the tour booker will be emailed to cancel or reschedule.

What accommodations are available upon request?

The List Center can alter a public art tour according to your group’s needs such as a slower pace, frequent breaks, and the use of ramps and elevators. For more information about the accommodations we provide, read through our  accessibility page .

Our galleries, programs, and special events are free and open to all. We are committed to providing resources and accommodations to make exhibitions and special events more accessible. If you have access-related questions or feedback about your visit to the List Center, please  listaccessibility [at] mit.edu (contact us) . 

If I am bringing my class to the List Center for a self-guided visit of the exhibitions, do I need to book with someone?

Yes, please reach out to  listprograms [at] mit.edu (listprograms[at]mit[dot]edu) , with your class, an approximate number of students, and the university you are associated with, so we know to expect your class. During the visit, please be mindful of blocking entrances.  

• Diversity & Inclusion
• Community Values

Visiting MIT Physics

• People Directory
• Faculty Awards
• History of MIT Physics
• Policies and Procedures
• Departmental Committees
• Academic Programs Team
• Finance Team
• Meet the Academic Programs Team
• Prospective Students
• Requirements
• Employment Opportunities
• Research Opportunities
• Graduate Admissions
• Doctoral Guidelines
• Financial Support
• Graduate Student Resources
• PhD in Physics, Statistics, and Data Science
• MIT LEAPS Program
• for Undergraduate Students
• for Graduate Students
• Mentoring Programs Info for Faculty
• Non-degree Programs
• Student Awards & Honors
• Astrophysics Observation, Instrumentation, and Experiment
• Astrophysics Theory
• Atomic Physics
• Condensed Matter Experiment
• Condensed Matter Theory
• High Energy and Particle Theory
• Nuclear Physics Experiment
• Particle Physics Experiment
• Quantum Gravity and Field Theory
• Quantum Information Science
• Strong Interactions and Nuclear Theory
• Center for Theoretical Physics
• Affiliated Labs & Centers
• Program Founder
• Competition
• Donor Profiles
• Patrons of Physics Fellows Society
• Giving Opportunties
• physics@mit Journal: Fall 2023 Edition
• Events Calendar
• Physics Colloquia
• Search for: Search

We welcome hearing from you if you are planning a visit to the Cambridge/Boston area and would like to visit the MIT Physics Department.

• Prospective undergrads can meet with our Undergraduate Program Coordinator, who will describe the program and undergraduate activities, and answer questions. We can also arrange for you to meet with a current student. Visit arrangements should be made in advance in order to ensure someone is available to meet with you. To request an appointment, contact [email protected] .
• Prospective graduate students have the opportunity to visit campus and speak with faculty and staff during our yearly Graduate Open House every Spring. Information about these events will be emailed directly to prospective students. If you have any questions, contact [email protected] .
• We do not arrange visits with faculty members , but you may contact research  labs and/or individual  faculty directly to ask about possibly meeting during your visit.

Information on visiting campus

Update as of December 2022 : While MIT is opening more of its buildings to the public, striving to return to an open campus some point in the future, many parts of campus are still restricted (except with MIT ID or Tim Ticket for event). Please visit these links to read up on updated pandemic visitor policies and current public entrances map (as of November 29, 2022).

• Visit MIT – General info on tours and visiting campus, along with maps, directions, and parking .
• MIT Welcome Center – at  292 Main Street in Kendall Square , conveniently located next to the Kendall/MIT MBTA subway station. The adjacent green space is also a great place to have lunch or take a break. Open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m., excluding  MIT holidays  and Institute closures. 
• MIT Admissions Office – at the MIT Welcome Center, 292 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, open from 9 AM to 6 PM, Monday through Friday.
• Campus Tours and Info Sessions – Information on campus tour sign-ups or chart your own self-guided walking tour.
• What is it really like to be an MIT student? – Student perspectives and podcast.
• Ask a student! – Have questions about what it’s like to be an MIT student? Send an email to  [email protected]  and you’ll be matched with a current student who can answer your questions!