Harvard Museum of Natural History and Anna’s Taqueria

Oftentimes I have a Backyard Road Trip planned in full. Between one and four destinations all set to go. Believe it or not, though, I still take trips with no intention of writing about them. For instance, last month my family and I visited New Bedford and ended up at the whaling museum and Moby Dick Brewing Company. We had a nice time, but without a camera in tow, this was not set to be a Backyard Road Trip. Similar to that, last week we visited the Harvard Museum of Natural History and grabbed a burrito at Anna’s Taqueria afterward. Harvard Museum of Natural History and Anna’s Taqueria did not set out to be a Backyard Road Trip, but alas it became one after the fact (hence why there is a lack of Anna’s pictures here).  

The Background

My son Danny is at the perfect age where curiosity abounds. He loves to learn–letters, numbers, words, animals. I figured he would get a kick out of the Harvard Museum of Natural History since it has so many of his favorites all under one roof. To preview the trip, we looked at pictures online. Dinosaur and prehistoric animal bones, stuffed animals and exhibits related to science are all in his wheelhouse. 

Given that we had to drive into Harvard Square in Cambridge since we live on the South Shore, parking can be precarious. Street parking was looking ominous but there were signs scattered about with “I <3 Science” on them. On that day, there happened to be a special event at the museum, with interactive displays and programs about science. Added to the enjoyment of this event were arrows pointing our way into a parking garage that happened to be free because of this event. The garage admission was a nice treat, but for future reference, I’d park in the open lot, just past the museum on the right.   

Harvard Museum of Natural History

  The Harvard Museum of Natural History is located in an impressive brick building which is as stately looking as the school is renowned. Pass through the glass doors and walk up the staircase to the admission area. A ticket to the museum also allows access to the adjacent Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology. Back in my salad days, I was able to visit both museums, no sweat, and still have time to hit up a few record stores and grab lunch! These days with both kids in tow, we only made it through half of the natural history museum. 

Since this trip is kid-centric, I’ll focus on what we did get through with a quick overview of what we didn’t get to. A major focus of the museum is the Glass Flowers display. Created painstakingly by father-son tandem Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka from Germany, these are glass creations of varieties of flora from cacti to the mountain laurel. Sans-kids, I would make sure to spend a while observing their impressive work. To most children though, they aren’t the most exciting.

On to the animals we go!

The first few rooms we entered were crowded. In the special exhibit and arthropod galleries were hands-on science displays. Danny, being four, was just shy of being able to truly enjoy them. He was wowed with the live sea urchins and horseshoe crab though and designed his own insect using craft supplies. On to the animals, we went! This is where he really was in awe, seeing bones of such prehistoric animals as a mastodon and other mammals of the Cenozoic period he truly loved. He was able to recognize what animals they predated such as a horse, rhino, or elephant. The sheer immensity of some was amazing to him.

Within the stuffed animal display, Danny truly loved seeing the tigers, gorillas, hippopotamuses, and others up close and personal. The birds and the impressive whale bones were also among the highlights. By the time we reached the far end of this wing, Danny was already getting tired so we were wondering how long he would last. The Kronosaurus (humongous sea creature) and the skull of the Triceratops were among his favorites in the museum.  

Rocks and Minerals

  Danny was dragging by the time we reached the end of this wing. After quick peeks into the Glass Flowers exhibit and the minerals and gems, we called it a day. We missed the climate change exhibit as well as the whole Peabody Museum. This will be for another day  

Anna’s Taqueria

In bygone days of yore, hitting up a few record stores would have been in order being that we were in Harvard Square. Granted in 2020 most of these don’t exist anymore. Planet Records still does and is still a great place to browse. (Yes I still buy physical music, read this and this entry.) With two tired kids, I was lucky to grab some lunch before we left.   Anna’s Taqueria was my veritable dining hall for two years in college at Boston University. Living on Beacon Street between Kenmore Square and Brookline, the (then) two locations of Anna’s Taqueria were about a twenty-minute walk for me. Currently, the Anna’s chain (only Boston-based) has the previously mentioned locations plus others in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and Newton. 

Before Anna’s, I only equated burritos and tacos with Taco Bell or other mediocre Mexican restaurants. My first bite of an Anna’s chicken super burrito made me a convert. I’ve always opted for the chicken, with sometimes forays into steak or vegetable. (These days with only consuming Anna’s two maybe three times a year I always go for my favorite, the chicken super burrito.) It’s a no-frills establishment with assembly-line service. Choices of meats, salsas, rice and the like have to be made with split-second order and delivery. Even after almost 20 years, nothing beats an Anna’s burrito. No Chipotle, no other taqueria, it’s simply the best. 

Given that the Harvard Museum of Natural History is on the north side of the Harvard campus, it was a quick trip to Porter Square where there happens to be an Anna’s Taqueria. I drove us there with two sleeping children in the back, while my wife jumped out of the car and ordered four burritos. Two for when we got home and two for lunch the next day. They were just as good as ever.  

The Perfect Day

  The Harvard Museum of Natural History is a real crowd-pleaser. Adults can spend hours here reading every placard, looking at every display. For kids, the seemingly endless rows of stuffed animals and bones are fascinating. There are also plenty of exhibits for older kids and teens. Couple this trip with an Anna’s burrito to go, and I’d say this is a Backyard Road Trip to remember. 

The Harvard Museum of Natural History is located at 26 Oxford Street in Cambridge. Teachers with an MTA card get in free, as do Massachusetts residents on Sunday mornings (I was pleased to learn that when, as a cash strapped college student, I was assigned to go here as part of a requirement for a course.) Anna’s Taqueria in Porter Square is located at 822 Somerville Avenue in Cambridge.