The museum was established through a gift from George Peabody, the American financier and philanthropist.
It holds the world's most comprehensive collection of nineteenth-century casts of Maya monuments, created during expeditions to Copán and other sites.
The museum's collection of Native American artifacts is among the most significant in North America, spanning thousands of years of history.
It maintains the Lewis and Clark collection, containing items collected by the explorers during their 1804–1806 expedition.
The museum served as a training ground for many of the most influential American anthropologists of the 20th century.
The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is one of the oldest museums in the world devoted to anthropology, founded in 1866. Located on the Harvard University campus, it maintains extensive collections documenting human cultural history and biological evolution. The museum is renowned for its significant holdings in Mesoamerican archaeology, including original casts of Mayan monuments. It houses over 1.2 million specimens, ranging from artifacts of the ancient Americas to ethnographic materials from Oceania and Africa. The museum shares a building with the Harvard Museum of Natural History, allowing for integrated visits between cultural and natural science exhibits. It serves as both a public exhibition space and a site for ongoing academic research by Harvard faculty and students.
The Hall of the North American Indian, which features expansive displays and historic dioramas.
Combine your visit with the Harvard Museum of Natural History as they are connected by an internal walkway.
Check the museum's online calendar for special research lectures or temporary installations before arriving.
Use the free lockers provided near the entrance to store large bags.
Do not attempt to park on Divinity Avenue, as street parking is extremely limited and strictly regulated.
Closed on Thanksgiving, December 24, 25, and January 1.
Maintain a quiet volume; photography is generally permitted for personal use without flash.
