mit campus self guided tour

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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.

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We are part of one of the coolest, most creative, and intellectually vibrant ecosystems on Earth.

Originally founded in Boston, MIT now makes its home in the city of Cambridge, a place the New York Times   says, “blends its erudite character with a rich serving of arts and culture.”

Our campus is situated in Kendall Square , a hub brimming with technology giants, biotechnology firms, and   startups. Ever evolving, the plans to develop our neighborhood are next-level cool.

But we aren’t all engineering and no play. Our campus is a mere 364.4 smoots (plus or minus one ear) across the Charles River to Boston, where foodies can indulge, sports fanatics can cheer, and history buffs can walk the streets of Paul Revere. We are also only a subway ride away from the beach and a short road trip to the Green Mountains or the White Mountains.

The bottom line: this city has something for everyone. We encourage you to come check it out for yourself.

Official Tours

Prospective students.

The Office of Admissions conducts information sessions followed by student-led campus tours for students, families, and groups. For more information on how to schedule, please contact the MIT Office of Admissions .

MIT Campus Map and Directions

• Interactive MIT map
• Getting to MIT

Unofficial Tours

• Self-guided walking tour
• Architectural tours
• Trademark tours

Welcome! 

To request a tour for a group of 6–50 people, please select a visit day from the calendar and fill out the form with your info. And that’s it! Your request will be reviewed by an admissions staff member and you will be contacted within 3–5 business days with an update on the status of your request. 

Please note that submitting a request is not a confirmation of your tour. We will email you with the status of your request.

Please note that all campus visitors are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated, including a booster shot for eligible individuals, unless they have a religious or medical exemption. All visitors to campus must follow  MIT’s Covid policies .

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. 

Private group fees:  Your group visit may incur a fee. If we are able to accommodate your request, we’ll send you an invoice with a link to a secure website to make your payment. Please note that we are only able to accept credit card payments through this website. Final confirmation of your tour will be sent after the payment has been received. 

There is no charge for U.S. school groups or nonprofits when reserved by a teacher or counselor. Cancellations and refunds   Cancellations must be received no later than two business days before your scheduled tour date in order to receive a full refund. No refunds will be issued for cancellations received within two business days of the scheduled tour date, or for groups who arrive late and are not able to be accommodated for their scheduled tour.  Full refunds will be offered in the case of an Institute-wide closure or a sick or otherwise unavailable tour guide.

Finding MIT, Building by Building

MIT maps are particularly important since the numbered building system can take a while to learn. Facilities maintains the geographic and building information displayed on the campus basemap, available as a largescale PDF , grayscale PDF map with index, or an interactive version , as well as several specialty maps.

Accessibility on Campus

View the accessibility map [ color (PDF) or black and white (PDF) ] to find entrances on campus with ramps, power doors, accessible parking and other amenities that help to get around campus with ease.

Bicycling around Campus

The Office of Campus Planning has created a MIT bike map (PDF) to show bike routes, bike parking, and bike-accessible transit. The bike map helps bicyclists get around MIT and promotes bicycling as a commuting option .

Emergency Phone Locations

Use this Emergency Phone Locations map (PDF) to find a telephone on campus that will connect you to the MIT Police .

Gardens and Courtyards on Campus

For a self-guided tour of MIT's small garden spaces, view the MIT Pocket Gardens map , available as a PDF. Tour the campus gardens to see MIT's specimen plants and notable garden spaces .

Underground MIT

A self-guided tour is available as a PDF for MIT's subterranean campus network of tunnels . Explore underground MIT and find ways to avoid bad weather.

• Diversity & Inclusion
• Community Values

Visiting MIT Physics

• People Directory
• Faculty Awards
• History of MIT Physics
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• Departmental Committees
• Academic Programs Team
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• Meet the Academic Programs Team
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• Requirements
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• 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
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• 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
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• 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!

Stanley Museum of Art

Social Justice Self-Guided Tour

Long before I had applied to this internship, I thought that a social justice self-guided tour would be a really interesting way for guests to engage with the galleries. As a Social Justice major at the university, I am instantly drawn to these themes in artwork. When I first saw Red April by Sam Gilliam and I knew that the piece needed to be included in this tour. 

Once I got the position as the Campus Engagement Coordinator, this was one of the projects that I really wanted to take on. However, I had not realized how much work goes into these tours. I needed to find items on display that connected with my theme, research the pieces and the artists, and write up the tour.

 My biggest challenge was coordinating this tour around the rotation of artworks in the gallery. We rotate artworks about every three months in order to preserve more light sensitive pieces. With the rate of the rotations, I needed to be able to plan how long the pieces I selected would be up in the galleries to correspond with my tour. 

Ultimately, my project came together and I could not be more proud of how it turned out! This was a valuable experience in terms of using both my major and my passion for the arts. Moreso, I hope that future editions of a Social Justice self-guided tour will be created and used at the museum. I know that not everyone instantly thinks of themes of social justice when looking at art, but I hope this tour helped put some pieces into a new perspective. 

In case you were not able to grab a copy of the tour in person, the entire self-guided tour is featured in the photo gallery of this post! 

Become a member for free!

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

West Campus: Public Art Tour

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Join MIT List Visual Arts Center on a public art walking tour showcasing the MIT public art collection across the west side of campus. 

View select artworks and consider how art and the architectural environment have enhanced MITs campus design on this tour featuring renowned contemporary artists such as Beverly Pepper , Jaume Plensa and Matthew Ritchie . 

This tour begins at MITs main entrance at 77 Massachusetts Avenue. 

MIT’s Percent-for-Art Program , administered by the List Visual Arts Center, now allocates up to $500,000 to commission art for each new major renovation or campus construction project. The policy was formally instituted in 1968, but earlier collaborations between artists and architects can be found on MIT’s campus. When architect Eero Saarinen designed the MIT Chapel in 1955, sculptor Theodore Roszak designed the Bell Tower and sculptor Harry Bertoia designed the Altarpiece . In 1985, architect I.M. Pei and artists Scott Burton, Kenneth Noland, and Richard Fleischner collaborated on Percent-for-Art projects for the Wiesner Building and plaza, home to the MIT List Visual Arts Center and the Media Laboratory.

This program is free, but registration required. 

This program is weather dependent. Registered attendees will receive an email the day before the tour date if needed to cancel due to weather conditions.