Summer Solstice 2025: Night at the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture

Free In-Person Special Event

11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge MA, 02138

Join the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture on the longest day of the year—free of charge—to explore the galleries and new exhibitions at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, and the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East.

Step outdoors to enjoy live music and performers, play lawn games, and make a flower crown. Ice cream, beverages, and food will be available for purchase from food trucks. Don’t miss out on this popular event for all ages!

Sponsored by the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture. Presented in collaboration with Revels, the Office of the FAS Chief Campus Curator, Harvard University Graduate Commons Program, and Mass Cultural Council.

Free event parking will be available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage. Please note that Divinity Avenue will be closed to traffic during the event.

The Harvard Museums of Science & Culture are an 8-minute walk through historic Harvard Yard from the Harvard Square MBTA Red Line station.

In case of rain, the museums will remain open and a select number of activities will be available. Please check the HMSC website for details.

Explore the Galleries

Enjoy Outdoor Activities

  • Make your own summer crown with fresh flowers and greens to wear during the event. 5:00–7:00 pm or until supplies last.
  • Marvel at circus performers, play lawn games, and enjoy live music.
  • Purchase tasty treats and beverages from event food trucks and vendors.
  • Enter the free Solstice Raffle for a chance to win HMSC museum memberships and special gifts from the museum shop.

ACTIVITIES

Location: 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge

Activities are appropriate for all ages.

Flower Crowns 

5:00–7:00 pm

Design a summer crown with seasonal flowers, garden greens, and ribbons (while supplies last). Watch for a pop-up performance by Duncan Dance at around 5:15!

Community Chalking

5:00–8:00 pm

Participate in a community chalking project led by Cambridge-based artist Ponnapa Gift Prakkamakul. All ages are welcome to chalk along Divinity Avenue.

Solstice Raffle

5:00–8:30 pm

Stop by the HMSC Information Booth to enter a free raffle for museum memberships and gifts.

Shopping

5:00–9:00 pm

Stop by the museum shop at the Harvard Museum of Natural History and take home a memento from your visit.

PERFORMANCES

Time: 5:00–8:45 pm 

Location: 7 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge

5:00 pm until sunset

Pop-Up Performances

Stilt walkers, jugglers, and acrobats will be performing throughout the event.

5:15 pm

Circus Arts Feature Show

In this annual tradition at the Summer Solstice Celebration, artists from Off the Ground Circus Arts will stage a daring performance of circus arts and acrobatics.

6:00-6:15 pm

Revels’ Procession of the Summer Sun

Join a procession of puppets, dancers, and musicians, along Divinity Avenue, presented by Cambridge-based theater and musical group Revels, and featuring the artistry of the Puppeteers’ Cooperative. The procession follows a kick-off on the Divinity Avenue Stage, featuring Duncan Dance.

6:15-6:45 pm

Contra Dancing

Sing with Revels songleader David Coffin, and follow dance caller Don Veino and the Here on the Hill Band, as they teach contra dancing–a style rooted in English, Scottish, and French country dances. 

6:45-7:15 pm

Haitian Folkloric Dancing

Move with joy in this dance workshop led by Jean Appolon Expressions—a Roxbury, MA based dance organization that celebrates Haitian culture, traditions, and history. Presented by Revels.

7:15-7:30

Salvadoran Dancing

Enjoy a performance by Grupo Torogoz, a Chelsea, MA cultural organization that celebrates and showcases the rich culture of El Salvador through theater and dance. Presented by Revels.

7:45 pm

PK and the Mighty Seven

Dance to, or simply enjoy, a selection of funk, soul, R&B, Motown, and pop songs played by PK and the Mighty Seven, a nine-piece band based in Boston. This will be a fun party featuring melodies from the 1960s to the present.

8:20 pm

Solstice Countdown

Celebrate the official start of the summer season—count down the final minutes of the longest day of the year!

REFRESHMENTS
Time: 5:00 pm until sunset

Location: 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream

Bon Me pan-Asian delights

Naco Taco Mexican treats

Roxy’s Grilled Cheese sandwiches 

Zaaki Mediterranean cuisine

Photo ⓒ Tony Rinaldo