Ever wondered what it’s like to turn MIT inside out? That’s precisely the mission of the MIT Museum. Founded in 1971 as the MIT Historical Collections, it was initially a place to gather MIT’s scattered historical artifacts.
In 1980, it became the MIT Museum. Exhibits and educational programs then focused on MIT’s collections. The museum expanded considerably in 2007, adding 5000 square feet. Its unique collection attracts over 100,000 visitors annually. A substantial thirty percent of these visitors come from abroad. Many exhibits showcase work by MIT students, faculty, and alumni.
One exhibit highlighted MIT’s 150th anniversary. Artifacts and information chronicled the contributions of MIT faculty and alumni. Their work has influenced many scientific and technological advances. SAE Formula racecars built and raced by students were also on display. This showed a contrast to the stereotype of MIT students as bookish nerds.
The Daedulus 87 project was another display. Forty MIT students, faculty, and alumni set a world record for human-powered flight in 1988. While the 150 exhibits are no longer in one collection, most are still viewable throughout the MIT Museum.
Visiting the MIT Museum makes you realize the impact of science on our lives. The regular collection includes a comprehensive archive of nautical technology. It also holds visual and written material that records MIT’s social and cultural history.
The MIT Museum’s holography exhibit is a must-see. A darkened room displays three-dimensional representations of real people. It gives you the eerie sense of looking at a real person’s head.
In April 2012, the museum launched two new exhibits. Rivers of Ice studied glaciers and the effects of climate change. Essential Unity featured photographs by Bernice Abbott. She captured the vital interaction between people, places, and activities in New York City.
Like most museums, the MIT Museum offers regular programs. These range from lectures to performances. A unique activity is the Soap Box. These are salon-style conversations with scientists and engineers making news. The Soap Box serves as a public forum for debate on important issues.
Every spring, the museum sponsors the Cambridge Science Festival. This open-air festival features events, talks, and demonstrations for all ages. Don’t forget to ask about the annual piano drop. It started as a student experiment. It has become a ritual for graduating seniors.
In October 2022, the MIT Museum reopened in new, expanded facilities in Kendall Square. The museum now occupies 56,000 square feet in the Gambrill Center.
Inside, you’ll find a left-handed helical path that ascends through three floors. Exhibition spaces begin with Essential MIT. This offers a glimpse of MIT research. It proceeds to a global view of MIT in the world and concludes with MIT artifacts.
The MIT Museum Store and the MIT Press Bookstore share the ground floor. They are located next to the Kendall/MIT MBTA Red Line station. A combination staircase and grandstand seating connects the floors. The Exchange features a two-story media wall for lectures. The Maker Hub and Learning Labs offer hands-on spaces. The Collection Workshop allows for closer examination of artifacts.
MIT Collects showcases hundreds of historical objects. Larger items include Claude Shannon’s maze-solving mouse. Other exhibits include relics from student pranks and documentation of minority history at MIT.
The MIT Museum conducts activities for students and outreach programs for adults. The Cambridge Science Festival, founded by the museum’s director, draws over 50,000 visitors each year.
One popular event was the Friday After Thanksgiving chain reaction. Teams built elaborate Rube Goldberg machines. Though the annual contest ended in 2019, its spirit of innovation lives on. The Kurtz Gallery for Photography displays temporary shows related to art, science, and technology. The museum also has a collection of slide rules and kinetic art. The holography collection is the largest in the world.
The MIT Museum truly turns MIT inside out making its work visible to the world.