When you think of Cambridge, probably Ivy League universities quickly come to mind. But if you’re planning travel to Cambridge, Massachusetts, you probably want to do something more off the beaten path, too. I get that because I, too, went hunting for hidden gems on a recent trip to the Boston area. And I found some fun, different things to do in Cambridge I’m pretty sure you’ll love, too!

Yes, you’ll probably want to do the usual Cambridge activities: walking across the Longfellow Bridge, hanging out on the Harvard University library steps. But if you’re looking for something different to do in Cambridge, I got you covered.

Here, you’ll find out about a hidden rooftop garden, the secret home of a beloved childhood character and a place to see a whale skeleton as long as a bus. Intrigued? Then you’ll want to read on for weird things to do in Cambridge!

Surprising + different things to do in Cambridge

Discover a secret rooftop garden in Cambridge

I’m pretty sure you’ll agree that after a while in a big city, you want a little peace. I found just that when I stumbled across the Kendall Square Rooftop Garden in Cambridge, a few minutes’ walk from the Kendall/MIT stop on the T red line. This hidden rooftop garden is at the top of an inconspicuous parking garage, located at 4 Cambridge Center. You’ll walk (or take the elevator) up six floors until you reach the door with an R (for “roof”) on it.

When you step outside, you find yourself amid lush greenery, benches and even a ping pong table. The plants grow high enough to block much of the street traffic noise from below, so you hear more birdsong and less honking horns.

Whether you spend 5 minutes or an hour at this rooftop garden in Cambridge, you won’t regret taking the path less traveled!

Check out Cambridge street art

In the last decade, a bunch of new murals in Cambridge have popped up along Massachusetts Avenue. The most distinctive area to find Cambridge street art is Graffiti Alley, next to 565 Massachusetts Ave. A multicolored roof spans the alley (perfect for drizzly days, like the one when I was looking for different things to do in Cambridge!). The real star, of course, is the street art in Graffiti Alley.

Once you walk the alley, don’t stop. Several lovely murals are nearby, including one depicting a joyous neighborhood potluck. And if you walk up Massachusetts Avenue toward Harvard, you’ll stroll past a bunch more.

Find Winnie the Pooh’s House in Harvard

Forget the Hundred Acre Wood; according to local legend, Winnie the Pooh’s House is in Harvard.

A creative Cambridge resident installed a teeny tiny door in the trunk of a tree decades ago. That tree was eventually cut down to make room for new construction, but now Pooh’s house in Harvard is in a tree stump.

Here’s how to find it: From Harvard Yard, walk toward the Harvard Science Building. If you’re looking at the main entrance, take a left. Walk along the patio, where students hang out on sunny days, and turn right at the edge of the building. You’ll soon spy a red shingle roof next to a bike rack.

Unfortunately, Pooh’s House in Harvard has seen better days. When I visited, I was disappointed to see the door had been torn off. I sure hope someone repairs Pooh’s House soon. Where is he supposed to eat his honey?!

Make friends with fossils at the Harvard Natural History Museum

In an unassuming brick building that looks much like all the others on the Harvard campus, you’ll find thousands of beetles, several whale skeletons as long as a room and a tube full of rainbow-colored bacteria.

The Harvard Natural History Museum is more extensive than I had anticipated. What’s more, this museum in Cambridge is worth a stop even if you only see its star exhibit: the glass flowers. First thing in entering the Harvard Natural History Museum, you’ll see more than 4,000 replicas of flowers and other plants, all painstakingly crafted in glass. I am positive getting an up-close look at these insanely detailed specimens count as something different to do in Cambridge!

When you look at these works of art up close, you simply can’t tell that they’re not real. I was astounded at the detail, color and realistic precision a father-son duo created in the 1800s, all out of glass.

But don’t stop at the glass flowers! Continue on to see microorgaisms squiggling around in pond water (take a peek through the microscope yourself), dinosaur fossils, a room full of precious minerals and stones, and exhibits highlighting animals of the Northeast.

What’s more, admission to the Harvard Natural History Museum also gets you entry to the Peabody Museum, housed in the same building, which focuses on anthropology.

Wind around the Harvard Divinity School labyrinth

Just a few minutes’ walk from the Harvard Natural History Museum, you’ll find a small labyrinth. This tucked-away spot is easy to miss, but it encourages visitors to slow down and look inward as they walk its winding path. It’s not a maze—there’s no ending up in a dead end or getting “lost”—but it’s meant to take a few minutes to slowly walk through it.

Find the Harvard Divinity School labyrinth directly next to Rockefeller Hall. Look for a little secluded patio with a few tables and chairs.

Off the beaten path Cambridge, Massachusetts

If you’re going to Massachusetts and are looking for different things to do in Cambridge, you just found ‘em. After all, once you check out the usual attractions in Boston and Cambridge, you’ll be ready for a change of pace.

Did I miss anything? Have you been to Cambridge, Mass.? Please comment below!