High Brow Boston

2019 | July 15, 2019

Those inclined to literature and the arts, to history and books, took the nerdiest tour of Boston!

Harvard University’s Houghton Library

After our tour of Harvard (given by our own staff Yalie, Alexa), the intellectuals, as we dubbed ourselves, hit the Harvard Bookstore and the Groiler Poetry Bookshop before grabbing a bite to eat at a burger place with the punniest menu.

We then took the T together to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. For some of us, this was our public transit first! For others, riding on a train was so familiar, we just kept reading.

Zubair, Ryan K, and Francesca read on the T

Our tour of the SMFA was inspiring to say the least! We loved the small, cozy communal feel and the emphasis on interdisciplinary studies.

In the drawing studio, our group poses like a bunch of models for a group sculpture. I’d cast us in bronze!
The printing studio lets students create pieces out of various colored plastics, shown here against the beautiful sky.

Our SMFA tour generously gave us tickets to the MFA, so we went there next! The exhibits on Paris, gender-bending fashion, and even cadavers inspired us all!

Emma F, Francesca, Ryan K, Courtney, Miranda, Anastasia, Zubair, and Jordyn pose outside the MFA

Next, we went to our historical sites: Brattle Bookshop (yes, it was a contest to see who would get the most books), the Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial, the Old South Meeting House, the Old Corner Bookshop, and the site of the Boston Massacre, where Ryan gave us a brief history lecture.

Then we were on to Faneuil Hall to meet up with the rest of our group for dinner and a relaxing drive back to Amherst. We left with more knowledge, a greater appreciation for art, and—yes—maybe a few more books.