Visiting CNS

The Cambridge Facility of the Center for Nanoscale Systems is located on Harvard’s Cambridge campus, just north of Harvard Square, in the LISE building at 11 Oxford Street.

The Allston Facilities of the Center for Nanoscale Systems is located on Harvard’s Allston Campus, just south of Harvard Square, in the Science and Engineering Complex (SEC) at 114 Western Avenue.

Information about parking facilities can be found on the Harvard Transportation and Parking website.

The CNS Administrative Office is located in LISE 304, 11 Oxford Street:

Enter through the shared entrance to LISE and Gordon McKay Laboratory at 9-11 Oxford Street.
At the far right end of the hallway take elevator or stairs to 3rd floor of LISE.
Follow hallway around behind elevator.
The CNS administrative office is at the end of the hallway, room 304.

The CNS Nanofabrication Facility (“The Cleanroom”) is found in G-07, on the “ground” floor of LISE. Take the elevator down two levels.

The Cambridge CNS Imaging Suite is found in B-15, on the basement level of LISE. Take the elevator down three levels.

The Allston CNS Materials Characterization Suite is found on level B2 of the SEC.

The Allston CNS Soft Lithography Facility is located on the second floor of the SEC.

The Allston CNS Imaging Suites are situated on the B2 level of the SEC.

Open in Map

Logan International Airport (http://www.massport.com/logan/)

Amtrak (http://www.amtrak.com) stations close to Harvard University include South Station, Back Bay, and North Station. These stations also connect to different subway and bus lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority or MBTA (simply called the “T” by the locals.) South Station is on the same subway line as Harvard: the Red Line. For more information on the MBTA, please see http://www.mbta.com/. View the map above from walking directions to CNS from the Harvard Sq. T stop.
Many commercial bus lines also serve the Boston area.

Getting to Harvard from MIT or downtown Boston is quite reasonable on the subway as the Red Line can get you to these destinations without having to change to a different line. The Red Line also intersects with the Green Line at the Park Street Station.

To take the subway from Logan Airport, take the Silver Line bus to South Station. At South Station, change to the Red Line headed out-bound (towards Alewife) to Harvard Square.

Taxis are also plentiful at Logan Airport and throughout the cities of Boston and Cambridge.

Numerous taxi and shuttle companies serve the Cambridge area. A taxi ride from Logan to Harvard Square generally runs about $35.00 – $45.00. Some of these services are listed here:

Yellow Cab 617-547-3000
Ambassador Brattle Cab 617-492-1100
Green Cab 617-623-6000
Union Taxi 617-661-2500
US Shuttle 617-894-3100 (door-to-door service for Logan Airport)

If you plan on using GPS, use the address:

11 Oxford Street

Cambridge, MA 02138

Be aware that parking is particularly scarce in and around Harvard. Be prepared (leave time) to search for limited on-street metered parking if you plan to arrive by car.

From the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90):

Take Exit 18, marked “Cambridge/Allston.” Follow the Cambridge signs off the ramp to the traffic lights. Stay in the middle lane while crossing the bridge. Proceed across the bridge onto River Street. Stay in the left lane and follow River Street about one mile into Central Square, the first major traffic intersection. Travel straight across the intersection. ( Here River Street becomes Prospect Street.) At the second light, turn left onto Broadway Street. Follow Broadway to its end at Quincy Street, in the midst of the Harvard campus, and bear right, with fire station on left, onto Quincy Street. Proceed on Quincy Street through two traffic lights until Quincy ends at Kirkland Street. Take a left onto Kirkland. Kirkland Street ends and becomes Oxford Street, with a hard right turn.

From I-93:

From the south: take exit 26 for Storrow Drive, using right lane and following signs for Storrow Drive. (*)Take left lane exit for Government Center/Kendall Square/3 North and bear right at sign for Kendall Square. Proceed across bridge onto Broadway. Follow Broadway for two miles until you must bear right at the fire station, onto Quincy Street. Proceed on Quincy Street through two traffic lights until Quincy ends at Kirkland Street. Take a left onto Kirkland. Kirkland Street ends and becomes Oxford Street, with a hard right turn.

From the north: take exit 26A and follow signs for Storrow Drive. Follow directions above from (*).

From Route 128 (I-95):

Take the exit for Route 2 East to Arlington and Boston. Travel approximately 6.5 miles, approach the first rotary/intersection from left lane. Bear left, following signs for 3 North and 16 East to Medford. At first light, turn right onto Massachusetts Avenue. Proceed 1.8 miles to Everett Street on the left (15th traffic light). Take a left onto Everett Street. Take a right at the next intersection on Oxford Street.