Discover the Cambridge Innovation Trail and explore the historical inventions that have shaped the future. From anti-aging technology to gene-editing, uncover the cutting-edge discoveries happening in Kendall Square today.
Discover the Cambridge Innovation Trail and explore the historical inventions that have shaped the future. From anti-aging technology to gene-editing, uncover the cutting-edge discoveries happening in Kendall Square today.
- Entrepreneur Walk of Fame - Join us on the Entrepreneur Walk of Fame and discover the remarkable names and stories featured along the Innovation Trail.
- CIC Cambridge @ 245 Main - Visit the Start-Up Hub (CIC), previously known as the Cambridge Incubator, established by MIT Business School alumnus Tim Rowe.
- MIT Museum - Reopened in…
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Entrepreneur Walk of Fame - Join us on the Entrepreneur Walk of Fame and discover the remarkable names and stories featured along the Innovation Trail.
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CIC Cambridge @ 245 Main - Visit the Start-Up Hub (CIC), previously known as the Cambridge Incubator, established by MIT Business School alumnus Tim Rowe.
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MIT Museum - Reopened in October 2022, the MIT Museum highlights the Institute’s role at the forefront of technological advancement.
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355 Main St - Explore Google’s Cambridge office and learn about the city’s connection with tech giants and the innovations emerging from these doors, such as Android.
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Stata Center - Within MIT’s Stata Center are labs dedicated to computer science, artificial intelligence, and robotics, which led to the creation of iRobot Corp., the maker of the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner. There is also a small, ground-floor exhibit showcasing student “hacks,” or pranks, over the years.
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Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard - The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard aims to deepen the understanding of disease origins and bridge the gap between new biological insights and patient impact.
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Cambridge - The Human Genome Project at the Whitehead Institute was founded in 1982 by philanthropist Jack Whitehead and MIT professor and Nobel Prize winner David Baltimore. The vision was to gather a group of the world’s leading biomedical researchers in one building, removing “virtually any impediment to their pursuit of scientific discovery,” providing ample funding and advanced lab equipment, with minimal bureaucracy. It is an independent nonprofit affiliated with MIT.
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225 Binney St - Discover Biogen, the Biotech Trailblazer, and learn about its founding by two Nobel Prize winners and its history of innovation.
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NE35 - Meet Akamai, the Internet Accelerator. The start-up’s initial concept was to establish a global network of servers to cache content closer to users, enhancing web browser speed. Some of the company’s first successful large-scale demonstrations in 1999 included delivering a movie trailer for “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” and ESPN’s March Madness college basketball coverage.
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Draper - Stroll down Broadway and turn left at Technology Square. At 555 is Draper Labs, where a giant moon is displayed in the lobby. Among its notable achievements are the guidance computers that enabled Apollo spacecraft to travel to and land on the moon. Margaret Hamilton, one of the software developers who wrote the code for these guidance computers, later founded two companies and is credited with helping define the field of “software engineering.”
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Moderna - Established in 2010 to explore the potential of modified RNA molecules (hence the name “mod-RNA”) for treating diseases or serving as vaccines.
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LabCentral - Once home to Davenport Car Works, Walworth Manufacturing Company, and Polaroid, today it is LabCentral. Few buildings have housed so many innovators throughout their history.
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810 Main St - At one time, Cambridge was home to 66 different candy companies, producing everything from candy hearts for Valentine’s Day to Squirrel Nut Zippers and lemon drops. The Fig Newton cookie was also invented in Cambridge in 1891, although it was named after the nearby city of Newton. This building is the last operating candy factory in Cambridge, owned by Tootsie Brands. Unfortunately, the company does not offer tours, partly because candy companies are notoriously secretive about their equipment and processes—“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” wasn’t too far off base. Inside, they produce 26 million pieces of candy daily. Why is that number so high? The factory is the only place in the world where Sugar Babies and Junior Mints are made, both of which are small, delightful treats.
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The Innovation Trail - The Innovation Trail offers a journey to experience, learn about, and be inspired by four centuries of world-changing breakthroughs from Boston. It highlights the history of science, medicine, entrepreneurship, and technology in Boston and Cambridge.
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- Interactive in-person guide for an engaging experience.
- Interactive in-person guide for an engaging experience.
- Private transportation
- Access inside buildings. Most of these spaces are active labs, so we do not enter these spaces.
- Private transportation
- Access inside buildings. Most of these spaces are active labs, so we do not enter these spaces.
Demonstrating that history isn’t merely confined to the past! Ranging from advances in anti-aging technology to the breakthroughs in gene-editing, the latest innovations from Cambridge are evolving from the historical inventions as varied as the braided fire hoses and the microwave oven. Tour guides from the top-rated attraction on TripAdvisor in…
Demonstrating that history isn’t merely confined to the past! Ranging from advances in anti-aging technology to the breakthroughs in gene-editing, the latest innovations from Cambridge are evolving from the historical inventions as varied as the braided fire hoses and the microwave oven. Tour guides from the top-rated attraction on TripAdvisor in Cambridge will strive to astound you as we welcome you to discover the history-creators presently active in Kendall Square. See which of the contemporary pioneering discoveries will make it to the future’s history books.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.