Why is Boston the most innovative city in America? Find out on a guided tour of The Innovation Trail!
The Innovation Trail brings you face-to-face with four centuries of breakthrough discoveries in science, medicine, entrepreneurship, and technology—innovations that sparked right here in Boston and Cambridge before taking off to change the world as we know it. From inoculations to railroad cars and subways, ice cubes to light bulbs, candy to telephones, ether to info-tech, Boston and Cambridge hav
e been on the cutting edge since the 1600s. Walk with us in the footsteps of Alexander Graham Bell, Danny Lewin, Onesimus, Charles Davenport, and the countless other brilliant minds that have shaped our modern lives.
Here's a quick note thanking all of our corporate sponsors and partners, who help to bring the Innovation Trail to life. Your support is fueling creativity, collaboration, and highlighting the history of groundbreaking ideas in Cambridge and Boston both. We’re grateful for your commitment to driving innovation forward and telling the stories of our great cities!
Such a fun tour group today as part of Boston… visited the Verizon Museum of Innovation in Communication and Mass General’s Russell Museum. Thanks to Draper for their support of a fantastic day of learning!
We're looking forward to seeing you all this weekend for our special tour in collaboration with History Camp. Tickets for History Camp are sold out, but you can still join us for an excursion into Boston's innovation history. This tour will include a special visit to the Verizon Museum of Innovation in Communications, which is not regularly open to the public, so don't miss out!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bostons-innovation-trail-special-tour-in-collaboration-with-history-camp-tickets-843487723487?aff=oddtdtcreator
Rainy days got you down? Even if you can't join us outside on the Trail, you can still learn all about the technological innovations coming out of Boston and Cambridge with our podcast on Spotify. Check out the link below to start listenin' and learnin' today!
https://open.spotify.com/show/6AAmVuA5j4BA0SjNQ8PXHl?si=8a87c4aade114bc3
The only NASA site to ever get shut down was planned to be in Kendall Square. The space agency's Electronics Research Center was set up in the 1960s and comprised of ten laboratories used to study instrumentation, communications, data processing, navigation, guidance, and control. After a deeply contentious period of operation, the ERC was closed after a round of Nixon-era budget cuts in 1970.
Today the former NASA ERC building exists as the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center. The building has since undergone a complete renovation led by architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
Kendall Square sure looks a lot different today than it did back then, huh?
Photos courtesy of and
There's a LOT of information to cover on the Trail. Maybe you're not too keen to learn about one subject and you'd like to focus on another instead. We're happy to work with you and your team to design a custom tour that fits your interests and needs!
We're happy to work with you and your team to design a custom tour that fits your interests. Just answer a few questions on what you're looking for and we'll work on getting you plugged into the history being made every day on in Boston and Cambridge.
It's National Ice Cream Day! We're not sure who comes up with these holidays, but we're not complaining. It gives us the opportunity to talk about the ice cream's sweet start in Cambridge. Learn the connection on the Trail and stop in for a scoop with our friends at Toscanini's.
Cambridge, Massachusetts: so much to discover, a lot to unpack! We were so excited to join our friends at the Cambridge Office for Tourism for the launch of their new brand identity and "Unpack" campaign last week. The new logo speaks to Cambridge's unique history, while the brand colors reflect Cambridge's vibrancy and diversity. What do you think about the new look? ✨
If you weren't already aware, Cambridge has a pretty sweet history. Throughout much of the 1800s, Cambridge was one of the country's manufacturing centers, producing everything from bicycle tires, fire hoses, soap, and pianos, as well as sweet treats like ice cream and candy. At one point, there were 66 candy companies in Cambridge, making candy hearts, Squirrel Nut Zippers, lemon drops, and so much more. Today, just one candy factory remains at 810 Main Street, producing the famous Junior Mints. This, and other morsels of confectionary chronicles to be learned along the Trail ✨
Learn more about the Trail: https://www.theinnovationtrail.org/
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Mondays, amirite? If you're already looking forward to Friday, you should know that weekends with the Trail just got a lot more exciting. Explore the Trail and discover the Boston and Cambridge's tech history and their innovation vision for the future. We're excited to announce that guided weekend tours are now available Friday through Sunday. Get your tickets today through the link in our bio.
The founding of the state of Massachusetts, the first independent state in the United States, was itself, an innovative moment in this country's history. Innovation starts with examining the status quo and ideating around new possibilities that can emerge. Today, as we celebrate this country's Independence Day, we acknowledge also, the innovators, entrepreneurs, critics, scholars, inventors, and change agents, who dared to think differently. Celebrate this 4th of July with this in mind! ✨
The city of Boston is still abuzz with the recent win of the against the Dallas Mavericks. The team recently made history, bringing its 18th championship banner to TD Garden (the most of any team in the NBA). But did you know that basketball was invented in Boston? In 1981, Dr. James Naismith was working at the YMCA in Springfield, MA when he came up with an idea to keep his gym class occupied when the weather was bad. His boss insisted on an indoor game that "wouldn't be too rough", and with the limited space he was given, he devised a game created with real bushel baskets normally used to transport fruits and vegetables. The baskets were nailed to opposite walls, ten feet above the floor, and thus basketball was born. The game quickly grew in popularity, spreading across the United States, and by the 1900s, prominent universities such as the University of Chicago, Cornell, and Yale all had basketball teams. Naismith himself coached at the University of Kansas for six years.
This to say, the Celtics NBA final win is just another part of basketball's history in Boston. 🏀🏆🍀
Photo source:
Pride fact: The first official Gay Pride March in Boston was held on Saturday, June 26, 1971, and included four major stops: the Bay Village bar Jacques, the Boston police headquarters on Berkeley Street, the State House building in Beacon Hill, and St. Paul's Cathedral on Tremont Street. Boston is drenched with walking history!
Registration is now open for History Camp 2024! Over 300 history lovers from across the country will convene August 9 - 11, for over 50 programmatic sessions, social events, and special historic site tours. If you love history, you’ll love History Camp. Register through the link in bio for the special Innovation Trail tour and snag the early-bird discount!
Like it or not, AI tools like and 's newly released, Gemini, are here to stay - with much of the conversation thus far centering on how automation will transform the way we do work, create art, and innovate technologies. A recent article from The Wall Street Journal, which highlights the Innovation Trail, looked at a different angle - asking the question of how generative AI can factor into our social lives, helping us to do things like plan vacations and explore cities in novel ways.
Check out the article here: https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/travel/how-well-can-ai-plan-your-next-trip-gemini-chatgpt-d5cbc83b?st=r8k3so1mpcs8zgh&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Scoops upon scoops of delight! We were so excited to learn about the connections between ice cream and innovation last week with our friends at Toscanini's . We are grateful for the invention of ice cream and all Gus and his team does to keep innovating!
We are so grateful for our community partners. We want to give a special thank you to Akamai Technologies for underwriting our Kick-Off Weekend. It was great to have so many Akamai employees join us for our kick-off tour. Thank you to Akamai SVP and CTO, Andy Champagne for speaking to the group before we got walking. It is clear Akamai employees love what they do and the company they work for!
🧪🔍 It’s day two of the Innovation Trail 2024 Kick-Off Weekend presented by Akamai Technologies! Here’s a peak of our sold out kick-off tour happening now!🔍🧪
Explore Boston’s top STEM museums and science centers with your family today! Many museums are FREE to visit! 🏛️👨👩👧👦
🎁 Want to score a limited edition Innovation Trail hat? Visit 2 sites, snap photos, share on social media, and tag . Show your post at an info desk to claim your prize. Supplies are limited!
🍦 Go for the grand prize: a VIP ice cream tasting with Toscanini’s co-founder!
🚀 The Innovation Trail 2024 Kick-Off Weekend starts TODAY! 🚀
From today until Sunday, explore incredible STEM museums and centers with your family. Many are FREE to visit! 🏛️🔬
📸 Visit 2 sites, share your photos on social media, and tag to win a free embroidered hat! Show your post at an info desk to get your prize. Supplies are limited, so hurry!
🍦 Create an extra fun post or visit more than two museums for a chance to win a VIP ice cream tasting with Toscanini’s co-founder! Click here for more details: https://bit.ly/44oZxx9
🌟 Tomorrow is the day! 🌟
Join us for the Innovation Trail 2024 Kick-Off Weekend starting tomorrow, May 17th, through Sunday, May 19th. Bring the family and explore Boston’s best STEM museums and centers—many of which are FREE to visit! 🏛️🔬
🎁 Want a limited edition Innovation Trail hat? Visit 2 sites, snap some pics, share on social media, and tag ! Show your post at an info desk to claim your prize. Supplies are limited!
🍦 Don’t forget, you could win a VIP ice cream tasting with Toscanini’s co-founder!
https://bit.ly/44oZxx9 for more details!
Join us for our kick off weekend presented by Akamai Technologies ! Visit bit.ly/44oZxx9 to join us for our kick-off tour and to learn how you can win our limited edition Innovation Trail hat and be entered to win our grand prize- a VIP ice cream tasting at Toscanini's !
Help us kick-off our 2024 tour season with a visit to two of Boston’s coolest STEM museums — one of which isn’t usually open to the public!
https://bit.ly/3Um7rmq
Our opening weekend of Innovation Trail tours celebrates the incredible STEM museums of Boston and Cambridge. No other city has so many STEM-focused museums within walking distance of each other. On this tour, we’ll get you inside the Verizon Museum, not typically open to the public. Then, we’ll walk together and discuss several other key places on The Innovation Trail, before wrapping up at Mass. General Hospital’s Museum of Medical History and Innovation. And did we mention you’ll receive our limited edition Innovation Trail baseball cap!?
Help us kick-off our 2024 tour season with a visit to two of Boston's coolest STEM museums — one of which isn't usually open to the public!
https://bit.ly/3Um7rmq
Our opening weekend of Innovation Trail tours celebrates the incredible STEM museums of Boston and Cambridge. No other city has so many STEM-focused museums within walking distance of each other. On this tour, we'll get you inside the Verizon Museum, not typically open to the public. Then, we'll walk together and discuss several other key places on The Innovation Trail, before wrapping up at Mass. General Hospital's Museum of Medical History and Innovation. And did we mention you’ll receive our limited edition Innovation Trail baseball cap!?
Make us a part of of your best summer ever! Thank you to Yankee Magazine for featuring the Innovation Trail as one of the best things to do in Massachusetts this summer. We currently have a guided walking tour every Saturday at 2pm. Starting May 17th you can join us every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm. Or join us for our kick off tour- https://bit.ly/44mn9Cp
Join us for the Innovation Trail 2024 Kick-Off Weekend presented by Akamai Technologies Friday, May 17th through Sunday May 19th. We are celebrating our museum and science center partners and encourage everyone interested in STEM and innovation to visit the amazing STEM museums and centers on the Trail. We are partnering with the Museum of Science, Boston, Draper, the Broad Discovery Center at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the Verizon Museum of Innovation in Communications, the MIT Museum, and the Russell Museum at MGH to bring you a weekend of innovation fun and education. Visit just TWO of these sites and you'll earn a limited edition Innovation Trail embroidered hat. Visit more than two and you and a guest could win a VIP ice cream tasting at Toscanini's! If you join us on our kick-off tour at 10am on May 18th you'll automatically win our limited edition hat! Click the following link for more details and to join us for a weekend of innovation fun. http://bit.ly/44oZxx9
Happy Space Week! The Space Consortium organizes Space Week to help democratize space knowledge and connect MA-based space experts and enthusiasts with each other and the public. Visit spaceconsortium.com and be sure to visit our friends at Draper , MIT Museum , and Museum of Science, Boston for their Space Week events.
Next week is Massachusetts Space Week! We are excited to share that as a part of Space Week the Draper museum will be open Mon-Fri 11:30-4:30 and Saturday 11-3. The museum is typically only open Friday afternoons so you will not want to miss out on this chance to experience Draper’s impactful innovative past, present, and future.
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Guided tours of the Innovation Trail are available every Saturday at 2pm in Kendall Square. Visit our website to purchase tickets. Come learn about Boston’s 400 year innovation history! . . . #innovation #innovationtrail #history #boston #cambridge #walkingtour
Thank you Jordan Rich for having Innovation Trail Executive Director, Anna Dunbar, on for WBZ NewsRadio New England Weekend! Ready to learn about Boston’s 400 year innovation history? Take a guided tour of the Innovation Trail or try our free audio guide. . . . #innovation #innovationtrail #stem #stemeducation #boston #cambridge #wbzradio #newenglandweekend
Have you tried our new audio guide yet!? Take us on the road so you can learn about Boston’s impressive innovation history through the ease of your headphones. This audio guide is great for those looking to walk the entire Innovation Trail or even for those times you find yourself standing near innovation history and want to learn more. The audio guide is free and available on our website, Spotify, and as a podcast on your Apple device. Thank you to our producer, Wade Roush , and narrator Carmichael Roberts . Thank you to the very impressive list of experts you’ll hear from including entrepreneurs, historians, software developers, and Nobel Prize winners. Finally, thank you to our audio guide sponsor, Meet Boston . . . . #innovation #innovationtrail #stem #stemeducation #boston #cambridge #meetboston
75 years ago this week, a Cambridge company began selling this disruptive new consumer device to the public... #history #photography
As we start this week of Thanksgiving, we want to say thank you so much to everyone who has supported The Innovation Trail. It is because of our wonderful and intelligent community that we were able to launch our guided tours this past spring. Interested in supporting The Innovation Trail? Make a tax-deductible year-end donation (theinnovationtrail.org) to support our programming so we can continue to educate the public on Boston’s 400-year legacy of innovation. #innovation #innovationtrail #stem #stemeducation #history #boston #cambridge
Public tours are still available Saturdays at 2pm as well as private tours through the winter! Rated ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and “Best of Boston”. The 90-minute walk leaves from the Kendall Square Marriott and focuses on STEM innovation and entrepreneurship - past, present, and future! No PhD required. This tour is for everyone who wants to see a different side of Boston’s history. See you on the Trail! #innovation #innovationtrail #stem #stemeducation #cambridge #boston #history
It’s here! The official audio guide of The Innovation Trail. Our official tour season has come to an end and while we hope you’ll take advantage of our Saturday tours, we also hope you’ll take us on your walk so you can learn about Boston’s impressive innovation history through the ease of your headphones. This audio guide is great for those looking to walk the entire Innovation Trail or even for those times you find yourself standing near innovation history and want to learn more. The audio guide is free and available on our website, Spotify, and as a podcast on your Apple device. Thank you to our producer, Wade Roush , and narrator Carmichael Roberts . Thank you to the very impressive list of experts you’ll hear from including entrepreneurs, historians, software developers, and Nobel Prize winners. Finally, thank you to our audio guide sponsor, Meet Boston. #innovation #InnovationTrail #cambridge #boston #audioguide #STEMEducation
As part of this year's Cambridge Science Festival, we honored some of the "Luminaries of Innovation" from the past six decades in Boston & Cambridge, and captured a group photo. We're grateful for the support of Johnson & Johnson, our "Luminaries of Innovation" sponsor, as well as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) + Alnylam Pharmaceuticals in bringing this incredible group together. Video production by Longwood Media. Have you walked The Innovation Trail yet? Tours take place every Saturday. https://theinnovationtrail.org/
It is a PERFECT fall day so why not take advantage of this beautiful weather and walk The Innovation Trail? Join our guided tour at 5pm today in Kendall Square. Enjoy the fresh air and learn about Boston’s 400 year legacy of innovation. You won’t be disappointed! And this is the last Thursday evening tour until 2024! Visit theinnovationtrail.org to book your tour. . . . #innovation #innovationtrail #cambridge #boston #kendallsquare #stem #stemeducation
Did you know the @mitmuseum is one of four stem-based museums on The Innovation Trail? The museum, which opened at its new location in Kendall Square last fall, invites visitors to explore the Institute’s innovations in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) — and to take part in that work with hands-on learning labs and maker spaces, interactive exhibits, and venues to discuss the impact of science and technology on society. Take a guided tour of The Innovation Trail this weekend and save time for a visit to the MIT Museum! Guided tours of The Innovation Trail are available Thursday- Sunday. Visit our website to learn more!...#innovation #innovationtrail #stem #stemeducation #mit #cambridge #kendallsquare
📣New tour alert!📣 Guided tours are now available Thursdays at 5pm now through the end of October! Looking for something fun to do with coworkers and friends after work? Or maybe you’re looking for something fun to do with family or your partner before grabbing a bite out? Join us on The Innovation Trail! Don’t miss out on your chance to experience the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviewed and “Best of Boston” Innovation Trail! Our guided tours are led by the award-winning Cambridge Historical Tours. See you tomorrow night! Visit theinnovationtrail.org to purchase tickets. #innovation #innovationtrail #cambridge #boston #stem #stemeducation #walkingtour #thursdayvibes
Did you know that inventors Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell worked out of a telegraph shop in Boston, and that’s where the telephone was invented?! The shop was owned by Charles Williams, Jr. He liked the invention so much that he had the first two telephones installed between his shop and his home in Somerville. His phone numbers? 1 and 2. Join us on a tour of @bostoninnotrail to hear the amazing stories of Bell and Edison, plus see the actual site where the invention of the telephone took place. Tours take place Thursday through Sunday now through the end of October. Get your tickets at theinnovationtrail.org. . . . #telephone #phone #iphone #invention #history #stem #stemeducation #bostonma #boston #massachusetts #newenglandoutdoors #bostonsummer #springinboston #cityofboston #bostonevents #thingstodoinboston #travelnewengland #downtownboston #bostontravel #bostonfun #cambridge #cambridgema #thingstodoincambridge #kendallsquare #bostontechnology #bosinno #innovation #bostonstem
We’re continuing our roll call! At the end of this week you’ll have the opportunity to meet over two dozen impactful innovators to work out of Kendall Square over the last 60 years including: Bob Langer, Dan Bricklin, Sherwin Greenblatt, Feng Zhang, and Jonathan Seelig. This a free Cambridge Science Festival event - bring the whole family including your future innovators, scientists, and entrepreneurs. Join us at the UP Roof Garden at 4:30pm to be a part of a historic photo! Stay tuned this week to learn who else is attending! Details and registration here: https://bit.ly/csfluminaries Cambridge Science Festival is a week-long, annual celebration of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). A multifaceted, multicultural event, the Festival makes science accessible, interactive, and fun, highlighting the impact of STEAM in all our lives. This year’s festival runs from September 25 - October 1, at more than 70 venues across the city and beyond. . . . #innovation #innovationtrail #cambridge #boston #stem #stemeducation #cambridgesciencefestival #csf23 #csf2023 #cambscifest
Today kicks off Cambridge Science Festival ! Join us at the end of the week for a free event for the whole family. Bob Metcalfe, Robin Chase, Helen Greiner, Walter Gilbert, and Marting “Shag” Graetz are just a few of the many innovators you’ll have a chance to meet. Join us to be a part of a historic photo at the UP Roof Garden in Kendall Square. Stay tuned this week to learn who else is attending! Details and registration here: https://bit.ly/csfluminaries Cambridge Science Festival is a week-long, annual celebration of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). A multifaceted, multicultural event, the Festival makes science accessible, interactive, and fun, highlighting the impact of STEAM in all our lives. This year’s festival runs from September 25 - October 1, at more than 70 venues across the city and beyond. . . . #innovation #innovationtrail #cambridge #boston #stem #stemeducation #cambridgesciencefestival #csf23 #csf2023 #cambscifest
Did you know our guided tour season ends at the end of October? Don’t miss out on your chance to experience the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviewed and “Best of Boston” Innovation Trail! Our guided tours are led by the award-winning Cambridge Historical Tours and you only have a few weekends left to learn why Boston is the most innovative city in the US. Come enjoy this perfect fall weather with us! . . . #innovation #innovationtrail #cambridge #boston #stem #stemeducation #walkingtour #weekend
Experience our ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ guided tours led by Cambridge Historical Tours this weekend! Visit our website for more details and to book. There’s only a few weekends left before our tour season ends! . . . #innovation #innovationtrail #cambridge #boston #kendall #stem #stemeducation #walkingtour
Have you walked through the public thoroughfare in Boston Marriott Cambridge lately!? You’ll see our new window clings sharing fun facts of Innovation Trail stops within walking distance from the hotel! Our guided tours conducted by Cambridge Historical Tours start in the lobby of the Marriott Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through the end of October. Visit our website for more info. A huge thank you to the Boston Marriott Cambridge for allowing us to use this space and your support throughout the install process. We also want to thank the talented Anchor Watch Marketing for your excellent design work and Eagle Print & Promotion for print and install. ...#innovation #innovationtrail #cambridge #kendallsquare #stem #stemeducation #boston #history
The weather looks perfect for Labor Day weekend! Join us and our partner, Cambridge Historical Tours , for a guided tour of the Innovation Trail. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and voted Best of Boston by Boston Magazine ! Guided tours available Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30am and 2pm and Sundays at 2pm. Visit theinnovationtrail.org to book. Learn what makes Boston the most innovative city in the US! . . . #innovation #innovationtrail #walkingtour #boston #cambridge #stem #stemeducation #history #weekend
Have you walked the new Innovation Trail yet? You can do a self-guided tour any time to learn about Boston’s innovation history or join our tour partner, Cambridge Historical Tours , Friday, Saturday, or Sunday for ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ guided tours now through the end of October- don’t miss out! See you out there! . . . #innovation #innovationtrail #boston #cambridge #stem #stemeducation #nerdhistory #history
Not sure what to expect from a tour of the Innovation Trail? These are just a few of the stops you’ll make on our 90 minute guided tour! Visit our website today to learn why Boston is the most innovative city in America and the meaningful impact we’ve had on the country and globe for the last four hundred years. ...#innovation #innovationtrail #boston #cambridge #kendallsquare #walkingtour #history
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