Innovation Trail — Kendall Square Walking Tour for Newbies + Natives

Want to learn more about the scientists, inventors, and entrepreneurs who made Cambridge one of the most innovative places in the world? Join us for a special series of tours of The Innovation Trail, hosted by guest tour guides including Gavin Kleespies of Gore Place; Michael Kuchta and Karen Weintraub, co-authors of “Born in Cambridge,” and Scott Kirsner of WBUR + MassLive.

We’ll talk about:

• The true history of NASA in Kendall Square

• Why our tour route was once known as “Confectioner’s Row” (and yes, there will be candy tasting as part of this tour)

• The culture of pranking or “hacks” at MIT

• How an MIT lab helped win World War II

• The first “long distance” phone call, from Boston to Cambridge

• How MIT almost got acquired by Harvard

• Cambridge’s major contributions to the Human Genome Project

• How Google wound up being a major employer in Cambridge

• And a whole lot more.

We’ll start at the MIT Museum in Kendall Square, just above the Kendall Square T station. (And there’s a cafe next door, Ripple, if you need a cup of coffee or a quick breakfast!) We’ll conclude near Central Square and Toscanini’s Ice Cream.

If you’re new to Boston this fall… if you’re a native but you want to learn more about your city… or if have kids interested in STEM and entrepreneurship, this tour is for you! Each tour will run about 90 minutes.