A Hook-Up Tour of Harvard

The brick buildings of Harvard Yard are known to be cathedrals of intellectual stimulation. But with Valentine’s Day approaching, it’s likely they will be home to other activities as well.

From the banks of the Charles River to the Science Center observatory, students say the campus provides an endless array of romantic backdrops for that perfect kiss.

Lamont Library, as anyone who frequents boredatlamont.com knows, has been hosting extracurricular encounters for years.

Jenna M. Mellor ’08 says that Lamont is the best library for discreet make-out sessions because it’s “so boring and dry and miserable, that you have to do something to make it interesting.”

Lamont’s studious atmosphere means that prospective neckers can even hide in plain sight. Campus sex blogger Lena Chen ’09 says that she once smooched with a gay friend on the third floor of Lamont without anyone noticing.

But campus kissing is hardly confined to the libraries. Mellor says that “little study rooms, tunnels, and all sorts of classrooms” make for some of the best kiss-friendly nooks.

One key to maintaining a sense of romance, Mellor says, is a periodic change of snogging scenery.

“Finding somewhere new can make everything so much more fun,” she says.

And while some students have made an art of finding secluded campus spots, others go to great strides to venture outside the Yard for their romantic encounters.

“I don’t go to class as it is,” Chen says, “so I don’t see the point of going after-hours for nonacademic purposes.”

Chen says her favorite make-out spot is a particular bench across Weeks Footbridge with a great view of the skyline of River Houses.

Michael C. Koenigs ’09 says he enjoys smooching in the “green and flowery” gardens outside Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Boston mansion, though he also has a favorite fourth-floor conference room in Sever Hall.

With countless romantic hideaways both on campus and off, Mellor says, the greater challenge is finding someone to enjoy them with.

“I like making out with someone I really care about,” Mellor says, “and it’s an added bonus to make out somewhere that’s really cool.”

And though couples might swarm to exotic spots for their Valentine’s day tonsil-hockey, Mellor adds some of the best spots are close to home.

“A couch or a bed are also just fine,” she says.

­­—Staff Writer Esther I. Yi can be reached at estheryi@fas.harvard.edu.