In-person logistics

Location and rooms

Most of the in-person workshop takes place in the Stata Center (MIT Building 32), 32 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139.

MIT room numbers use a building-room format. Room 32-123, for example, is in Building 32 (the Stata Center) on the first floor. The room for each session is listed in the workshop schedule.

Breakout sessions are held in nearby buildings:

Campus maps

We recommend the free MIT Mobile app (iPhone and Android) for maps and campus information. whereis.mit.edu has an interactive map of campus buildings. Google Maps also works well. Search for "MIT Stata Center" for the most accurate pin.

Wi-Fi

MIT Guest (recommended). Choose the "MIT Guest" network, follow the prompt to receive a registration code by text message, and enter the code.

eduroam. If your university participates in eduroam, you can connect with your home credentials.

Food and coffee

The closest option is the café in the Stata Center, with coffee, tea, pastries, sandwiches, salads, sushi, and a hot entrée. A light buffet dinner (usually Mediterranean) is provided on one of the workshop days.

Kendall Square has a few quick restaurants on Main Street, such as Row 34 and Dig Inn. There is a Starbucks in the lobby of the Marriott hotel and a Dunkin' nearby. The Stratton Student Center (Building W20) food court is a little farther away, with several options and another Dunkin' on the first floor. Google Maps lists many more places nearby.

When to arrive and leave

Most people arrive in Boston on Sunday and leave Thursday afternoon. Monday has classroom tutorials and practice exercises starting at 9 am. The main presentations usually begin Tuesday, and the workshop usually ends at lunchtime on Thursday.

Hotels

We don't reserve hotel room blocks, because you'll usually find better prices online than the hotels offer us. Several hotels are a short walk away, but hotels near MIT, and in Boston generally, are expensive. To save money, or if nearby hotels are full, stay anywhere near the MBTA Red Line. Kendall/MIT station is right by campus. See the MBTA subway maps.

MIT also keeps a list of nearby hotels. Many others are listed online, and Airbnb and VRBO are also options.

Transportation

Walking. Kendall Square, about two blocks from the workshop, has many hotels and restaurants within walking distance. From farther away, take the T (subway) to Kendall/MIT and walk.

Taxi. A taxi from Logan Airport to MIT costs about $35 and takes about 15 minutes outside rush hour, or 30 minutes or more during it.

Shared shuttle vans run between Logan Airport and hotels in Boston and Cambridge.

Public transportation. From any terminal at Logan, follow the signs for the Silver Line and ride it to South Station, the end of the line. The Silver Line from the airport is free. At South Station, take the Red Line toward Alewife and get off at Kendall/MIT for campus, the Marriott, and the Kendall Hotel. The trip takes about 45 minutes. Elsewhere on the T you can pay with a contactless credit card or digital wallet, a CharlieCard (a reloadable smart card sold at some stations), or a CharlieTicket from the machines in every station. Multi-day passes are available, though if you stay near Kendall or Central Square you probably won't need the T. See mbta.com.

EZRide and MIT shuttles. These visit various places around Cambridge and Boston. EZRide costs about $2 and the MIT Tech Shuttle is free, but the routes are long and roundabout, and schedules change through the day. See the Charles River TMA for EZRide. The MIT Mobile app is the best way to see MIT shuttle routes and arrival times.

Parking

MIT doesn't offer free parking or parking validation, but there are some paid options.

Public garage. The garage at 5 Cambridge Center (entrance on Ames Street) can be used by visitors and others doing business with MIT who don't have an MIT parking permit. There is a charge.

On campus. Construction has limited campus parking. The 139 Mass Ave lot is one option. During the day you need a parking ticket ($26 per day) from the Parking and Transportation Office in Building W20. The lot is free after 5 pm.

MIT visitor information

The MIT visitors guide has general information for visitors.

Sightseeing and evenings

Boston, founded in 1630, is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile walking route of historic sites, tells the story of the American Revolution. Stops include Faneuil Hall, a former meeting house that is now a busy marketplace, and the tavern where Paul Revere and other revolutionaries met. Hop-on, hop-off tour buses leave from Kendall Square, so you can ride between sites instead of walking the whole trail.

Kendall Square is full of pharmaceutical offices, with a few upscale restaurants but not much else in the evening. Harvard Square, two stops outbound on the Red Line (or about a mile and a half on foot), is where students gather. It has restaurants, nightlife, bookstores, craft shops, and boutiques right around the station, and Harvard's campus is beautiful to walk through. Club Passim, where the 1960s folk revival began, still hosts good folk music in an intimate basement room; check online to see who's playing. The Harvard Coop and the MIT Coop in Kendall Square are both good for browsing. If you're staying at the Best Western Tria, the hotel shuttle goes to Harvard Square.

For more evening options, look up the Boston Symphony, local theater, and the Blue Man Group. If you have extra days, guided tours and hop-on, hop-off buses leave from Kendall Square.