Event Parking
The goal of the Harvard Event Parking team is to provide the best possible service with the greatest amount of flexibility and convenience to the Harvard community.
Garage and Booth Staffing
Parking Services sets staffing hours based on parking demand and budget considerations. The garage and booth staffing schedule is:
- Broadway Garage: Weekday hours: 5:30 AM – Midnight | No weekend staffing
- 52 Oxford Garage: Weekday hours: 5:00 AM – Midnight | Weekend hours: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM | No overnight staffing
- 10 Everett: Weekday hours: 7:00 AM - 11:30 PM | No weekend staffing
- Soldiers Field Park Garage: Weekday hours: 5:00 AM - 2:00 PM | No weekend staffing
- Harvard Business School: Weekday hours: 5:00 AM – Midnight | Weekend hours: 7:00 AM – Midnight | No overnight staffing
We remain committed to supporting all event parking needs. If your event requires access outside of regular hours, we will staff the facility and include the Parking Monitor overtime costs as part of the event fee. For smaller events, our team will help identify suitable alternative locations.
General Event Parking Information
Event coordinators should review their transportation needs as an initial part of the event planning process. We recommend that all planners schedule any upcoming events with our office as soon as possible as some requests may not be approved due to space constraints.
Harvard Parking Services also works closely with the City of Cambridge when city spaces are required for University events. Requests must first go through Harvard Parking Services to secure meters or other city spaces. The City of Cambridge Traffic and Parking Department will direct requests from Harvard affiliates back to Harvard. This assures the City that all Harvard University spaces are utilized first.
Support with larger events such as passenger transport and/or valet assistance are also possible options. Our coordinator will connect you with the University’s preferred vendors.
Calculate the cost of your special event parking.
Please note: the costs for securing Cambridge permits, providing passenger transport, or offering valet service will be charged in addition to the event parking fees. We require two weeks notice. Requests made less than 14 days before the event will incur a $175 Admin fee. Requests made less than 7 days before the event will incur a $300 Admin fee.
If you are purchasing 9 or less permits, please visit the HOPPS website. Please note, you can only purchase HOPPS passes seven days in advance.
Request event parking at the link below. Parking Services will contact you upon review of the application.
The procurement of City of Cambridge Street Occupancy permits is a service that we provide for special events that are organized by Harvard University schools and departments. Harvard University Parking Services manages the entire process from the initial request through the conclusion of the event.
The fee for procuring City of Cambridge Street Occupancy permits through Parking Services will be $50 per permit requested. The final customer cost will be this fee plus the cost of the permit(s) that is passed along by the City of Cambridge. Those costs are calculated based on the type and duration of the permit(s) requested.
To meet City of Cambridge deadlines, Harvard University Parking Services must receive the requests a minimum of ten days prior to the event.
If multiple City of Cambridge Street Occupancy Permits are required for the same event, please see the fee scale below:
- 1 permit = $50
- 2-5 permits = $100
- 6-10 permits = $150
- 11+ permits = $200
Parking Services provides the following services with each permit request:
- Receives and reviews the initial request and submits via the City of Cambridge on-line request system.
- Receives approved permit PDF from the City of Cambridge and forwards to the requester via email.
- Checks signage daily, beginning three days prior to the event through the day of the event to ensure signage is posted properly, and coordinates with the City of Cambridge to replace any missing signage.
- Contacts the Cambridge Police Department if illegally parked vehicles are interfering with an event.
- Coordinates payment to the City of Cambridge.
- Forwards a final invoice to the requesting department and arranges for final inter-departmental billing.