The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is one of the oldest and most distinguished biological research institutions in the United States, founded in 1888. Its mission has always been to bring scientists together in summer to work on shared problems — the annual influx of researchers from universities around the world gives Woods Hole its distinctive intellectual character in July and August.
The MBL's Lillie Research Building houses a small museum tracing the history of the institution, with exhibits on the scientists who worked here and the discoveries they made. The library, one of the finest in biology, is open to visitors. Walking through the campus in summer, you are likely to encounter scientists from a dozen countries engaged in lively debate about squid neurons or cell division.