Reviews of International Museum of Surgical Science. (Museum) in Chicago (Illinois).

International Museum of Surgical Science

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Museum

Science museum

1524 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60610, United States

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Information of International Museum of Surgical Science, Museum in Chicago (Illinois)

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Reviews of International Museum of Surgical Science

Megan Ng

One of the more lesser known museums, but I had the wonderful opportunity to explore this gem during Open House Chicago! The architecture inside and outside the building is beautiful and I feel like it’s very easy to overlook this building as an apartment complex. There are about four floors filled with medical devices and illustrations from history and you can learn a lot here! It was a lot bigger than I had imagined, but the gift shop is small. So many physical displays here and they have an apothecary tucked away on the ground floor! I have it pictured below with the model of the guy (which was kind of creepy tbh, but cool nonetheless). I’m so glad this museum gets to call Chicago home :)

Susan Marshall

Loved this museum! It's not interactive, lots of reading, but so interesting with very neat artifacts and artwork and it's housed in a very cool historic mansion. My 18 year old daughter and I had a great time. Probably not a great choice for younger kids. If you're a science or medicine nerd, it's awesome!

Ruth Elizabeth

This was sooo cool. Beautiful building and interesting exhibits. On the smaller side with a lot of reading, but if you like vintage architecture and macabre medical history this museum is worth a visit. Even the Gift shop was awesome!

Debra LaRocco

I came here for a story telling event. My friends and I were able to walk through the museum a bit. It's a bit creepy, but so interesting. The old architecture is gorgeous. I'd definitely go back and take in more of the exhibits.

Personality X.

Very educational place. There are alot of topics that are covered that are very interesting and gave me a great understanding of how far we have come as a society in refference to modern medicine. The areas that are primarily covered in the museum are Europe, America, and Asia. In spite of the Egyptians being pretty famous for surgeries such as dental work, there's not really a lot of information provided on behalf of Egyptians. But I understand to a certain degree. Because the museum is very artifact display driven. All in all, it was a very interesting place to visit. It's 4 floors of material by the way.

Yulia Gulay

I am a healthcare worker and was curious to visit this place. Peculiar place with special vibes. Gave me that inexpressible feeling of time travel back to the tough but brilliant past of medical science. Spent there slightly more than one hour to see the main exhibition. Good way to finish weekend Chicago trip.

Amanda Rose

One of the lesser known Chicagoan museums that everyone should know about. Museums are supposed to get people talking about the exhibit and that’s what exactly happened. My friend and I had a ten minute conversation about the healthiest countries. Also, for the ghost hunters on google, try the basement. Another goer was super excited to show me her photo which looked like a hand reaching out to her.

Olivia

A really nice museum to visit!! Lots of interesting information to take in. They don't have public parking, so you'll have to find a garage or another option nearby. The walk to the museum is right along the water. Highly recommend!

Timothy Wise

Top 5 places to visit in Chicago. I can't believe how quiet and impressive this museum is. So much history and information available! The gift shop has some super cute stuff too but don't miss the bone crusher that was used to set limbs straight, it's in a display on the stairs and it's worth pondering!

Michael S. Copeland

I was there for the lecture from Kathleen Gallo. I cannot explain how intricately amazing her work is. It is really awe inspiring. Her lecture was captivating and extremely interesting. This young woman is someone to follow. She has a great bright future ahead of her. She has accomplished so much already.

Trish Pruis

Unique and interesting museum on the history of surgical science. Especially appreciate the call outs about women in STEM! Also appreciated the hand lotion in the bathrooms.

Ali Khan

Very run down and old. This place is depressing and smells ancient. The artifacts don't make up for it but has some cool info.

Abe H

Niche museum. Interesting for those who are into medical history. The museum is mostly a collection from one man: Dr. Max Thorek. He commissioned multiple art works. It also housed art works by Gallo. A few exhibits on Taiwan and Japan surgical history. Fairly compact. Easy to get to (CTA bus 151). Friendly staff.

The Scentuary

I was an Honoree at a gala. The event was awesome! This location was quite interesting & engaging. We had use of the entire museum; beautiful (antique) architectural features. The rooms are large; space for staging/decor/theme concepts; good lighting; ltd street parking; garage space nearby. Ask about use of the elevator. Staff is accommodating.

Liv C

One of the few museums open during my visit and I was pleasantly surprised. Didn’t realize how huge this place is! It’s architecturally beautifully with 4 floors of exploring. It’s very vintage and old school - great for photos AND learning. I’m not into museums really but I really enjoyed this multi-level diverse museum. It has a lot of great info that you wouldn’t normally even think of. The last level was a nice surprise too with abstract-y art. The front gift shop was very relaxed and their prices were reasonable. We got our tickets on Groupon for cheaper before heading in though.

Ben Lobo

Great experience and worth a visit. Street parking is available nearby. Take your time to read the descriptions of the paintings. Lots of medical history to be learned.

Lou Donkle

Surgery yes, but so much more; radiology, optometry, dentistry, anesthesia, … And great information about SMALLPOX and civilization going back 10,000 years.

Scott Myers

Great museum and something off of the beaten path. Very interesting look at medical and surgical history.

Stefanie King

Loved it! Lots medical history and science. It's a very interesting unique place. Takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to walk through and look at all the exhibits. Decently priced, and they also have an iron lung too.

Alexander Parson

Interesting, alot of nice and lively paintings, great sculptures of ancient doctors.. i enjoyed and recommend to others if you're in merical field and happen to be in the area.

Archit Jha

🩺🥼4 floors of historical surgical exhibits on display in a warm setting with windows overlooking the lake. For people in the field of medicine and surgery and others alike, this museum is an opportunity to immerse in the history. It fairly well maintained and exhibits are engaging. General admission is $17 for adults but you can get discount coupons on Groupon.

Neil Hilborn

What a delight! I love smaller and more eclectic museums, and this one has a great combination of artifacts and oddities. The staff is friendly and the building is gorgeous. It's not for the faint of heart, but if you're a weirdo like me this is rad.

Dave Harlan

This was a really fun museum. The treppanated skulls and wacky medical gadgets were my favorites. It’s not very large and is probably a 90 minute visit at most.

Nat Werth

The gift shop is on point, but the exhibits could use some updating.

Kate Samworth

I enjoyed it, but the really interesting stuff could probably fit into a quarter of the space.

Rivka

We had two wonderful tours here with the unparalleled Fabrizzio, who was very knowledgeable, friendly and engaging with kids and adults. This museum is a treasure trove of history, science, art, culture, sociology and more...My kiddo *asked* for a membership there. We will be back many more times!

Manar Daghash

My husband and I took our wedding pictures here and they turned out absolutely beautiful! We rented out the space for an hour and the staff was very accommodating and welcoming. They made sure we were doing okay and helped us around the space! The museum is absolutely beautiful and its quite interesting!

erin cavanagh

Daughter and her friend loved it. It is inspiring for 16yr olds! Plenty to see! Donations accepted. No tickets or notice. Not busy on a Sat.

Jason Caternolo

It's an interesting place to visit, has three floors, originally built as a house for a wealthy family it has now turned museum dedicated to surgical science. Lots of medical tools, medicines, specimens from many years past. Some of the paintings need some care as they are starting to crack and peel. A couple of modern art spaces on the 3rd floor tying into medicine in some way.

gina ursino

great history and very unique historical apparatus. I also loved that it was self guided so you could go at your own pace and look at things as quickly or in depth as you wanted too. they also have the coolest baseball jersey shirts to buy to state that you were there

Ancy Cruz

It's an amazing place. You will learn a lot here.

Doug van Dyke

I've lived in Chicago for over 25 years and didn't even know this place existed. My niece, a nursing student, came to visit and suggested we check out IMSS. It was fascinating! Don't be deceived by the outward appearance of size. This former home to Eleanor Robinson Countiss holds 4 floors of densely organized exhibits, including one about the history of the mansion and its former residents. Walking in I silently thought we would be there for an hour at the most. We left three hours later. The museum also makes known connections with another Chicago name, Dr. Max Thorek, who founded the International College of Surgeons with the museum's humble beginnings in the college's Hall of Fame. The history held here spans from ancient Egypt through to modern times. The exhibits are a bit old school with no real interactivity in the contemporary sense. But they are meticulously displayed, labeled, and maintained. Another significant surprise the the amount of *art* on display, from pencil drawings, to busts to larger-than-life sculptures, to wall-sized painting. Indeed, it makes sense as art -- particularly painting and drawing -- would have been the only way to depict surgical procedures prior to the ages of photography and video. All the art is breathtaking and surprisingly intimate. The gift shop is tiny -- a single, small room mostly taken up with a desk and some display cases. Nevertheless, the items for sale are clever and unique and will lighten your wallet significantly if you're not careful. This is a hidden gem in this city of excellent museums. Be sure to check out the museum's website where you'll find a lot of surprising information about the museum's art residency, NASA learning camps, internships, hosting events, alongside the usual info about exhibits, maps, etc. Whether you're into medicine and science or not, you'll find this a fascinating way to spend a couple hours on a weekend afternoon!

Forrest Lloyd

Definitely worth a visit! Learned a lot and was able to see tons of interesting medical tools and paraphernalia from the past. To top it off the museum is housed in a beautiful historic mansion that has been restored wonderfully.

Mohannad

A nice presentation of the history of Medical sciences. I enjoyed seeing the old tools being used, but felt like the presentation could have been done differently. Regardless they have many cards explaining everything clearly. Also, their new contemporary art exhibit is pretty strange, sort of scary, and not needed.

Alex

One of the most unique museums in the Chicago area. Tucked away on the edge of Goldcoast and Lakeshore Drive the surgical science museum offers a trip through time of surgery. Its held in an old house (a very nice one I might add) and occupies about 4 floors. The jar of gallstones was one of the most intriguing of the exhibits. Worth checking out.

Sy Guzman

Museum is well worth a visit but I will throw caution at anyone with a weak stomach. The old OB/GYN medical tools were sick! We've come a long way from devices that look to be more pain-inducing than pain-relieving! As far as parking, I parked at the Chicago History Museum Parking lot and walked across Lincoln Park to get to the Surgical Museum (about 10 minute walk). Show your school or military ID and get a discount on your ticket.

Megan Matthew

Very interesting museum! lots of medical history. Feel like most people would enjoy even if you weren't in a medical background. Would highly recommend checking it out! They have a small gift shop, with some cool medical/biology/science-y things. On tuesdays (I think) Illinois residents get free entry. Otherwise, bring your student ID and there's a discount. Accessibility: There is an accessible entrance around to the side of the building. It seemed like hardly anyone used the elevator - it's incredibly old and you need to ask the person working to show you how to use it. It also seemed narrow, so I would call ahead before visiting.

Vanessa Armand

I've lived in Chicago my whole life and never knew this gem was here. It ain't no MSI, but if you are at all interested in medicine or scientific advancements or history, this place is a must-see. Between the location, historical building, its history, the exhibits, and the omg-hilarious-yes-i-must-have-this-(insert organ)-plushie gift shop, this place is a great way to spend 2 hours on a Sunday.

Jen T

A nice little museum to stop by if you’re around. Staff was very friendly.

Melissa Amarís Knowles

Lovely, quaint place with lots of cool surgical-science-historic bits and pieces. Second visit did not dissapoint

Radu Mondescu

This is one of the truly hidden gems in Chicago - a very peculiar museum theme if not for some mildly disturbing :-) artifacts and stories ( check for ads of early uses of the x-rays) located in one of the architecturally meaningful old mansions along the Gold Coast. When in doubt the wonderfully helpful and extremely knowledgeable staff will clear-up your confusions!

Angie Venturi

I can't say enough good things about this museum! I loved all the artifacts and displays and will be going back for sure. There is so much to see and learn. Apple users, there is an app you can download to give you more information about the house, family who lived there, and the displays. Android users, the app isn't in the play store, but they have iPhones at the front desk that you can borrow!

Natalie

Really nice extensive 4 story museum. A lot of themed spaces, dedicated to different specifications, as well as a lot of curated pieces. The tiny shop has cute finds as well (reasonably priced microbe plushies) Recommended.

Liz Neuman

I really enjoyed the exhibits at this museum. They had great paintings, and artifacts, and paired them well with written text to help really bring to life the history of the museum. The staff was slightly aloof, however, and the building gives off a little bit of a creepy vibe. If you have any interest in surgical history or just want to kill an hour learning something new - this place is the place to be!

John Wittenbraker

This place was interesting, curation and display quality was a little dated. Mutter Museum in Philly is a 5 star medical museum…this place is a solid 3.

Bettina Appleberry

Love this place! A yearly trip for my medical assistant students. A wealth of history in the medical field

Keara Booth

This museum was informative and interesting! Great spot to check out if looking for a short day activity. I was surprised by the amount of art. There were many paintings portraying medicine and the historic practices included in the museum - definitely a value-add!

Mark Bovit

Very interesting experience. Could be considered kinda creepy if you are not a health care professional or interested. Definitely pretty old and worn. It is definitely worth a visit if you have interest in Healthcare history

Geraldine Walter

InFormative ,interesting and a nice way to pass a couple of hours. It gives a short history of surgery and notes some modern surgeons. We enjoyed seeing the exhibits. The building is an old Lakeshore Drive mansion that is nice to see. All in all a nice extra attraction in Chicago. It is only about a 20 minute walk from the Drake Hotel

Tony G.

My wife and I took a snow day and turned it into an exertion to this gem. The building itself is a great place to explore but the content makes it worth the trip.

Mery Garcia

It was so informative. Their featured exhibit brought tears to my eyes. I will definitely be returning to see what new exhibits they bring. I do wish it was bigger.

Ciera Langhorne

A very unique experience. Not good for kids or those with a weak stomach. Great for those interested in wierd stuff and history as well as medicine. The building the museum is housed in is gorgeous.

Monica Galang

Definitely worth a visit. I am intrigued by vintage pharmacy products. I think I took 50 photos. I will return to see new exhibits.

Lauren Barone

The building is fantastic. It’s so incredibly beautiful. I wish I was the og owner. In terms of the museum, it’s cool but only a while in great while thing.

kim jim

Small building (used to be an old house) and small selection of objects within each section, however it was a very cool place, especially if you have an interest in medicine.

Monica Carrillo

A MUST if visiting Chicago. Beautiful, fancy interior. The second/third floors have a nice view of the lake. Everything in the museum is extremely intriguing. Highly recommend to anyone who loves medicine/surgery/anatomy. Really really cool

Jake Reaves

Really interesting and unique museum! Free for IL residents every Tuesday. Residing in an old mansion on Michigan Ave, you feel like you’re stepping into a time machine filled with medical artifacts and exhibits

Brian R (NaturalMagic)

Super interesting. Be warned, lots of stairs. Probably not great for little kids. A lot of reading and while I didn't feel like any of the exhibits were really graphic, I could see a couple being an issue. Loved that they acknowledged Nursings contributions.

Leslie V

I would recommend this museum for anyone wanting to catch a glimpse inside the world of medicine, nursing, pain, and anesthesia. This place is on the smaller side and I would allot for 2 hours to thoroughly explore the exhibits.

Sean Corbett

Great stop, lots of interesting perspectives on science and medicine spending the past few hundred years. Check out the Napoleon death mask on the top floor!

Bipul Pandey

We went there during the open house. The place is very well maintained and is a treasure trove of interesting , weird and sometimes scary medical history fact. If you want to see all the exhibits in detail, it is going to take you at least 2-3 hours. This museum is definitely a must go if you are in the city.

Jayan Pari

Wouldn't recommend for people in non medical background unfortunately. Or at least go with someone who is one. Some exhibits were interesting and accompanied with videos or fact charts. The country based ones were closed when we were there. There was a special exhibit by the National Holocaust museum which was pretty intense. Definitely not for weak hearted.

Google User

This museum seems really neat, but is actually missing a lot. Location and building are awesome. Parking is absolutely terrible. Cost is really high - $17 per adult. You could totally walk right in though, only one staff member in the whole place, and it's a young girl manning a scanty "gift shop" with barely anything for sale. Once you get inside, it becomes apparent that the museum is extremely lacking. Exhibits have barely anything to look at. The whole thing is like this. Some rooms are almost entirely empty. Then there's an entire room devoted to ....Taiwan? And it goes into thorough detail about surgeons from there and how many degrees they hold and important jobs they have blah blah. It was seriously weird and unwarranted. I couldn't see how that connected to the rest of the museum at all. It was more like a donor wall (except none of these people made donations from what I could tell). A lot of descriptive plaques for exhibits were missing. I had no idea what I was looking at. Just...sad. So much good stuff, but displayed so poorly. I would not come back. I was excited but got let down. I don't even remember what I saw there...nothing was memorable other than how lacking it was. I get the impression that 1) the museum is under the control of someone who doesn't really care and 2) the museum is in financial trouble and won't be around much longer.

Tom Z

I learned so much and I’m so grateful for modern medicine after my visit to the International Museum of Surgical Science!

Nikolina Erickson-Gunther

Amazing, gorgeous hidden gem - informative and well curated. Takes longer to walk through than you might expect - budget about 2 hours.

Kaylah Johnson

This was a cool place to visit. I liked that it wasn't super busy so I got to spend time at all of the exhibits. There's a lot of stairs so bring comfy shoes.

Elianny Salcedo

This museum is small but they have a great selection of artwork and artifacts that depict the history of Surgery. My favorite display was the iron lung that was used for kids with polio. I also really enjoyed reading about the use of chloroform as a form of anesthesia, prior to this doctors would perform surgeries and amputations without anesthesia. They also had a cool replica of an Apothecary pharmacy. Regular admission is $18 for adults, they have lower prices for students and seniors. If you're into learning about the evolution of medicine this is a great museum.

Cynthia Fitzpatrick

It's a small museum, but has enough artifacts and art to keep you busy for a few hours. There is no parking lot or structure that I was able to find. Friendly staff.

Mahdi

Nice place but "price"/"what you expect from a museum" was high!

KarlD

Lot of medical history up to the early 20th century, mostly surgery, but some other health professions. Nice century-old pharmacy.

Anna Kaczmarek

I’m a doctor myself so I found it extremely interesting to learn a bit more about the history. The place is great !

Maya

Interestingly unique museum. Conveniently located near CTA route 151. There were some areas where I would've like to have seen more detail. There was an area with paintings of what seemed to be people of Eastern Indian descent performing medical procedures...but no explanation on what was being depicted. I especially enjoyed the display of patent medicines; the things we will do for the "perfect cure." I was also astonished by the fish bowl of various gall stones! I also appreciated the sculpture of Nobel prize worthy woman of science & medicine...Marie Curie.

Ooga

4 floors! Very interesting. Though the parking is non-existant. I didn't even try parking close to the buildin. I just drove around aimlessly looking for public parking. The closest one is a valet parking. The museum also offers some contemporary art installations. If I'd ask for one thing I'd hope to see some actual human cadavers and more information on that.

Tom Vespa

Very interesting museum. Well worth the stop.

Kanoko Higurashi

Amazing! Went around noon and it was pretty empty and the exhibits were interesting and informative.

Chloe Thonus

Underrated gem of Chicago, this museum reveals a lot about the history of medical science and the pioneers of the field. They have old prosthetics, glasses, an iron lung, old diagnostic equipment, it really makes you appreciate the wonders of modern medicine.

Bryan

Great place with great staff of the front desk! If you want to learn about some history, I would recommend coming here.

Amber Wedig

Very neat stuff, but it suffers a bit from having huge walls of text to read in some exhibits without a lot of tangible items to view. Overall very interesting. We spent about two hours here to see everything.

kristina reed

This is a truly unique collection of art and artifacts. I reside in Detroit and after a trip to Chicago a friend asked if I had visited. Since i had never even heard of it i made a trip back within a few months to check it out. It was totally worth it. There are multiple floors but the top floor gallery felt as though they ran out of ideas. There were a few anatomical posters just taped on the walls which struck me as strange when comparing to the first two floors which had jawdropping displays. Overall I enjoyed my experience. It's definitely worth checking out!

Morgan McIntyre

This museum was SO COOL.

Don Goldberg

Fascinating. A must-see for anyone in the medical field and those who want to better understand how surgery and medicine have evolved over the years.

jordans92169

There were many exhibits fun and educational. Some were out right creepy! Medical history is kinda dark and twisted.

Fee Li

Go to groupon to get a deal on tickets, the museum is worth it very informative

Liz Barnhart

This place is super cool, and the building is beautiful. Highly recommend if you're in the area!

Kyle Neely

Great museum. Spent about 90 minutes there.

Saunter Berry

Extremely well maintained museum for the eclectic taste of someone interested in surgical science. The establishment definitely feels like a classic museum, with replicas, or actual artifacts from surgery history all displayed behind glass cases with loads of information to peruse. I brought a medical illustration student here, and they were so excited they talked about it the whole day, before and after. It definitely speaks to that sort of audience. What not to expect from this place, is gorey displays or shock value, this is actually a museum, it's not an amusement park. But go into it expecting to learn, and you'll definitely come out rewarded.

David Horowitz

What a great and worthwhile way to spend a few hours. This is a hidden gem that I would highly recommend you find some time to check out. The museum is laid out over four floors and is organized in an interesting and engaging way. It's relaxing and rich with information and exhibits that are educational, interesting and insightful.

B Lyons

This museum is definitely unrated. You will learn all kinds of different things. And it's a big museum with 4 floors of Information. Only thing is it's hot. The building is old so air conditioner is limited. I would suggest going on a cool day and there is no parking garbage for this museum. Park on north and wells and walk over. But great place to go, small gift shop as well.

Rae Stivers

Free admission for Illinois residents on Tuesday! Very cool place. Good spot for those interested in medical history or the macabre. 3 stories of surgical history!

Chris Arnett

This was a pretty interesting museum. The exhibits are well kept and laid out nicely.

Eric Mathiasen

It's interesting, but just like American health care, it's overpriced for what it is.

joey zheng

The museum wasn’t pretty empty when I went. There are bathrooms on multiple floors for east access. The toilets were a good height and the rooms were clean. I had a good poop because of how quiet the place was. Exhibits were fine.

Roy Huang

Very much interesting place to go visit in Chicago. Educational and fun. No need to buy tickets online. You can only get student tickets at the museum. There was a small line to buy tickets when we visited. We got student tickets for $13 per person.

John Goldes

There was some interesting items to view. However the admission at $18 was way, way overpriced.

Chuck

really interesting museum if you're into medical history. The only things I didn't like is it seemed cramped and not much order to the museum. And the 4th floor art exhibit didn't really fit in with the museum. It would be better to spread out some of the other things or expand upon them with that space.

T Zwerling

Fascinating museum. If you are looking for something off the beaten path and have an interest in the medical sciences, this place is for you.

Wend Webb

Always have and always will love this museum! Such an educational and informative tribute to medical and surgical history. Not a large museum but definitely well put together in a beautiful space. Lastly, the young chap at the register was an absolute delight!!! He was welcoming, enthusiastic, and genuinely a joy to interact with 😊 …

Benji Tomlinson

Pretty cool place. You have to check it out.

Mark Grooms

Worth the visit! Our favorite museum in Chicago!

Jennifer Stump

Had a great visit. Staff was friendly. The exhibits and art were interesting. If you work in the medical field or have an interest in the history of medicine, this is a great place to visit.

Alex Garcini

A surprisingly large amalgamation of fascinating art, oddities, and paraphernalia that document the history of modern surgical medicine (and a great deal more). Definitely worth a visit, even if you wouldn’t consider yourself a science geek. Some of the text associated with the exhibits is a little outdated and could use a refresh, but a wonderful collection nonetheless

Brian Montana

A great museum to visit, weird personality and an artist in residency program 🤩 …

Alissa Svistchov

Visited on a Sunday. It was a really nice experience, we bought the tickets online in advance which was convenient for us. Loved the museum, it is on the smaller side but very informative. The lighting is good and a really nice view can be seen from the windows looking out towards the lake. Staff were friendly and helpful(covid precautions were taken seriously). Would recommend this for any Med students or people interested in learning about the past and present of medicine(not solely surgery). Had an amazing time, learned a lot, it was absolutely worth it.

Celeste McGrogan

This is the perfect visit during COVID times. It is quiet, not too busy (even on the weekends), and you still get to see some pretty cool items. One of the main halls and gallery was closed while we were there for I think a photo shoot. I totally understand why people would want to book the hall but a bummer. Also, the app is a great resource but instead of bringing me more into the exhibits, it took me away because it resets every time you move throughout the app and there were no voice recordings to help keep items involved. Even a description of the room or section and some high level artifacts would have made the experience 10x better. I also wish we could have seen more of the apothecary on the 1st floor. That was such a good exhibit (a little outdated). But I wanted to read more of the vials and learn more about the instruments. The house overall is amazing and I loved the apps ability to teach a little bit more about it.

Kris Kasprzak

We’re fortunate to live in times of modern medicine. The medieval tools of the past freaked me out. I highly recommend visiting this place

Carol Taglia

I love this small museum! Very informative and interesting!

Nick Christo

I was a bit skeptical when I walked in, but actually a pretty neat place. Easily can spend a good couple hours there if you read all the exhibits and learn a bit about medical history. The hall of murals is neat along with seeing some of the historical medical tools. However, I wasn't the biggest fan of the art feature on the top floor, but that's not a main feature to me. I don't know if I'd revisit. To me it feels like I've seen it all enough just visiting it once.

Amanda Azam

Worthwhile visit! Highly recommend. Highlights: iron lung, founding of anesthesia in Japan, and the section on surgical nursing. Student discount is available. Gift shop is novel

devin nissen

Super interesting weekend afternoon date spot. Lots of old medical instruments and equipment, paintings, photographs, bios etc. Check out the Jars of Gal stones... it is a 'must see' and 'never able to un-see' type of exhibit.

Jon Fogg

This is an under-the-radar kind of place to visit in Chicago. The collection of medical materials and equipment is eclectic and bizarre. Worth the trip for anyone interested in health/medicine.

andyetstillmore

Pro Tip: It's an old mansion with struggling A/C so if you're a sweaty mess from walking here I recommend starting at the top (hottest) floor and working your way down into the cool. Loved all the exhibits, especially the iron lung and the hall of weird statues deifying various medical figures. More places need larger than life white marble-esque statues of Ignaz Semmelweis. Plus the staff is super helpful and kind and the gift shop had those little plush diseases which are oddly fun.

Ahlive Tuhsidamaro

What a wonderful little find! In a beautiful 19th century Lakeshore Drive building designed for the education of future surgeons, this historical building educates about the history of surgery in a very ethical manner. It actually shows how very unethical the practice was not so long ago, but Surgeons around the world are constantly trying to improve their profession. Four stories of very interesting, not crowded, educational entertainment with a beautiful view of the lakefront. Be forewarned though, If you are disabled and cannot manage four flights of stairs, there is an “antique” elevator there that will be operated for you by the staff. I’m sure it would prove very interesting if I needed it. Definitely worth a stop and see!

Kevin Krayer

If you're a doctor, or better yet - a surgeon - then boy, is this the place for you! If you're a person just walking in off the street with a general sense of curiosity about medical procedures, you may find this enjoyable. If you're like me, who happened to have a 7yo kid in tow, looking to kill an hour or two, maybe consider other options. The building itself used to be a single family mansion, and honestly - the information about the history of the building is what I found the most engaging. It's a truly impressive piece of architecture. Beyond that, there are four floors of historical artifacts about medicine, surgery, X-rays, skulls, birthing, and more. Some rooms have cool old machines that look like something out of a 50's era science fiction movie. Other rooms have giant, creepy paintings of people (doctors?) doing disturbing things to other people (patients?). Some of these paintings are extremely graphic. I actually rushed my son away from several of these paintings. There was a strange art gallery on the top floor, with a theater playing an odd video on a loop. It didn't have much explanation, and didn't seem to fit with the rest of the exhibits. There was a hall of giant statues, and nothing else. The most charming room was tucked away in the back of the first floor - an old fashioned pharmacy, complete with a wooden pharmacist who spoke when you pushed a button. Again, my kid thought it was creepy and wanted to leave. In summary, your overall enjoyment of this museum will be tied entirely to your interest in medical history. There's not much else there. The gift shop at the start had some strangely kid friendly toys, though from personal experience, I would not recommend bringing young kids to this museum. We were in and out in about an hour, and for my son - that was 30 minutes too long.

Dannee

This was such a fun and unique experience. Beautiful interior full of wild and crazy historical instruments, displays, and more. Not for the squeamish but nothing too crazy. If you have any interest in medicine, science, and/or history definitely check this out.

Jennifer Pennington

The house and the Museum collection are both worth the visit. The house is a beautiful old mansion on the lake. The collection of medical and surgical devices and the stories they tell are so interesting. The docents were friendly and helpful. The building still has the original, working elevator, which I was able to use because I have trouble with the stairs. Don't forget to visit the gift shop!

Cameron Battagler

It was extremely interesting to walk through, I wish there were more details around the exhibits to read and learn about but it genuinely didn't detract. Took about 45 minutes to go through and on the Sunday morning there was only 5 other people in the whole building. Fun to look at if you are into medical history.

Neha S

The Museum is located in Northern Chicago and it in a nice building that used to be a home. It has 4 floors of exhibits and ranges from all of the different body systems and includes antique medical tools and supplies and various paintings and the history of medicine. It was interesting, but I would not recommend this place to someone who is not interested in the medical field. I went using a Groupon and I am glad I used that deal because I don't think it was worth the actual admission price. Overall, good way to spend about an hour or two if you are looking for something to do.

Chelsea Niemi

Interesting museum. Lots of reading, which I'm fine with, although the explanations for a few things are blocked by display cases and other objects. There's also a surprising lack of explanations for most of the objects on display - you're told what they are, but not what they're for or how they're used. The exhibits feel rather sparse, and despite having 4 floors you'll see everything in an hour or two. This also makes the normal entry fee feel steep, although Illinois residents get in free on Tuesdays. Overall, not a terrible museum, but definitely a place you only need to go once.

Bobby Baer

If you're looking for something different to do in the city look no further. After having visited the other main museums dozens of times when visiting the city this was a very unique change of pace. They have a wide array of medical tools and artifacts and I learned quite a bit. It's crazy to see how much progress we have made in just the last 100 years in medicine. They also had a really cool modern art exhibit on the top floor of the museum which was very unique.

Bonnie Watt

I was charmed by this museum when I visited during Open House Chicago. They had a really interesting exhibit on Japanese medicine... back in 2018. I also enjoyed all the gory past of surgery. The building itself lovely and has a great tall staircase. If you’re a medical professional I’d highly recommend a visit, but even if you’re not it’s pretty interesting! It isn’t the easiest place to find, but if you follow google maps you should be good. Just know there’s not much signage!

Tim Disher

This was definitely a... quirky... museum. Although it was focused around surgery it still felt somewhat eclectic -- there was a room dedicated to eye wear and a few that were exhibits to seemingly random countries surgical history. Plus some odd modern art type stuff. It was still very interesting, and we had a great time! Maybe not the first choice of museum in Chicago, and not large enough to dedicate a full day to exploring, but if you're nearby and have any interest in the medical field, it's worth stopping in for an hour or two.

Neil K

This is a pretty interesting and educational museum on all sorts of medicinal, historical, and scientific information. It did feel a little underwhelming but it has enough to keep you entertained for a couple of hours, nothing too out of the ordinary here. Wouldn't really recommend it for kids as it doesn't have too much for them but if you're studying or practicing in the medical field, you will have a lot of fun here. Also, the admissions office can easily be skipped here as there is no one that works here that checks if you actually paid to get in or not so I don't know how they overlooked that here.

Tatiana Shevchuk

My 16-years old and I have learned a lot visiting this museum. It is small but have amazing showpieces. If you or your kids have interest in medical fields, visit this museum.

KC

Definitely an underrated experience in this busy Chicago neighborhood. We stumbled upon this museum while we got lost headed towards Navy Pier and we loved it! At the time, my brother was considering going into medicine, so it was really nice to explore the timeline and evolution of surgical medicine. It was really easy to navigate, didn't take a whole lot of time and was in a perfect location to keep the tourism momentum going!

Mikie Hernandez

4.5 really, but that isn’t an option and the issues I’ll mention don't warrant leaving only 4. TLDR: This museum is small but very interesting. Majority of the exhibitions are antiques, paintings and some dry specimens. Space is cozy and stunningly beautiful. -Biggest issue is the lack of proper labeling for many exhibition spaces. As for the ones that are labeled, the numbering system is fairly convoluted.- Full review: So I went on a Tuesday and it was fairly empty, which is a shame because this museum is bloody brilliant. The exhibition spaces aren’t over crowded and the educational reading is fairly thorough. The only real issue (mentioned above) is, many of the pieces aren’t labeled at all, have numbers but no board to go with those numbers or some pieces in the space do and some have nothing at all. This is almost understandable because the I would imagine they don’t have the resources or budget of the big powerhouse museums, it’s just slightly frustrating at times. It’s four floors, stairs between each floor (didn’t see an elevator) but they aren’t bad at all. The quality of the exhibits as well as the items on display is exemplary. The gift shop in really small but VERY reasonably priced. All In all, very much worth a visit, if you go on a free day make sure you grab something for the gift shop (I got a hoodie lol) or drop something in the donation box, every little bit helps.

Anjali Patel

I went there for a field trip. It was a pretty cool museum. In my opinion, there were some boring exhibits and there were interesting ones. This museum is not recommended if you are looking for something that is hands on. What disappointed me the most was that I was supposed to experience a live amputation. I thought it was going to be a video. But, it really turned out to be one of my classmates sitting in a chair while a lady took a plastic knife and motioned how the leg would have been amputated. Such a disappointment.

Justin Steele

If you are involved in the medical field this is à great place to go to see how far we as a species have come.

Melissa Sanchez

Awesome! There are four floors within this museum - the top 3 have informative readings on the walls as well as instruments that was used back in the day. Really large building that seems more like a mansion than a museum in terms of the feel inside of the place. Beautiful furnishings inside. I loved my time here, especially since i love the uniqueness of the place.

M Piel

Very interesting museum with fascinating exhibits. Magnificent building and architecture. Only negative was that the gal at reception desk/ gift shop was quite rude..seemingly bothered by our group interrupting her to purchase tickets. Other volunteers we encountered were very friendly. I'd still recommend this museum....

Jennifer Nichole Leach

Incredibly interesting and very beautiful manison.

Nely Ruiz

I had honestly never heard of this museum. Very underrated but inhad such a good time. My sister wants to be a surgeon and this really inspired her and motivated her to keep studying. I learned a lot.

jane val

Going to school in the medical field, or just Interested in the history of Surgical Science? Then this museum is a must for you! I did not even know of it's existence until I was invited to a private VIP after hours event here. This is "North America's only museum devoted to surgery". Located on Lake Shore Drive in an architecturally gorgeous former mansion, with a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan, it is easy to pass by without knowing what a treasure of a museum awaits inside. When you enter the foyer, you are taken back to the early 1900's when the mansion was built, and marvel at the Italian marble, brass fixtures, stone fireplaces, limestone statues, and gilded metal staircase that have been preserved for us. The museum is 4 floors of Surgical artifacts, paintings, illustrations, murals, and sculptures. It is a museum dedicated to early treatments, discoveries, and successes that have led to how modern medicine is applied today. Make sure to visit the Early American Apothecary, the hall of statues, the eyeglass exhibit, the iron lung (this blew my mind) ,and the rare books display in the former study. There are also a lot of artifacts in cases such as amputation kits, and early x-ray machines. Don't miss the Nursing exhibit, it is an awesome tribute to the Nursing profession. There are paintings and murals throughout that depict some of the early practices of surgical medicine. Make it a point to read the large plaques that are installed on the walls behind the exhibits, they make it easy and more enjoyable to understand with all the information that they supply.

Prateek Srivastava

It's a 4 floor museum with quite interesting things on first and second floor. Overall it's a nice experience if you have some knowledge about medical practice. The shop is not that well equipped.. has very few options. Also prices are marked incorrectly so that was not a good experience. The place is located opposite to lake with not a very big board or sign. So it's difficult to spot. It's won't take more than 1 hr to cover the whole place.

Shelby Benedick

I came here on a school trip and can't wait to return here again to explore some more. It's a very interesting place, mostly for those interested in the history of medicine, but still an interesting place overall. The staff was friendly and well-educated about everything that we asked them. The location is great, and the view of the beach is amazing. The threw hour drive from Indiana was worth it. (Also, did anyone else get ghostly vibes from the building?)

Jess

Nice place to learn some history, especially if it’s not so nice weather wise out. They have an app you can download to do your own self paced walking tour. Some of the exhibits were cooler than others, would appreciate a few more videos or narration of some of the exhibits as you complete the walking tour.

Ethan

Very interesting little museum! Like others have said, there is a lot of reading but that brings depth and understanding to the whole experience. It's amazing to see how far we've come with the advancement of medicine and surgical science. Walking around the few floors of this museum made me feel thankful for the doctors and scientist who dedicated their lives to medical research so we all could live happier healthier lives.

brandon polk

Wonderful museum. Very informative and interesting material. Not nearly as crowded as most other museums in the city. Also much more oriented towards teaching adults compared to the other science museums.

Courtney N

Absolutely great way to spend a day or a weekend! This museum has so much cool stuff and I love it more and more every time we go

sri krishna Seshadri

One of a kind! It is definitely worth visiting if you are a fan of anything remotely related to medical sciences. The place can be definitely improved by adding a few interactive displays and more modern additions to the medical industry. It is still very much paintings and art than a medical museum.

Judy Simon

Amazing how science has progressed in the last 100 years. We went from barbaric procedures to high tech safe procedures and treatments. My hat is off to the brave, intelligent scientists who studied and developed medicine to give us the excellent care we have today.

Jessica Creager

This museum had a lot of reading about medical procedures, research, and issues. It is great to get a detailed overview of the history of medicine, and was an interesting read! The issue I had was that I usually expect a museum with items on display to talk about those items. For example, I would have liked to have heard more about the tongs they had on display that they said were used to help pull babies out during birth. They could have said not about how they were used, why they would be needed, and how often they would be needed for example. A lot of other items on display had even less information. I felt like the museum would be very interesting if I was a medical doctor who had some baseline knowledge about the tools. As a person with little medical knowledge the museum was a lot like reading a textbook. It was a nice amount of curated information but not really a museum in the traditional sense, in my opinion.

Tim Jensen

What an interesting museum in a fabulous lakeshore drive location (a fancy old home). They had skulls, bone saws, an iron lung, surgical equipment, crazy examples of misuse of x-ray technology. International contributions to surgical technology. The gift shop had some unique items as well (e.g. an eraser shaped like a pancreas).

Chris Cavin

Great museum at a reasonable price. Some new installations going in, so it was a bit rough around the edges. Still would recommend checking it out if you have any interest in surgical history.

William Waldron

Very interesting. If you have any interest in medicine then there will be a lot to learn. The museum is focused more on the history and less than how medicine works in modern times. It also focused on the science of medicine and not necessarily the education or training of doctors.

Anthony Salciccioli

Very eclectic, unique museum. It was part architecture, part medical oddities, part art museum, part homage to medicine, with a smattering of history. I want to comment how nice and considerate the young lady was who took our money at the door. She answered all our questions and made us feel welcome.

kelly ann

If you are into medical science then you should visit this magnificent place. If you aren’t into medicine professionally then you still should visit it. From ancient times to today’s modern technologies....this museum covers many aspects of medical field, including old fashioned apothecary with life size pharmacist doll who’s about to prescribe you one of those XIX century medication. 😁 Each room has a picture that tells the story of that room, about what’s been there before the museum took it over. And last but not least they have a gift shop that sells interesting stuff. Bottom line: I’m going to visit this museum when i will go to Chicago again

Will

I do not understand how his museum has a 4+ star rating. By no means is this museum a rip off. There is substance. However, the organization of objects and their description could be vastly improved. A lot of times I have to look for a description for an object, but have a hard time finding it. In addition, the interior and the display cases of the museum are old. The paintings and sculptures look low quality. Perhaps you can justify the quality of this was 8-10 dollars, but at 17, I do expect something better.

Wesley Davidson

My interest in medical/surgical history compelled me to go here, but I expected it would be a one-time visit since most of the collection stayed the same and it didn't have a huge footprint like many of the other Chicago museums. The visiting exhibits and the depth of information to explore has kept me coming back again and again. I'm always recommending this spot to people and realizing they didn't even know it existed. I hope interest in this spot grows so that it stays an important part of Chicago, particularly along Lake Shore Drive where overly touristy spots can be the norm.

Ed C.

Was ok, ran through it in like 40 minutes or so, some pieces are intresting but nothing worth dedicating a trip for, a place thats kinda just maybe worth checking out if youre really into surgery and are in the area for something else.

Alyssa Lopez

This is such an underrated gem in Chicago! As a nurse I love all things health related, and this museum is no exception. The building itself is stunningly pretty and there are plenty of parking options nearby.

Mark Takesuye

Four stories tall, filled with history of surgery. There is a creepy art gallery on the top floor and a study area on the third. Admission is reasonable, and it takes about 2 hours to see everything. This is not like the Mutter Museum or the Museum of death - you're not going to see bodies or gore, just instrumentation and medical advances as far back as the Egyptians. I would highly recommend this to pre-medical students.

Omar Barnhart

Exactly what you expect from a place like this. Great exhibit. Comparable to The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia but on a smaller scale. We got stuck in the elevator but managed to get ourselves out. Staff were super helpful and had a good sense of humor about the whole thing.

Tabitha Alford

This is a great museum to visit if you are remotely interested in medicine or dentistry. I've been to Chicago multiple times and didn't even know it existed until we found it on Atlas Obscura. It is definitely worth the visit and is in a beautiful historic building.

Me & Munchkin

This was educational ..... There were too many paintings and not enough photographs to make the experience seem realistic

Alison L

Very informative and just an awesome experience. Desk clerk was very friendly and greeted everyone w a smile. There is so much to look at and read. I loved it. A place for your coat..for free..that was nice. Aside from a few visitors that were loud and ignorant it was a pleasant experience. Also thought it was pretty neat that it used to be someone's house. The history in this place is literally through and through.

Alex Griggs

Historical medical instruments and equipment (also skulls, an old pharmacy, and jars of gall, bladder and kidney stones). I saw the eugenics exhibit here. I spent about 2 hours to go through the museum thoroughly on Friday afternoon in July. Not particularly mobility accessible (4 stories, tight rooms - this is an old house), though they do have an elevator that you can use with staff permission.

Jason Klein

What a cool gem we have here on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago! Unique museum that is highly educational. While there is LOTS of reading, there is also incredibly cool artifacts from 4,000 years ago to recent decades. If you think you've checked out all of Chicago's amazing museums, but have not yet been here--get in there!

Nasreen Moursi

This museum was interesting but just a little lacking. I love surgical and medicinal stuff, so seeing artifacts from earlier eras of medicine was cool and so was learning about the history of surgery. However, there were a few rooms that were clearly sponsored, as in they didn't have any artifacts. In those rooms, there was mostly large blocks of text about the history of some country's branch of the surgical organization that runs this museum. There were also too many large, amateur paintings of surgical historical figures. I wanted to learn about those people, but I'd rather see their work or their instruments along with a picture of them. I was expecting a science museum, but it was more like an art museum in that nothing was interactive. Everything was either reading text or looking at objects or paintings. I still learned a lot though, and had a nice time.

Juan Vazquez

The Museum it self is really great. Well laid out informative exhibits, both in terms of the science behind surgery but also the history of surgery as well. As a bonus the museum is housed in an old beautiful mansion along Lake Shore drive with some great views. Make sure to ask about the history behind the house, it is really great story.

Jessica Goldin

An overlooked treasure among Chicago's mega museums, the Museum of Surgical Science is dedicated to medical history. It's in an elegant old Gold Coast house along Lake Shore Drive. There's no available parking, so that's a drawback. Checking out its interesting exhibits will take you about 2 hours.

Megan Stephenson

I like this museum. It has very good exhibits on surgery, very detailed! The building is also gorgeous and worth going into. They have lots of artifacts and are a very good museum. The prices are a little costly, with it being $17 for an adult, but I would definitely come again!

Courtney Breining

Great display of medical and surgical history, informative and intriguing. Thankful for our current state of surgical advances. Worth the stop. Self-guided tour of four stories of a former home that is laden with gorgeous marble floors, wrought iron stair cases and an admirable library.

Corinna Young

This museum is like a Tardis, it's bigger than it looks, it feels like it is small but there is so much to see and learn, that you will be tired when you're done. Displays well thought out and very educational! This is definitely not a museum for children or the faint of heart. Highly recommend!

The Ben and Friday Show

Amazing collection of surgical and medical devices thank you for this amazing Museum Ben

Konrad Hughes

Great information and presentation, the staff was a little aloof though

Jessica Rauseo

This place was pretty awesome! LOTS of stuff to read so make sure you are prepared to stay for awhile. You learn and experience more the more you read. Interesting and educational displays, lots of history to learn, really cool collection of antique medical equipment like an iron lung, old surgical kits, original X-Ray machine, etc. Artist in residence room is a really cool touch. Highly recommend.

Brianne Stephan

Nice museum with some interesting exhibits, including a large section on opthamology. The displays can be a bit wordy. Though it is good information, be sure you give yourself enough time to get the most out of it. Small gift shop has fun items.

Gary Yan

I love my plague doctor plushie that I bought here. But medical history is interesting too

Rits M

Wowsa this place is COOL. I had no idea it existed and I came here to see an exhibit of paintings made from blood. Gory, I know but they were gorgeous pieces of art. Entrance is 15$ and there are 4 floors with historical and literary information about surgery from around the world as well as lots of exhibits. Nice to take your nerdy teen to!

Lizzy Reck

The museum was very interesting and easy to navigate. I loved learning all about the early years of surgery. However, trying to park was a bit of a pain.

Tariq Mufti

Great museum to visit and tour. Lays out the development of surgery from the very beginning to what it is now. I do have an issue with the chronological consonance with the layout. But still a great way to spend a couple of hours and learn something about what keeps us going.

Stephanie Lee

This museum might be smaller than other museums in Chicago. I learned so much in depth--thoroughly enjoyed. It might be too descriptive about surgical process of old times, but you get to appreciate what we have now.

Rachelle Billedo

This museum is a gem. It's definitely not your average museum. It has many oddities, but that's what makes it a unique experience. It has an exhibit that is very much like bodyworlds. It basically gives a medical and surgical history from the beginning of time. I love the building that it is in also. It has an old feel...

Grace Hall

Pretty expensive for the majority of the museum being pictures on the wall. It was interesting seeing all the old tools used and reading about the history of trial and error humanity has gone through to get our medical technology to where it is today. But I guess I was expecting more... especially for the price. There is a lot of stairs and rooms full of pictures and tools and things to read and that's about it.

Sarah Lee

Has so much interesting things! If you are more of a listener than a reader, I'd recommend taking the tour. Make sure to not miss the apothecary. It's a small building filled with great information with many tools and skeletons.

Sara Cherry

Wonderful hidden gem. Very interesting exhibits and friendly staff

Angelica Gonzales

A cool little museum that while small is fill with as much information and history that they can place in there. They also home a number of old surgical books that are just too interesting to not think on what's in them. This place was also a home and the museum has images of what the rooms used to look like back when it was actually a home.

Elias Miguel

Never thought I'd come but a lot of information and displays alot to see and alot to read it's amazing the history and photos yeah they charge for a walkthrough but if you're in the field of medicine I'd recommend it !

Mishawn Bryant

Easily one of Chicago’s hidden gems along the lakefront! I used to come every now and then during their free admission days and look at the exhibits. Parking can be tricky to find, but it’s not too hard to reach it using CTA instead. I also like that they change out the exhibits regularly so they’re not showing all the same stuff all the time.

Jairo Villa

Hidden treasure of Chicago! Wonderful little museum. Make sure you go on Tuesdays if you’re from Illinois so you can go for free. It’s not a big museum, probably about an hour worth of time. Unless your looking to hang out at the table in the library to work. 🤘🏼 …

Jil Patterson

Make sure you download the app when walking around the house. It knows which room you are standing in & gives you fun facts along the way! As a Dental Hygienist, I was most interested in the dental exhibit, but it turned out to be very underwhelming, just a small window to look into. LOVED apothecary exhibit! I have friends in all sorts of medical fields and loved sending them pictures of where their profession started.

Gene Mccormick

Fascinating museum!! Four floors housing seven surgical displays. Covers ancient times through present day. Tuesdays are free for Illinois residents. They also host a variety of events on site. Their collection of medical artifacts is impressive.

Vic Lam

Parking was difficult - had to park in one of the neighbouring apartment buildings - 8 min walk away - not a great option in the winter... if you want to come here - uber it or use public transit. Great for anyone interested in slightly morbid history and has a background in health sciences. We probably spent 1.5-2hrs there

DrM3DS

I went to this as an "exposure" which is an exposure where I learned many things about medicine mainly surgery. My group went in for free. I don't know if the adults had to pay for it or not but if it does, its worth it seeing real human bones and great statues of great men. If you enjoyed the review, click on the like button!!!

Katie Rodriguez

Very educational and fun museum. Great gift shop. Friendly staff.

Jessie Cruz

Great museum, full of interesting halls and seasonal exhibitions. The gift shop has very interesting products.

Valerie Ewing

I went here alone for my birthday and spent a solid six hours there just checking out all of the displays. Definitely worth the visit if you are into medical history and you aren't grossed out by the human body.

A Fredrickson

There are some really interesting things on display. I was bummed at the lack of appropriate preservation for many things. Though funding is always a challenge, considering the subject matter, in my opinion there could be more effort made. I also found myself wishing they explained things with general population audience in mind as well. Almost everything was labeled and written specifically geared toward medical/surgical field only. If you hadn't had exposure to this field of study, it might be difficult to grasp much of it.

Dr. Tim Heath, DC

Great step back into medical history. Well worth a visit

Jade Rockwell

Want to educate and creep your kids out at the same time, during this pandemic? Great! Come to this place. And they still use maggots today. Get ready for nightmares of the room full of surgical demons, I mean statues. 😃 …

Matt Slade

If you have any interest in medicine or are a medical person I would definitely take a visit to this museum if you were in Chicago.

John Collins

A wedding and reception was held here... very interesting

Mary Ann

What a great place to check out! Not only is their collection amazing, but the building itself is a perfect example of the grand architecture of the era. Each room is special, along with the collection on display. I left there amazed that anyone surgery back in the day!

Louie Playford

Stopped as someone who works in EMS and enjoys the weird and morbid. Honestly, was woefully underwhelmed. It was quality, with some cool artifacts, but fair warning, definitely not worth the regular admission price. Try to go on a discount day or free day.

Robert Cahill

Unbelievable information and unlimited pieces of historic medicine, instruments and machines

B. Booth

Interesting Museum to spend 2hrs which is what it will take to see everything. I wouldn't take kids. The museum exhibits are displays of instruments, descriptions of surgery and medical practices. There is also art with detailed or graphic depictions of surgery.

Caitlin C. Meeter

It's an okay museum. Not nearly as gory as you'd want it to be, but has fascinating old tools, some Florence Nightengale stuff. The old apothecary set up is rather interesting to see what they used to hand to people as medicine. The house itself is fascinating and formerly owned by a Chicago socialite (she did nothing for her money). The gift store has some cool stuff- cute organ plushies, fancy cuff links, not the usual array of gift store garbage. Worth a visit on a lazy afternoon.

Raquel Garcia

Loved it here! So much great antiques and informative! Love love!

Izzy Page

This place was super cool!! Gnarly bones and stuff. Plus an interactive room for kids. It's a little small, but the gift shop had some cool stuff. I was surprised by how inexpensive it was.

Allison

I loved this place! I work in Health Information Management and this was so informative and shows how we have definitely advanced. I highly recommend this museum to anyone interested in the medical world.

Malia Nichols

Such a cool place! There's so much to see here and it's so unique! The location is right new downtown Chicago, which was perfect, and they have a great student discount! Highly recommend, and will definitely be back!

Paul Masih Das

Fairly interesting place to visit. The exhibits are not very well organized and seem somewhat random but unique nonetheless.

Rob Cardeiro

This is a very interesting and good museum. You have to read a lot. The exhibits are informative and well-written. It took about 2 hours to get through the whole thing.

Rob walsh

Ok, in full disclosure, I am a surgeon. But if you have any interest in the history of medicine, this place is fascinating. The paintings and sculptures just take up space, but the exhibits are great! The Wound Healing exhibit documents things used throughout the ages. The Blood Transfusion show equipment used over the 2 centuries, before it was even safe! The X-ray machines (Roentgenograms) are frightening as how little controlled this was just 50 years ago (when they used them to size shoes!). It is best approached by bus coming up Michigan ave or down LSD. No parking anywhere near!

Arlena Hay

I love museums like this. Human anatomy/medical science is a huge interest of mine. The only downside to this museum is the size - I wish it were a bit bigger and that there were a few more exhibits particularly with specimens.

L Weintraub

Amazing museum. Extremely interesting exhibits. Definitely a hidden gem!

Danielle C

You are missing out if you do not visit on a day where they have a special themed event. Had the time of my life during their war medicine day!! I'm not even a medicine or war history fan. Thank you to all of the volunteers that really made that experience and brought the old sciences to life!

Christina Hernandez

Love the museum! But has anyone had a paranormal experience there? On the third floor when I was in the bathroom, I locked both and bottom locks on the inside of the womens bathroom and as I washing my hands the doors a jarred open...with upper lach out in lock position and bottom lock still in lock position. It was so bizarre. I even had my boyfriend open the door to teat out if it was possible to open it while locked. No. Just curious. Museum is great either way.

Amy G.

It was ok not great. I love medicine. I guess I just expected a little more. There were many display cases with numbers on different items. Then you had to look up at the wall and match the corresponding number and find out what the item was. A lot of good information though on the history of surgery

Stefan Hauge

This was a very thorough museum. Besides the medical art on display, there are many exhibits on various breakthroughs that follow the evolution of medical science.

Kevin Rey

Beautiful and fascinating. They threw an after hours event with free food and drinks, which was a great catalyst for getting people in the door. If you are at all interested in medical practice history, you have to check this out.

Lisa Quintana

This is such a cool little museum. So fun and interesting. The gift shop has some unique gifts. That alone is worth a stop in

Farida Islam

Visited on a Saturday afternoon. Enjoyed the exhibits on the fourth and third floors.

Erin Dashnaw

Oh man! This place was amazing! Pretty gross and extremely detailed, it's not for the faint of heart. Each exhibit is extremely detailed and the extra curricular shows are not to be missed.

Belle Lopez

Apothecary with Life-like Pharmacist, AND Napoleon's Death Mask is a MUST see. A ride in the original house elevator is a MUST do. Inspiring bust of intellectual LOUIS LINK who became a wrestler to capitalize on his acromegaly. Inspiring room of tattoo designs after mastectomy. Some get a much desired breast size. Some get tattoos (my first knowledge). House is much more interesting than the entire museum. Need modernization. Learn from Barcelona's Museum of Hemp to properly integrate historical house and museum. Anybody can read about history these days.

G G

I found it very interesting and educational.

Elaina Razo

I loved this museum - anyone with interest in medical history should visit. I learned some truly intriguing things and the building it is in is beautiful.

Matthew MacDougall

As a medical student, this place had great appeal. All expectations were met! It a very cool view of the history of medicine and I'm happy to have the museum in chicago.

Anna Bandana

A very interesting place in Chicago, worth checking it out! Probably won't impress any medical students but they have stuff historically used in medicine, like an actual iron lung! Free on Tuesdays, but donations accepted.

Sabrina Gutierrez

I recommend this unique museum for any Chicago Museum lovers. Those hiding treasures and the Gold Coast Chitown.

Ralph Martins

This is a nice little museum with some fascinating exhibits, but one does wish they'd make the text descriptions for each exhibit a little more readable. The way it is now, there's a lot of peering involved.

Hannah Seyller

Amazing museum! It’s small but so fun. Great exhibits. Fun to take people in healthcare to or anyone else!

Maddy Osman

In a category all its own is the International Museum of Surgical Science (a division of the International College of Surgeons). Although it might sound like the setting of a horror film, it is packed with a lot of cool exhibits that change frequently. Not to give away any spoilers, but expect quite a few, uh, unique examinations of the human body.

Mamie Mills

I've yet to attend a International Museum of Surgical Science event at Cal Academy thus far, so when my pal Kelly from The Workshop/Indie Mart hipped me to fact that her little operation would be partnering with the Academy for an evening of hip threads and wild animals, it was high time to embark on my maiden voyage.

Arika Kaosa

The museum sounded more interesting on paper than in person. It was a good place to check out vintage surgical instruments and machines. Otherwise, I was underwhelmed.

Alín Martínez

Amazing, it is like traveling in time. Except the modern exposition (located in the fourth floor) everything is very impressive. There are an app available only for apple devices to guide you during your visit.

Lkg Gal

Small but very informative. Placed in a Beautiful old house on Lake Shore drive. Alot of reading to get full effect so would not recommend younger children.

Ron B

The architecture, marble and aesthetics alone were breath taking. Every exhibit had intriguing information about the founders of medicine and surgury. Tuesday's is free for illinois residence. Parking discount for students.

Bonnie Moore

Enjoyed all the displays we were given a map to self guide us.. parking was easy to find but expect to pay 9-11.00 leaving the area was ok..loved being able to walk on Lake shore drive

Nastaja Vloglin

Really enjoyed this as a family outing. My daughter wants to be a doctor so this was so perfect for her. They do an awsome job at depicting medicine from the early years until now.

Bevan Jenkins

Loved this museum. Well laid out, and there was a lot of informative placards to read about the collections. Definitely recommend visiting.

John McGuinness

Very interesting and enjoyable. However, the museum was unbearably warm.

Victoria Cordero

We loved our time with my family here!

Propht Droid

Pretty neat, but I'm not sure that I'd spend $20 on it. Just not very big. Very specific demographic, but me and the other medical students I was with enjoyed ourselves.

Steve Mansee

There wasn't as much on display as I had expected, but what was on display, yikes!, it made me damn glad for 21st century medicine. Also serves as a very unique concert/event venue.

Jill H

There are some exhibits of old equipment, statues and paintings. Not all of the cases are labeled well. There was a case with skulls and tools but no information on what's what. A lot of reading is involved.

Noelle Holly

As a medical geek I truly enjoyed the museum. Might need to update some of the posters but all the artifacts are in great shape and displayed well.

Rogelio Lopez

Good learning experience. Not as many exhibits as we expected nor as varied.

Will Petrosky

A place for everyone to discover there love for surgical science

Leo Bekerman

A couple hours to see. Good exhibits. Poor A/C, so come on colder days!

Missy Mattingly

Have been wanting to go forever. Did not disappoint

Christopher Finley

There are several exhibits in the museum that are incredibly fascinating, but on a whole the museum lacks consistency and organization. I'm glad I visited, but I doubt if I'll ever be back.

Charity Watchdog

Excellent exhibits, fascinating concept. This is a great place to bring kids who have an interest in science and medicine.

Stefan Krkalovic

The International Museum of Surgical Science, a division of the International College of Surgeons (ICS), maintains over 10,000 square feet of public galleries committed to the history of surgery, and an exquisite permanent collection of art and artifacts from the history of Medicine. The Museum supports its Mission through medically thematized exhibitions and programs, in addition to a strong contemporary art exhibition program.

Tina Oliva

Excellent and love the inclusion of women in stem posters. Beautiful building.

Philip

The exhibits were really informative and engaging. I really want to go to the medical museum in Indianapolis now

Dave Fredericks

Pretty cool museum that you can spend a lot of time in or do in an hour. Interesting exhibits whether you're interested in the science or just the history of medicine in general.

Miami Mercenary

I was there in the early 1990s it was and I hope still is the best museum I have ever been to, even better then the Smithsonians.

Sata Prescott

Very small (about 2 hours total), but totally worth it! Beautiful, informative. The contemporary art upstairs was, well, contemporary art.

Mary Hildebrandt

A small museum with a lot of interesting finds! It was overall very educational. There's a lot of stairs. The building itself is historical, too.

Pamela P

This is such a cool place! Every time my family is in town we visit this place. We're looking forward to going there again soon.

Supreitha Rengarajan

Interesting place to check out. Its a $15 visitor fee (lesser for students) but worth visiting for anyone who is interested in the history of medicines and surgeries

Matthew Schultz

A very unique museum exploring the history of medical sciences. Rather niche, but if the subject matter is of interest, the museum will not disappoint.

Jacolynn Schwiesow

Very interesting museum. Did the free tour and they pointed out things we did not notice. Will go back again!

Alexandra Hazen

This is a really interesting museum. I really like read about how surgical science has changed throughout history. I'll have to bring my dad here since he is a doctor.

Archana Gowda

Only fun if you're familiar with medicine

Charlotte Buchanan

Interesting but just average.

Jason Szczesniak

Great little museum in a beautiful former mansion lots of skulls and surgical equipment guides for the tour are well educated and knowledgeable tried useing the link on the facebook page and it lead us to a completely different place

Philipp

A must see! Up to date content!

Shida R

As a medical student, this was a great place for a study break or just to go back in time to appreciate how far we've come in western medicine. Also, so insight on eastern healthcare .

Nathan Williams

Not a terribly large museum, but there are several interesting exhibits. I enjoyed the skull collection of various animals.

Seth G

It was a cool museum but not worth the price in my opinion. Some exhibits were either unfinished or not displayed very well

Rayna Allinger

Cool, priced in line with the other museums in Chicago. I recommend taking public transit as there is no parking available.

Dreamhater MidnightTorment

It is a small museum, but utilizes it that space really well. Loved seeing it during the nighttime tour, very interesting.

Don Rose

2nd visit, this time w/my like-minded niece. Okay, but gal at front desk was less than helpful, nonattentative & displays have changed in a negative way, IMHO.

Ian Devine

Learn about medical history and the tools physicians used. A lot to read on printed pieces of paper taped to the walls. If you have an interest in anatomy or history you have to check out this place

Shenika Chenault

Very nice place to gain historic information

zayda guzman

Very lovely! The photos I had taken doesn’t do any justice and doesn’t really show how nice and interesting it is.

G V

One of my favorite museums in the city. 4 floors of an old mansion full of interesting things

Peter S

Quirky displays about the history of surgery and dentistry. No parking nearby. Free admission to Illinois residents on Tuesday. Four floors, stairways.

Faith LaVoie

Fascinating, disturbing, worth it. It's the kind of place that will have you wondering, "why am I here again?" but coming continually to the conclusion that you don't care because it's cool as hell.

Dylan Jensen

Very interesting medical information, just not too interactive and had lots of stairs. Otherwise, nice place with friendly staff.

Victor D Verdev

Meh. Perhaps it's because I'm not much into the medical fields. I wasn't overly impressed and slightly bored. It would be a struggle for me to justify spending $17 on this again.

T

Wonderful little gem of a museum in a city with a million of them. You'll see things here that you won't find anywhere else.

Malik Earl

Very good and informative if you have a wheel chair they might make you go up stairs that's what I had to do for a member of my party

Leesie Telechan

Interesting place in which to kill a few hours. Loved the entire museum. Perfect for a quick visit.

Julia Preseau

Invalid Feeding Cups display, Floor 4

C. Griffin Litwin

Beautiful old house and location. The exhibits were interesting, especially to be able to see old tools of the trade, but often felt incomplete.

Christy McGovern

Really interesting museum! Mixture of cool and horrifying looking at the techniques that have been used throughout history.

Tracey Powers

Back in '91 I took part in their Medical Project didn't end up pursuing a career in medicine but it was a great experience.

lisa tijerina

Very nice set up and they were very informative but small and limited space inside loved the gift shop tho

Bracket Racing

There is so much to see! You really need to devote half a day to truly see and read everything. If you're into medical things this is your place to go.

MissesS l

Interesting information and great location. Really cool for the inquisitive mind. Was a little unorganized but a nice place/experience

Kimberly Cole

Great gift shop

jason ortez

So interesting, definitely a must visit for locals. Park by the zoo and enjoy the walk through Lincoln Park.

Ety

Visited on a whim during a quick trip to Chicago. As a medical history nerd (and big fan of the Sawbones podcast), it exceeded my expectations.

Joseph Rakita (Jirsan)

Good but needs more detail about the transition or progress of surgery. I. E. A specific surgery was done this way at first, then progressed to the next step, and finally, this how its done now.

Ben Mason

Really good museum, very interesting exhibits. Loved the eyeglass exhibit!

Melanie Marie

Bigger than a thought. Very interesting information. Love the way it's all set up. Love that they put information about when it was a house.

Crystal Howard

There were some cool exhibits, but it was on the small side. I waa hoping for more cadaver or wax models.

Victoria Mack

I must say it is a very interesting museum, I really enjoyed myself!

David Stanford

This place doesn't feel like it knows what it wants to be. A fancy house tour / a home to medical art / a museum with objects on display.

Matthew Maynard

Huge place full of lots of interesting stuff to see. Don't bring kids if they're squeamish.

Dan Steigerwald

Really cool museum. Not as well known as other Chicago attractions. Definitely worth a trip.

Jordan Fuller

A real hidden gem in Chicago! This museum is always worth a visit!

Katje Sabin

What a trip! Not for the squeamish. Great ramble through history. Definitely do one of the tours if you can!

Fabian Stiger

Informative and interesting history. I can appreciate the efforts to save things so we can see how things progressed from the past to our day.

sravya varali

A very niche museum for medicine and surgery enthusiasts. Small museum but very engaging exhibits.

Michael White

It's great, wonderful artifacts, art, and history related to science and medicine. Can't recommend highly enough.

Jason's Big Adventure

Very interesting museum! I loved the 4th floor the most! Rumor has it this place is haunted!

Michelle Kemmer

Small but set up well. Each room has a different theme. Don't miss a visit to the basement.

Vivien Rivera

So fun! Nice mix of artifacts, specimens, and art.

Sue Baumgartner

This is a great place. I have lived in Chicago my whole life, and never knew this place existed. They need to advertise.

Patrick Larvie

This museum answers no questions. The exhibits make no sense. The artwork is questionable. Highly recommended.

Fernando Lopez

Was an amazing museum

Gordon Grado

Really interesting museum. Focuses on he anthropological side of medicine and provides a unique perspective.

Marissa S

So glad I went! If you’re interested in the history of medicine, this is the place for you! :)

Ricardo De Leon

Smaller scale Museum but very informative. Definitely a place to check out and support

David Matke

Very interesting museum and I have absolutely nothing to do with the healthcare system.

Kenni Terrell

Wonderful model of four floors. Goes all over the world!

Chelsea Shurmantine

Cool place. Not graphic enough but the real skeleton and the massive collection of body stones is enough for five stars to me.

Raimond Galicia

A nice museum that delves into a lot of the medicines of old times past that you won't normally see in a regular museum.

Hans Alcerro

This is a hidden jewel in Chicago

Steven Lunsford

This place is fascinating and will make you realize just how lucky we are to live when we do. Early surgery seems like the pits!

Becka M

Some real gems here. No super odd oddities if that's what you're after, but a good little medical museum.

Christopher Fiske

Surprising enjoyable. Much larger than I expected. Anyone interested in either medicine or history will enjoy it.

mason dent

Hidden gem in Chicago! Amazing historic building with an amazing collection spanning the history of surgery.

Prowler

Very beautiful and interesting Museum

Felipe Arango U.

Nice small museum. For the content, I expected a lower admissions fee.

Anthony Oedewaldt

Walls filled with the vast surgical history of our world. Wonderful displays and layout!

Matt Noehre

So many cool pieces and information. $5 off admission with your student ID!

Lexie Chen

It was really impressed me with some exhibitions.even though small but still have a lot to explore.

Katie Herron

Very interesting. I learned alot and could have spent even longer there

omer pelled

the museum is very small. It's not interesting enough for adults, and too explicit for children.

Jack C

Really neat exhibits. Bigger than I expected - took probably 2 hours to work through

Richard London

Very very cool. Never been here before but got a full glowing report from my son.

Peter Squires

Interesting displays, somewhat propagandistic presentation.

Katlas Saltak

Fascinating displays, rich architectural details, captivating artwork...a testament to human ingenuity and endeavor

Olivia Smith

Interesting displays and nice staff. Good for medical field workers or intrigued lay people.

Wesley Matucha

Interesting lecture series on new techniques. Displays of early surgical equipment and medical history.

Kyle Ray

not well organized. very interesting. not the best descriptions.

Alicia Gonzalez

Interesting array that they had. I wish they would expand dental section, but otherwise it was great.

milliec42

It is a fantastic Museum, we learned a lot of history . a must see .

Manuela Martinez

Very interesting. It has a lot of things, not only about surgery

Denica C IG TravelingHangry (TravelingHangry)

Very educational. I felt more connected to my profession as a circulator.

DR0101

One of Chicago's little gems. Great little museum. Check it out also for their evening events.

Anna Tok

Awesome, unique place

Bill Weatherly

Beautiful building, interesting displays, nearby attractions and restaurants.

gray blad

Really cool pieces of history!

Michael Marsh

One of the best hidden gems in Chicago. A must see for locals, and macabre tourists.

Steven Reid-Wynn

Very interesting museum located in a beautiful mansion on Lake Shore Drive.

Deborah Maisonet

So very interesting. Rooms full of medical devices from the beginning of there time

Nick Baskerville

Beautiful place with a terrific history and experience for those interested in exploring medical sciences.

Adrián

Interesting compilation about medical tools and technics at the last century. The place is divided in 3 floors

Amanda Dittami

Really awesomely creepy place. They have interesting after hour events, as well.

David

I loved this place. If you're into history, medicine and just the macabre, this is for you.

Chris Thompson

Wildly surprised. Lived in the area most my life and had never been. Highly recommended.

Belit Rodriguez

Really beautiful place. Did you know Drab Majesty filmed a video here?

Shaked Naveh

An absolute gem! If you're interested in medical science and visiting Chicago, this is a must!!

James Newell

This Museum was great place and we got too see some civil war reenactment about surgery.

Juan Horie

I was expecting a bit more for the price of the ticket. We had a nice visit

Judith Gaskell

A very interesting museum if you are interested in the history of medicine.

Bogda R.

Surgery through ages. Scary and fascinating. Thank God we live in world with anesthesia.

epicwolf3

This was a fabulous experience for my friend and I who enjoy learning more about the history of medicine.

Nathan Rivera-Melo

Lots of fascinating surgical stuff. Kinda stuffy, but worth the trip.

E Grgurich

Hidden secret. Must visit.

Jordan Dobrowski

A hidden gem in northern Chicago. Very interesting artefacts and history, and some cool new stuff too.

Sandy Sink

Cool place to visit

Jamie Dencklau

Interesting and education, but a bit underwhelming. Wish there was more to it than posters about the evolution of surgery and some tools.

Pablo Olayo

Everything was awsome to look at and the staff are really friendly too.

Ismet Tasdelen

There are very lightening information about surgical history. Unfortunately building will be sell and museum will be closed.

Rob williams

Got to see it during open house Chicago. Very interesting. Have always wanted to see it.

Lonna Gordon

Excellent museum if you are a science nerd or in healthcare

Maria Koneva

Not exactly what I expected. Expensive and not very fun. Nice for people seeking solely history

Darren Hron

Great little museum of surgical sciences. Cousins wedding here was fun.

Nataly

Hidden gem of Chicago's museum scene in a historic home. Worth the visit!

J M

Fantastic, offbeat, informative

Bill

Small but kind of cool to see surgery tools and techniques from the.past

David Schaller

Really interesting museum! Got in for free on a Tuesday.

Derek Pieper

Loads of medical artifacts in an interesting former mansion. Worth seeing once.

Therese Kortas

Very interesting exhibits and very cool statues

mandeep kohli

Very cool place if you have any interest in the medical field

Oliver Newton

Great exhibits and art and the most beautiful girl in the world

Yolanda Pace

Always crowded never any registers open or the lines are too long but prices are good

P B

Interesting museum on the history and tools used in practices throughout time

Jon Christie

Very informative and interesting. People in medical fields will dig it, others might 😲 …

Jarett Woodard

Lots of cool stuff. It was interesting reading about the ancient doctors.

Paulo Razia

Very interesting! Has a lot of things about the history of medicine and surgery

William McDermott

Great museum in the heart of the Gold coast.

Mika Baer

Definitely worth a stop! Lots of stairs, not very handicap accessible.

Dan Rocha

A little dry for a non medical professional, but a few gems, and beautiful building.

Abby Rodgers

Creepy and fascinating! Definitely worth a visit.

Anthony traska

Being in the medical field, this place has tons of exhibitions and things to learn, for the medical professional and novice alike!

Tameca Denson

Interesting place, a bit small but historic.

Katie Luebke

Cool museum for those curious about medical history, learned a lot

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