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Surgeons' Hall Museums, Edinburgh

4.7
#9 of 61 in Museums in Edinburgh
History Museum · Hidden Gem · Specialty Museum
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Not for the squeamish, Surgeons' Hall Museums houses one of the largest and most historic collections of surgical pathology in the world. Originally developed as a teaching museum for medical students, its collections have been open to the public since 1832, making it one of Scotland’s oldest museums. These collections include bone and tissue specimens, surgical artifacts, and works of art. Gawk at the displays, learn about the history of surgery from the 16th century to today, and even test your own surgical skills with interactive displays. As you would expect, it is quite gruesome in some areas, and the faint-hearted might want to pass on the pickled fetus and skin-covered pocketbook. Make Surgeons' Hall Museums a centerpiece of your Edinburgh vacation itinerary, and find what else is worth visiting using our Edinburgh vacation tool.
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Surgeons' Hall Museums reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
1,786 reviews
Google
4.7
TripAdvisor
  • Fantastic walking Blood and Guts tour. Informative, funny very very well delivery by John. Excellent and factual and John really painted by a picture of life in the time of Burke and Hare. 
    Fantastic walking Blood and Guts tour. Informative, funny very very well delivery by John. Excellent and factual and John really painted by a picture of life in the time of Burke and Hare.  more »
  • Allow yourself plenty of time as there is loads to see and it is very interesting. Not for the very squeamish but I am not great with gore and I had no problem with the exhibits. Makes you very... 
    Allow yourself plenty of time as there is loads to see and it is very interesting. Not for the very squeamish but I am not great with gore and I had no problem with the exhibits. Makes you very...  more »
Google
  • incredible! me and my partner spent 3 hours here doing sketches & writing notes of some specimens on display. wish i had more time and energy to study everything. brilliant experience, recommend it to everyone!
  • If you're not a medicine field related student, but still are curious about the history of this subject, I would totally recommend paying a visit to this site for many reasons: you'll come across the first studies of the body itself, how the first autopsies were conducted and registered and will have the opportunity to see medical equipment from the past and its latest releases in the field. The entrance isn't free, but they have a student discount on the entrance tickets. Also, because they have human remains displayed there (in jars to show many many types of diseases), photography is not allowed.

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