Surgeons' Hall Museums
The award-winning Surgeons' Hall Museums are open from 10am-5pm, 7 days a week (closing only over Christmas and New Year), with free entrance for Fellows and Members of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
Surgeons’ Hall Museums are part of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. The College was founded in 1505 and proactively developed museum collections from 1699 after 'natural and artificial curiosities' were publicly sought. In the 1800s, there was a significant expansion with the addition of the remarkable collections of surgeon and anatomists Sir Charles Bell and John Barclay.
The fascinating collections here have been open to the public since 1832, making Surgeons’ Hall among Scotland's oldest museums. Today, the Wohl Pathology Museum is home to one of the largest and most historic collections of surgical pathology in the world with anatomical specimens of bone and tissue. In addition, the collections include many surgical instruments, historic and modern, artworks and personal memorabilia.
With support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, The Lister Project delivered a significant redevelopment of the Museums’ galleries from 2014-2015 enabling enhanced displays to engage broad audiences. Surgeon’s Hall was further expanded in 2021 with the addition of Body Voyager which explores the rise in computerised and robotic technology in medicine. Today visitors can explore the Wohl Pathology Museum, the History of Surgery Museum, The Dental Collection, and Body Voyager.
Tel: +44 (0)131 527 1711
Email: museum@rcsed.ac.uk
Website: museum.rcsed.ac.uk
