Reviews of National Museum of Health and Medicine (Museum)

Joanne BS

Weird collection of medical pieces. More brains than you will ever want to see. For a small museum, they had a lot to see and for free.

Brian Frankel

Great off the beaten path.

Ashley Stearns

This museum is on the smaller size, but what is lacks in square footage it make up for in intrigue. This collection was started by the Army medics during the civil war so there is a lot of amputation samples and bullet injuries. There was a section on Lincoln's assassination which included skull fragments and bullet. There were also a lot of organ samples including many deformed due to disease. Very interesting.

Kevin Turner

Totally Awesome! One of the Best Museum I've ever visited with a wonderful Friendly Staff!

Kaylin Brazil

This place IS A MUST SEE!! If you're in the DC area, I wouldnt bring young children hear because its alot of sliced up body parts and that might be unsettling for them, but its fascinating for everybody else, you can see fragments of Abraham Lincolns skull. Which is quite Frankly something I am very excited about. I would definitely drop by. Only problem is there are no bus routes near hear so you have to get a taxi or uber

Bruce Douglass

This is an outstanding and well curated collection of war related medical specimens. The displays are clear and well documented. Admission is free. There is a large private off street parking lot for the museum.

Ben Wendell

Lots of interesting sights. A must see in the DC area.

Grant Broadhurst

Small, but a well-done museum with some unique artifacts (like bits of Abe Lincoln's skull - really). However, it's also a horror show. Some of the artifacts were downright disturbing. I would *not* bring anyone under the age of 15 here. Maybe I'm squeamish, but I don't want to ruin your dinner by describing some of the things here.

Toya Dominick

Loved it. At the end you get to he real human organs

Ari Reeves

Not for the faint of heart, this museum features human skulls with bullet holes in them, pickled body parts, and other gruesome artifacts. The diplays are really fascinating and informative, though, so don't let me scare you off.

Annie Jernigan Goldberg

I went to this museum with a group to do a forensics lab on bones. The lab was fantastic and fun. The museum was full of human skeletons, real human brains with concussions and bullets. They even have the bullet that killed Lincoln. Definitely recommend this place if you’re into science and the human body.

nicole smith

Such an interesting quirky place.

Seen Love

A must see collection of medical oddities and instruments. I am pleased to finally bring my teenage boys.

Jeffrey Trunzo

Interesting historical exhibits of military medicine, some aspects are graphic.

M. Nicolaysen

Great museum. Only downside is that it's not very large. And, just my personal pet peeve, that the intended flow of what to read first or next wasn't always clear - so I ended up reading some displays backwards. Mostly not suited for kids, pretty graphic. Great if you're into anatomy. Free parking.

Viktor Stolbovoy

Intetesting, but very small

Jasmine Green

It is great to go with adults but it is much to graphic to with kids.

john burch

Have great exhibits on health

caren armstrong

Cool. Small, but interesting and free!

CE Institute

The museum admittance is FREE and I thought it was really well done. I'm not sure who the museum was for given it blends war injuries from the civil war all the way to modern day warfare, but there were some nice small exhibits of old surgical tools, and other things like a cadaver of an elphantitis leg and brain with spinal cord (in tack) and the front desk staff are very nice. I took the train to Forest Glen and the museum is further than 1 mile from the train exist. Also, somehow uber had the address for this place in the middle of a warehouse down the street (boo uber - you've been terrible all over washington DC), so just know you're in for a REALLY long walk from the train station or a nightmare with uber for pickup if you take the metro.

Arielle S

Definitely has a lot of interesting stuff but not very interactive for kids. However, if you're interested in old battle wounds and broken bones there are tons here.

m rivera

I was happy to discover that this museum was the same one that used to be in the Walter Reed Medical facility in DC. I came here before when I was in 8th grade, and it was lovely to see it again older. The space is very nice and well-kept. They definitely modernized it from the last time I seen the exhibit. They have interesting things, their main focus is how does the body works and the history and modernization of military medicine. It was quiet and the museum is smaller in comparison to other museums in DC. Easily accessible by car, and they have enough parking space.

Derrick Davis

Best museum experience ever. Be prepared to spend at least 4hrs here.

Caner Geyik

Educational place where you learn much about how military need advanced technology. Also, there are items showing you the terrible parts of war. Re-arrangement of items would be nice to use space better. How can you not display Hooke's microscope ffs ! :)

Mick K

There are unusual medically related displays that have to do with US history.

stacey frost

I enjoyed this Museum would love to go again

Lexie Huber

This museum was fascinating and full of real skeletons (ranging from 4month fetus to adult male), brains, bone fractures, organs, and more. We spent over an hour in the first 2 sections alone (there are 3 sections). Be warned though, some of the exhibits were tough to look at, for myself the reconstructive surgery was nearly too much. I went there with my 4 year old son since he is asking a lot of questions about the inside of the body. He LOVED it and really wanted to know more, but I would say that because of the graphic nature of this place it is not appropriate for most small children.

Jack Salcedo

Very fun and informative museum with interesting and cool displays!

Victor Brisbin

An almost secret place, a tribute to medical science and the quest to improve surgery and the treatment of injuries in war. I love to take special visitors here, where they can see the variety of the human form in nature, as well as the horrors of war wounds and casualties of war. Also on display are physical specimens that include conjoined infants, and examples of the ravages of diseases like elephantiasis. The museum is tucked away in Silver Spring, MD. As noted elsewhere, admission is free.

Emeka Dinjos

This place doesn't just wow you. It also educates you. You should give it a try.

Leathy McLaughlin

So I told myself that I would go in look around and quickly choose items to write about for my class project. I ended up staying there for over 2 hours! I was fascinated with all of the rich history involving medicine that was displayed and archived there. Each exhibit was more interesting than the next. I even got to hold a human brain and a heart in my hands! The museum staff from the front door to the persons helping explain the various exhibits were knowledgeable, friendly and courteous. I may be a bit biased because I'm a self-proclaimed museum nerd, but I would definitely go back and visit again with my family.

Taylor M

Most interesting museum I saw during my short DC trip. Its fairly small but the displays are very dense and full of info to take in. Staff was friendly and welcoming and you're likely not to run into any huge crowds. If coming from the DC area your best bet to get there is the Red Line metro to Forest Glen followed by a short Uber/Lyft ride.

Etan Eitches

Super cool artifacts and information on health and medicine. Many bones with osteomyelitis.

Vincent Guerrieri

There is much more to this museum than what is on display. It even has Einstein's brain. The current display stresses medicine from the Civil War era and WWI era...some very interesting stuff.

David Slocum

Small but great museum. Focuses on military medicine and health as well as how that helped advance civilian medicine. Also, it is a federal museum so there is no admission fee.

Allen Nakagawa

If you’re a medical professional, civilian or military or just have an interest, this museum is a must see visit. The professional status under the aegis of the DOD (Dept of Defense) will answer any inquiries. There is a research library on the premises that is not open to the public. Your medical librarian or the library you’re affiliated with, will contact the librarian there. If your request is accepted, they will research & send the requested information to you. There is a complete laboratory involved in the analysis & preservation of numerous artifacts. Military-related medical advances have been meticulously documented up to current times. NON FLASH photography is allowed only. There is no admission fee and donations are not accepted.

Lisa Russell

Wonderful place. Interesting artifacts and great information.

Arushi Dhakad

A hidden gem

翟泉

非常精致紧凑的医学博物馆，16年全年展示林肯遇刺相关的展品，有射入林肯头部的那颗铅弹。

FourtyK Will

Some cool and somewhat creepy stuff.

Sanjay Tank

Good museum for those interested in medical field

Wannabe Psychologist

Overall amazing museum if you are into human anatomy, but I prefer the section where it tells about advances in military safety. Nice to go to a museum outside of DC.

William Bumpers

Really weird museum, but so cool

Amit Kramer

Very small but beautiful and very interesting. Staff is great. Probably for ages 10 and above. Especially interesting for aspiring physicians.

Mike Shoag

Fantastical medical oddities.

Yvonne Mendoza

Hidden Gem!! This place is awsome. I took my kids who are 5 and 6 along with my niece who is 9. They really enjoyed it. My daughter is very intrested in the human anatomy and this museum was right on. The staff is super friendly and very informational. The museum may be small but it's big on all of the artifacts and exhibit's. I really recommend the museum. For the people on a budget the museum is free of charge. This month ots Brian awareness, and the exhibit is really fanrastic.

Garret Heritage

Very good museum showing everything from bones/anatomy, to injuries, and medical advancements.

erica ohnstad

Fascinating!!

Cleona Vassell

They has a small exhibit of how Medicine was like in the early data. While I enjoyed the exhibits, visiting once is enough for me.

Gerald Brown

Great educational place. Fascinating.

Gwen Catherwood

As a medicine nerd, I found this to be one of my favorite museums I've ever visited. Particularly enjoyed the videos detailing how various technologies were discovered, etc. There are TONS of examples of skeletons with bullet holes, shrapnel, etc. dating back to the Civil War. The only reason I give it four stars is that I imagine for the average Joe who isn't really into medicine or the military, it might not be as fun as it was for me.

Beckie A

Excellent medical museum - quirky and in the middle of nowhere. Quite small so not a whole day outing, but good for a couple of hours of interest.

Jessica Corey

It's tucked away, but the exhibits were enjoyable once we got there. I'm a fan of frank anatomical displays, and the exhibits had beautiful displays of the intricacies of human anatomy. As long as you don't mind seeing real human tissue and bone samples, you're in for an informative and good visit.

Amanda Beanblossom

We had a wonderful experience! The museum was holding a special event for brain awareness week. We learned so much through interactive exhibits. It was fabulous. Highly recommend.

Mankus Crooz

It was small

Dana Phipps

Small but nicely maintained museum. Interesting displays but I had my preschoolers and many of the images and samples were rather gruesome for younger children. They did have a medical bag with a few games for little kids and some dress ups, and I appreciated the awareness for families. But I recommend waiting until kids are a little older and more mature to view some of the images.

Dahlia Jackson

Educational

Yuri Vestil

Underrated museum in the Silver Spring area. Lots of interesting medical stuff to see. Best part is it's free!

Leonard Krause

Fascinating. I learned a lot about medical casualties and care during the civil war

Carol Marr

Beautiful facility, exhibits were well done, but I would like to see an expanded, much larger museum!

Kasie Wright

Awesome museum to visit.. so many interesting exhibits on display. If anatomy and anatomical anomalies are interesting to you, I suggest visiting.

Desire Doby

Awesome very educated

philip self

Very interesting exhibits of old medical equipment, body parts, and history

Robert Dye

not very big but can spend a couple hours here if you look at everything. about half is dedicated to civil war era medicine and disease. there are a fair amount of body parts (organs encased in resin, bones, etc). quiet, no crowds, free parking

kathryn nordvedt

A delightful place of wonder and insight. A great time of exploration and learning.

Earl Cohen

A very interesting museum focusing on military medicine, and with lots of interesting historical artifacts, such as the bullet that killed President Lincoln.

Rubi Ru

Very eye opening, highly recommended. One of dcs best imo

Marie Katherine

This is a fascinating museum for those interested in military or medical history. It's not suitable for young children or the squeamish. There are actual limbs, gory photos, deformed stillborn fetuses in formaldehyde, that some may find disturbing. If you're a medical professional or have an interest in battlefield medicine, then don't miss it! Admission is free. IMO, one of the best kept secrets in the DC area!

Tiffany Fowler

My favorite national museum! Free, great parking, and great location! So much easier than the museums on the mall. Such a cool collection! Does a giant colon, fetal soecimens in jars, and an elephant man leg sound like a good time? If so, this place is for you! Whether you're into medicine, history, or are just a freak, there's something here for everyone. They even have the bullet that killed Lincoln.

Chris Oswald

Exhibits you won't see anywhere else.

steven lisowsky

Very nice place.. Staff was very helpfull

Fox Rider

Website not working but this was a very cool museum!

Laurel Martin

What a cool museum! It was super quiet, but worth the drive out to Silver Spring. Their collection was interesting, covering the history of medicine in the US.

Juan Bassett

Knowledge filled atmosphere , a learning experience.

MARIA RIVERA

Awesome. My 6 yo loved it. So interesting

Heather Johnson

A little hole in the wall treasure hiding behind Walter Reed. Friendly and educated docents with interesting exhibits on the medical aspects of war. Our crowd favorites were the amputated leg with elephantiasis and the actual bullet and skull fragments of Abe Lincoln. We participated in a top notch (and FREE!) teen workshop where the kids got to use modern forensic skills to analyze actual evidence in a real identification case from the Vietnam War. Definitely a place worth exploring if You and Yours have any interest in wartime medicine!

Jam

Cool museum to learn from.

John Ciccone

Definitely worth a visit for those interested in the history of medicin. They have a program for school students as well as a lecturer series for public and professionals. Fascinating place and programs. A bit out of the way, but worth the trip.

Harrison Bradley

Very nice small museum, definitely worth spending an afternoon on.

Randy Corbin

Interesting museum, helpful staff...

Sarah VanB

Amazing exhibits. Would love to see it expanded in the near future.

Bethany Johnson

Loved this little place! A little off the beaten trail but it had a LOT of really cool specimens and even the bullet that killed Abraham Lincoln!

Saleh Alghsoon

It is not as it sound. It is small and takes 20_30min.

hax withaxe

Gross, informative, and fascinating.

A Hernandez

Small but interesting museum.

John Patrick Scully

Fantastic find.

Ike Luv360

Special place to visit. Unique artifacts

Annmarie Dinan Hansen

This place is a hidden gem, so much cool stuff and totally FREE

Paulette Tals

Unique exhibits of amputated leg of Major General Sickles hit by a cannon ball at Gettysburg. The bullet removed from Abraham Lincoln and some of the medical instruments used in his surgery and fragments of his bone. Largest display of medical rarities in the United States. Quiet and easy to view.

Aaron Cupps

Great museum a little off the tourist trail. Discover how the military has treated soldiers on the battlefield and at home. Gaze upon medical oddities and lots of Bones and body parts. AND see the bullet that killed Lincoln. For real. That bullet. Also President Garfield's spine vertebrae from his assassination. It's really an informative and low key museum. Friendly staff, too. Free parking!

Nicholas Roberts

The displays are fascinating. There could be more interactive displays. Also would appreciate more indepth descriptions of the pathology presented.

Lori Hartley

We loved it! Must see when in NYC!

Len Schneider

Very educational

Kristin Rodgers

Absolutely worth the trip outside of DC proper to see this museum.

Daniel Peters

Out of the way museum in Washington. If you like medical stuff take the drive but not on the same level as the Smithsonian’s right in then heart of DC. Some great artifacts of modern medicine though.

Johana Marroquin

Wonderful place to learn about Medicine and its history in the US (and outside). Very kid friendly and VERY helpful staff! I cannot recommend enough for those who want to learn!

Michael Hilton

Very nice war museum is worth an hour and a half of time

Megan Widman

Had a fantastic time here! I already like learning about health but this would be interesting for anyone. Desk workers were SO friendly, and free parking and admission. We spent about an hour here.

Raghu Veer

Not too well known but a great museum with interesting artifacts, such as persevered brains, tissues and skeletal structures

Benjamin Wiebeck

Fascinating museum. Definitely be prepared to have a strong stomach. The museum is very well organized and all artifacts are tactfully displayed, but the sheer number of human remains on display squicked me out a little. I still learned a lot and would definitely suggest this museum to anyone with an interest in the history of medicine.

Brian Stefanko

Awesome overview of military and trauma medicine. Was not expecting to see the bullet that killed Lincoln or any of the other well done exhibits. Small but worth the visit.

Rolando Castillo

Must have to visit!!! Great specimens and information!

Nick Rubalcaba

I went here in the summer of 2017 and was amazed by the quantity of content. Although the museum is quite small, it has tons of exhibits and is free to enter. I spent about 2 hours viewing here and thought it was well worth going to. The staff were super friendly and there were no crowds to deal with.

David Vaughn

Horrible

K M

The only complaint is that it's quite small. However, that means you can work it into a day of other activities.

Kwame Kankam-Boadu

Awesome facility

Alyssa Clark

Amazing! As a Naval Nurse working at Walter Reed, this little gem is a treasure that is close to home and tells so much about the history of military medicine. Fascinating!!

Antonio Cube

Nice little museum. Informative exhibits. The government should expand the place. A well-kept DC-area secret.

Claudia Colantonio

Small but interesting museum. There are some special exhibits such as the one regarding Abraham Lincoln. I also enjoyed the exhibits for the advances in military medicine, civil war medicine, and the effects of disease and trauma on the human body.

Hillary S

Cool off the beaten path free museum. Not for the squeemish. They have jars of science on display.

Gabby Gilliam

Stumbled across this place. Wish the exhibits had been more extensive, but everything on display was fascinating. Can see everything in under an hour, even if you read all of the signage.

Eric Jr

Nice museum to visit however, it isn't very large. Expect to be here no more than 30mins-1hr to view everything in detail. If you are traveling to DC/MD, this is a quick stop you can come by but do not go out of your way if your time there is limited.

Julia Reil

The National Museum of Health and Medicine is an excellent collection of preserved organs, fetuses, skeletons and exhibits detailing the challenges of medical care during the Civil War.

Ray Allen

A wealth of information and history. Loved it.

Bob Petrine

Wish there was more to it, nice staff

Mahendrasinh Gohil

Very nice museum. Nicely arranged. Worth spending 4 hours

Crystal Uminski

This museum is a little off the beaten path, but the exhibits are worth seeing (especially when there is free admission). The selection of medical anomalies on display reminded me of the Mütter museum in Philadelphia.

EmilieAn Kemper

Such a hidden gem. My science minded child was entranced with the amount of real body parts available to see. We were both amazed at the brains, lungs, and even a life-sized model of actual nerves and veins. We easily spent 2 hours in there.

Chelsea Springer

Worth the drive! Small but really neat

Armen Mirzoian

Some or most displays are inappropriate for kids, but very educational for adults. The only downside that museum consists of 2-3 rooms. I wish it had more material and displays.

Jason Swanger

Such an amazing place to experience history. Would definitely come back!!!

Micah Campbell

Museum is free, and contains alot of medical wonders. If insides dont creep you out, and skeletons make you cringe, you may not appreciate this museum. But if not, it is fantastic to see the human body and the different problems it can have.

Eric Rodgers

Ok food with good prices and friendly service.

David Hutchinson

Very interesting museum. Nicely laid out.

Michael Turtle

This is one of the most under-rated museums in all of the USA. Hidden away in the back corner is an amazing part of US history - the bullet that killed Abraham Lincoln. I don't understand why this isn't promoted more because it's quite an astonishing thing to discover when you're walking around a museum full of dead babies, deformed bodies, and murdered soldiers. The museum is free, well-maintained and I was the only visitor then when I went, so had the whole place to myself.