Exhibition at the Mütter Museum exploring 250 years of Philadelphia's impact on health and healing in the United States.
Creating a City of Medicine is on view at the Mütter Museum in the Norris Gallery, and it's staying through next summer. It looks at 250 years of Philadelphia's impact on health and healing in the United States, and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia's role at the intersection of medical history, public health, and science.
The exhibition traces the development of medical education, technological innovation, and community-based healing, starting with the first colonial hospital founded in Philadelphia in 1751 and the first medical school, which opened in 1765. The College of Physicians of Philadelphia itself followed in 1787. From there, the narrative moves through the catastrophic yellow fever outbreak of 1793—which killed about a tenth of the city and spurred the creation of the Department of Public Health—and on through the rise of pathological anatomy, homeopathy, and the bacteriological revolution of the 1880s.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Philadelphia and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
The Civil War also left its mark, advancing anesthesia, reconstructive surgery, neurology, and prosthetics. The Mütter Museum, the College's home, is best known for its collection of biological specimens. Admission to the exhibition is included with a Mütter Museum ticket, and there's a discount for medical, nursing, and public health students: $15 off a timed admission ticket with promo code MEDSTUDY250, which you'll apply by selecting the 'College Student' ticket level. The museum is at 19 S. 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
