National Museum of Health and Medicine

The place is fairly small but plenty to explore. They will be renovating as well to enlarge the place because of the amount of artifacts as well as research that they can share in the museum. Overall experience, was great, staff was able to bring out cadaver organs that you can hold and take a look at. The only thing is, my hotel was pretty far from this museum so plan to do something else around if so you can make your uber worth while. I was able to go around the entire place for about an hour and half. And head back around my area. But everything was quite interesting.

Been visiting this museum since they were located at the old WRAMC campus. Very interesting assortment of artifacts (like the bullet that killed Abraham Lincoln) and medical anomalies most museums would never get away with showing. Still, giving it three (3) stars because many artifacts lack descriptive text or context and many of the more interesting artifacts they had on display at the old location are no longer shown- including an entire exhibit on how they repatriate the remains of MIA, a wonderful collection of microscopes from the 1600s and earlier, as well as a beautiful above-knee prosthetic lovingly crafted in a Japanese POW camp by service members for an injured team member. The space feels underutilized and I feel they could do a lot more with it if they chose to do so.

We visited this museum back in 2017 but are finally getting around to writing the review. We do plan on returning back here someday in the future. We have been to several museums around the country, and this one ranks up there not only with the historical exhibits that we were able to see but also with the memory of seeing them. Anyone who tells us that they are traveling to D.C., we tell them about this museum and mention that they should try and make a stop here. Great place, and again, we will be back.

I loved it. My favorite was the largest room, I think I spent an hour in there alone because there’s so much to see. Loses a star because there is no crosswalk to enter the museum if you are coming by foot/ the bus stop a couple minutes away.

If you are in Bethesda and looking for something different than your typical art or history museum, you have to check this place out. It is honestly one of the most interesting museums I’ve ever been to. It’s not huge, but every corner is packed with cool medical stuff. The human anatomy displays are also fascinating; you get a real look at how our bodies work.

Wow! Take a tour if you can. Dr. Cathy was a wealth of knowledge. She packed some wonderful information into our 1.5 hour tour.

This museum was so interesting and definitely a lot to take in. Although it's pretty small (only 3 rooms) the impact is pretty big. The staff up front was friendly and it wasn't busy so it was very quiet walking through. A lot of cool yet morbid artifacts. The Abraham Lincoln exhibit was so crazy! It also has a huge parking lot and admission is free. A fascinating museum filled with a lot of history! Definitely puts things into perspective and makes you appreciate life!

Genuinely creepy and fascinating and so heavy. It is a must see for anyone I meet and like. If you are on the fence about someone you are seeing? BRING THEM. If they don't dig it then peace out. I'd post some snaps but uh-uh, you have to be there to get a firsthand look to get experienced. It's always empty, it's not a huge museum but it does not need to be because it houses the proof of death and disease and science. You have to go. Free parking, it's free and gruesome and moribund

This museum may be the most unique museum in the D.C. area. If you are into history and medicine, stop by. Or if you want a very interesting museum experience, visit. Opened in 1862 during the Civil War, the museum preserves over 25 million objects about medicine, public health, and anatomy. Nowhere else can you see skull fragments of Abraham Lincoln, President Garfield's vertebrae, and President Grant's tumor slides. The museum is open Wednesday-Sunday from 10am-5:30pm with free admission and parking in Silver Spring, Maryland. Walk inside and find all the exhibits on the main floor in a brutalist building. One exhibit talks about public health and the others focus on history of military medicine and anatomy. Here, you'll find lots of bones and organs preserved in medical jars. If you have a weak stomach, be warned. Eat BEFORE visiting. The museum is well kept with clean restrooms and lots of space to enjoy the museum. I highly recommend it for adults and older kids with an interest in the medical field.

Since this is a National museum, there is no cost to get in. This little museum has three small wings to walk through. Much of the exhibits are military themed. But they do have the bullet that killed Abraham Lincoln. I found this little place fascinating and fun!

Been to the area many times and love the DC museums. Found this local Smithsonian one. It was very interesting. Didn't know the army collected all of this stuff since the Civil war. Many skeletons, bullets and pictures of injuries and surgeries. Learned about chemical warfare and saw the bullet President Lincoln was shot with.

Note: If you are using Apple Maps for turn by turn directions to this museum, FOLLOW the brown Natl Museum of Health & Medicine street signs instead of listening to the directions or just stay on Linden. In my case, the directions told me that I could go through the base (Stephen Sitter Ave), which you cannot. This free museum is somewhat small, but it has quite a bit of information for its 3-4 exhibits. Unless you are really into the exhibits, it probably will take about 45 - 60 minutes to get through the museum. The musuem has some interesting exhibits like skull fragments of Pres. Lincoln and the bullet that killed Pres. Garfield. It was kind of "cool' seeing the bullet that killed Pres. Garfield because I read "Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President" a few years ago. While the book focuses on the assassination of Pres. Garfield, it's intertwined with other topics of American history, like the invention of the light bulb and how it was used to help remove the bullet from Pres Garfield's body...which ended up doing more harm than good. Ok, back to the museum. Since the museum contains body parts preserved in formaldehyde (I assume), this museum might not be for folks who are squeamish. I found the sections on chemical warfare, the anatomy of the human brain, and the nautical hospitals to be particularly interesting. I will be honest in saying that I was not expecting this museum to be more of a military medical museum, so I was a bit shocked to see some of the WW1/WW2 propaganda. I did not think that there was anything wrong with it, but I was a bit surprised. Unless you are a military buff that lives in or very close to Silver Spring, I personally would not go out of my way to visit the museum. While there are only a few exhibits, I think the museum has great potential. That said, I hope the museum can expand on some of its exhibitions especially since there has been SO MANY medical advances in the last 20+ years.

Great small museum off the beaten path. It is located on the Forest Glen Annex which is an Army installation many do not know about. It is has its own parking to the public in the back of the military parking. So much great history about health and medicine here!

Tiny museum with some interesting exhibits and well laid out. Apple Maps has no clue how to get there and sent us into the army base. Took only 20 or so minutes to go through the entire thing, there's potential for so much more but it's just a little museum. Don't go expecting a Smithsonian level of museum and you'll be good, but for us it was a tad underwhelming.

Staff were knowledgeable and treated our high school special education students kindly and made the presentations interesting! I had never been there with my own children. It was a new experience for me. I recommend it!!!

It was nice although there was surprisingly a lot of sick people who were there when I visited. They kept on coughing and doing that snorting noise. In the end of the tour it was a horror show because this one guy kept spilling is snot all over the floor.

We arrived during normal business hours only for it to have been closed because it RAINED OUTSIDE (and I don't mean hurricane/tornado or other severe weather conditions)! It's an indoor museum. A nice security guard came to the door and seemed equally surprised that the facility had been closed because of rain (it was not raining when we arrived). Im pissed I wasted the time and gas to get here for a nonsense closing- total waste of my tax dollars at work.

A neat museum that has vibes similar to the Mutter in Philly. Seeing the actual bullet that killed Lincoln and vertebrae from President Garfield was certainly interesting. They have a vast collection of bones with bullets lodged in them showing the brutality of the Civil War. The "exploding" skeleton was unique and a neat way to see the human skeleton displayed.

My daughter and I were looking to explore our hometown on a hot day, and found the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring. The civil war and modern medical history was amazing. This is the perfect place to explore the human body and diseases with your teenager, or learn medical history yourself. It was important for me to remember real people donated parts of themselves to educate others. I can't thank them enough for what I learned today. This is a little known neighborhood gem, that is well worth a visit.

Medical student? Interested in medicine? I highly recommend this place. I attended this free museum with a group of medical students in a private tour, and it was one of the best museums I went to since we were learning some of the topics presented in medical school (eg. subarachnoid hemorrhage and fetal development). On the downside, it's not a very large museum, but if you have a background in medicine, you could definitely spend 2+ hours exploring the place. If you don't know much about medicine, some of the displays use quite complicated medical jargon without explaining the disease, so you might just breeze through some of the displays. I recommend using Google or booking a tour so someone could explain what you're seeing. The elephantiasis leg and looking at the different brain-related disorders were the highlights for me. I did thoroughly enjoy the private tour explaining the different surgical tools also used throughout the Civil War and World War II since I had used some of those tools in my anatomy lab. For example, during the Civil War, most of the tools often had a wooden-based handle, which was harder to disinfect, compared to the metal instruments of WWII. At the time, the surgical instruments were cleaned like you might clean a steak knife, which was mind blowing to me considering how sterile the surgical environment is nowadays. I'm definitely a returning visitor, and I would love to organize another tour for university students or such!

This is museum that a lot of people don't know about. It's sponsored and managed by the Defense Health Agency and has a lot of incredible items on display. They have fragments of Abraham Lincoln's skull after he was assassinated and artwork depicting the horrors of chemical warfare. There are items about the development of ambulances and naval hospitals. A fair warning for people who are squeamish, there are actual body parts on display. This is great for anyone who's interested in the history of medicine in the USA through the lens of military medicine and research. It's definitely worth checking out!

I am a firm believer in living a life of learning, this museum is a great example of that. Although small.. she is mighty, and impressive. My favorite exhibits were traumatic brain injury and human skeletal development. Having a background in medicine certainly was the driving force behind my visit, but I was pleasantly surprised with all that I learned. The front desk attendant was very friendly & helpful, I enjoyed my experience extensively.

This place is crazy....be prepared for what you will see, it is not for everyone. My Father and I found it extremely interesting, very knowledgeable and friendly staff, recommended if you are into this kind of thing, which I clearly am.

"Cool" is an understatement for this little museum with big surprises. Wouldn't it be cool to see a piece of President Lincoln's hair, or touch real plastinated human organs? You can literally "wear a heart on your sleeve" for a brief moment here if you wanted to. There's exhibits on various trauma, developmental stages of a fetus, progression of medical surgery, and various diseased and injured tissues such as gigantism. Exhibits may change but they're all worth it for educational purposes. This museum is truly fascinating but if you're squeamish, then you may want to avoid certain areas. It is tucked away in a quiet part of Silver Spring, and not very easy to get to but it's definitely worth the commute. There's a lot of greenery surrounding the museum so you can even go for a walk before or after your visit.

Ok so I live two blocks away from this museum, and finally after four years checked it out. First, it is a very nice building, and the docents clearly love what they do. Secondly there is alot of stuff here - and it can be somewhat confusing to walk through all exhibits following a logical path. I couldn't tell if that was leftover from Covid-19 arrow signage or what exactly. While there were some interesting objects (bullet that killed Lincoln springs to mind), at the end of the day I felt like it had potential to be more. Unless you are coming for a specific exhibition and are in Silver Spring I wouldn't make a special trip here. That being said, the exhibit on World War 1 and mustard gas was very informative.

My kids and I enjoyed our visit here. It is a small museum but very educational! The staff were very kind and welcoming! Definitely recommend for when you're looking for something quick and easy to do. Great for rainy days!

Great museum and like most in the DC area, it's free :) Open 7 days/wk, 10-5:30pm. Parking is free too. Guided tours can be arranged but must be done in advance. It's an army medical museum, and they have quite the collection - most notably the bullet that killed Pres. Abraham Lincoln. They also have an actual human brain and spinal cord, an elephantiasis leg, an amputated leg, a liver showing the effects of Yellow Fever, ... so not for the faint of heart. I think medical professionals would be super interested but even non-medical people like myself were intrigued. Very well-organized, and staff at the front are very nice.

A repository of medicine and science that has the genuine specimens on display AND admission is free!?! YES PLEASE!!! As a medical practitioner in training myself, I had an absolutely mesmerising time at this museum despite some difficulty finding it. There's no obvious street sign that tells you until you get there, and the building itself is nondescript. However, parking is aplenty and it's only a short stroll to the entrance to the museum. Staff at front desk asked if we'd been there previously before offering us a detailed map of the museum which came in very handy in navigating the space, even though all displays are on one level and it's relatively very manageable. We started with "Anatomy and Physiology" room and moved through The Collection That Teaches before finishing with Military Medicine. The only thing missing on our visit from the "Museum Highlights..." was Hooke's microscope, but I couldn't get enough off the displays here. I do agree with another reviewer and will mention that you'll likely see more real-life human bones and body parts than you ever have. ++ It took about 2 hours of detailed viewing to see everything open to the public The elephantiasis leg and everything to do with President Lincoln were highlights for me

This was my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PART OF OUR DC TRIP. It has the BULLET THAT KILLED ABRAHAM LINCOLN. How amazing is this?!?! When John Wilkes Booth fired a derringer ball into Abe Lincoln's head, the President immediately became unconscious and stopped breathing. An Army surgeon who was attending the play at Ford's Theatre, Dr. Charles A. Leale (a specialist in caring for soldiers with brain injuries) quickly came to the Presidents aid. He began to probe the wound, searching for the bullet. Although he didn't find it, Leale did find a blood clot and dislodged it, which caused the President began to breathe again. Leale announced: "His wound is mortal; it is impossible for him to recover." After Lincoln's death (at the Petersen House), he was placed in a temporary coffin, which was covered by the American flag and transported to the White House. Four physicians participated in Lincoln's autopsy. Not finding the bullet readily, they remove the entire brain, and when they did the bullet slipped out, which broke the silence of the room. "There it lay upon the white china, a little black mass no bigger than the end of my finger--dull, motionless and harmless, yet the cause of such mighty changes in the world's history as we may perhaps never realize" A portion if the autopsy report for my medical people: "The eyelids and surrounding parts of the face were greatly ecchymosed and the eyes somewhat protuberant from effusion of blood into the orbits. There was a gunshot wound of the head around which the scalp was greatly thickened by hemorrhage into its tissue. The ball entered through the occipital bone about one inch to the left of the median line and just above the left lateral sinus, which it opened. It then penetrated the dura matter, passed through the left posterior lobe of the cerebrum, entered the left lateral ventricle and lodged in the white matter of the cerebrum just above the anterior portion of the left corpus striatum."

Incredible. This museum is small but jam packed, so allow enough time to read and absorb each exhibit. I would also recommend going alone for your first visit, so that you can go at your own pace. It's also wonderful to take others, because many don't know about it. The staff is very welcoming. You don't have to be in the medical field to appreciate the exhibits--if you are a human, you will almost certainly find it interesting. It had me thinking about the exhibits for days after I went, and it invoked (in me, at least) contemplation of mortality, and a deeper appreciation of medical advancements and the beautiful complexity of the human body. I'm also interested in the history of the old Walter Reed Hospital, and was delighted to see some of that history in the exhibits.

Formerly the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and before that, the Army Medical Museum and Library in downtown DC, the AMHM is one of the DC area's hidden gems. Although they've shed numerous exhibits during their successive moves, they've kept the centerpieces that have kept me coming since I was a kid -- the bullet that killed President Lincoln and fragments of his skull; slides of President Grant's cancerous tumor; and President Garfield's spine, severed by an assassin's bullet. Oh yeah - and General Sickle's shattered leg! No longer stuck in moldering wooden display cases with typewritten descriptions, the artifacts are well-lit and well-documented in a 21st century setting. The museum is located outside the base's fenceline, avoiding the need to go through a security checkpoint. Parking is free and plentiful, although you might need to follow GPS directions to find the site, as hidden as it is. You could easily spend a couple of hours wandering the small museum and reading all the captions, but I'd recommend doing it AFTER you've eaten - especially if you plan to see the giant hairball extracted from the stomach of a 12-year old girl!

If you ever wonder how life is saved or forced to let go at the chaotic times, you would learn a lot here. War after one and another, they had come a long way... The museum is free of charge, and I think it's worth everyone's time and respect.

I absolutely love this museum. I google searched unconventional things to do in Washington DC and this came up. Admission is free and the museum is not that big however it did take about two hours. If you're interested in medical history and anatomy then this is definitely the place for you. Lots of famous historical figures and the remnants as well. Really cool date idea if they're into that haha

First: Full Disclosure. This is kind of my thing. I am not a member of the armed forces, but I've collaborated with them as a civilian in several capacities for some time, and certain aspects of military medicine and science are within my expertise. One of the exhibits even highlights the name of someone I've worked with. Second: Expectation Management. This museum is not the Smithsonian. We're talking about one building, with basically three rooms, not a huge complex with a wing for each service. It's not on the National Mall, it's buried in suburbia nearby someone's house which is built to look like (and I swear I am not making this up) a pagoda. It really isn't as substantial as it should be, but as is often the case with the military, you make do with what you have. These things being said, the hour (maybe two if you stretch it) you spend here will nonetheless be affecting and enlightening. There is some interesting civil war history on display, as well as more contemporary war items. The exhibitions highlight (disturbingly) some of the wounds typical of military service, particularly traumatic brain injury, but also some of the oddities of general medicine that the military has encountered; the armed forces do after all take care of retired service members and their families who may never see combat. Exhibitions spotlight a range of topics from combat surgery to rehabilitation. While there's always a nationalistic edge to any military function, medicine in the military is not quite as jingoistic, and occasionally this museum offers some of that perspective. I got a kick out of a letter they display of a Civil War surgeon who quit because they ran out of money to pay him. There are plenty of other less contrarian pieces that remind us of the essential narrative of sacrifice and loss in the name of this country, and this is a more graphic reminder than our numerous memorials. Taking a moment of silence would not be unwise. This place is nothing more than a taste of the fascinating world of military medicine, but it is worthwhile.

Small museum, off the beaten path away from the throngs of people at the larger and more popular museums in DC proper. Interesting exhibits, much focused on wartime medical topics. Great way to spend a couple hours if you are in the area. Entry is free and parking is free.

I'm so glad I finally made the time to check out this museum! It has been popping up on searches for local attractions for awhile and it is worth checking out. The museum is small, but contains all sorts of unique items that really make this place worth checking out if you are in the area. Give yourself about 45 min - 1 hour to go through everything. The museum includes displays showing the advancements in medicine, displays about the human anatomy, and a lot of really interesting medical oddities. If you are going with young children, don't hesitate to ask the front desk if they still have the children's activity packs. We were given two packs to borrow while looking around. They were messanger bags that included a doctor coat, puzzle, and a children's book on the body. While this trip was focused on things the kids were interested in, I am definitely going to be back to more thoroughly look through the exhibits. The museum is free to enter, and there is a private parking lot. The museum entrance is on the Linden Lane side although your GPS make try and take you in from Brookville Road. I think it's great how we are able to have access to such interesting activities so close to home. Be sure to check this place out the next time you are in the Silver Spring are with an extra hour or so on your hands.

Preface: I am military, first responder and medical. This is a great museum for an afternoon or short date. But I wouldn't plan spending more than an hour or two here. THE STAFF is great. Great for a rainy day. VERY interesting exhibits. Small and quaint. Warning! The glass is closer than it appears, my elderly friend hit his hand and nose a few times. Upside: not a lot for little kids to knock over so that's nice.

I have a fascination with medical oddities, so when I read about the National Museum of Health and Medicine in my travel book, it was high on my "must see" list. While there were interesting exhibits, the museum lacked the "wow" factor (I thought it would be more along the lines of the Berlin Museum of Medical History--now, that's an interesting museum). But despite this, I still enjoyed what I saw, and admission is free. However, what was particularly disappointing is, one of the promoted exhibits, a stomach-shaped hairball removed from a young girl, wasn't on display, although it can be viewed on line. The museum is also quite far from transit and out of the way. If you happen to be in the area, take the time to pop in (you won't need more than about 30 or so minutes to see everything, definitely not more than an hour, as it's quite a small museum), but it's not worth going out of your way to see it. [Yelp collections: East Coast 2016; Museums and Art Galleries]

Like most museums in the DMV, they are fantastic and free. This museum is no exception. I'm in medical school and I went to visit this museum after my pathology professor heard I was going to be in the area for a rotation. He told me that it was a must-see and I'm so glad I stopped by! The best way to describe this museum is super creepy and super amazing! They have all these relics from the civil war (skulls with bullets and stuff like that), what I remember most is the leg chopped off and fixed in fluid from someone with elephantiasis. A Lot of these things could never be done because of ethical reasons so it's cool to enjoy what you can. For me, it was nice to see the pathology I've learned in books come alive. The design of the museum isn't the best. Not a great flow, but if you can get over that it's great. They also have this military part with all the advances of military medicine and using 3D printers and such. It's super cool! Then before my friend and I were about to leave they brought out some fixed body parts for us to touch, like a brain! I had already gotten to do that in school but my friend thought that was super cool.

Frankly, visiting this museum was a respite from the challenges of parking in the DC area. It's in Silver Spring, Maryland about 30 minutes from DC. There's ample parking onsite in a quiet community. The museum is an oldie but goody for me. I saw the exhibits many many years ago when they were housed at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The museum's collection of embryos, fetuses, organ specimens and my personal favorites, the conjoined twins, the traverse section of a female head and the elephantiasis leg, are superior, next to none. The staff there are super friendly, greeting guests and offering any help they can. This is a must-see for those who have a passion and curiosity about the human body but are not squeamish about it. I look forward to the museum getting in new specimens in the near future.

Small museum compared to other ones in the DC. David gave excellent information on what to do in surrounding area. Really good collection of pathology specimens. Ankylosing rheumatoid arthritis specimen had missing hand joints. Otherwise really good.

Eat before you visit here... Unless you have a really strong stomach... Or else your appetite may be gone after seeing this place. This museum is hidden. I had no idea where it was and needed gps to find it!! Ample parking and a little path to the museum. The building has an interesting shape. It's like a samurai sliced through it and it started to slide... The museum is free. So just walk on in. There are three sections to see. The military section - very interesting. Not to be missed. The advances made are astonishing. The learning section - the history is very interesting. Right now, 2016, they have some history on Lincoln's assassination. The bullet and other artifacts are there. Very enlightening. Also info on amputation etc. Then are the medical oddities and diseases... In glass jars. Um... Lost mu appetite here. Giant hair ball?! What?! From a stomach??? And then the fetuses with abnormalities. Then other organs with defects. Elephant leg?? The last room was mostly about the brain. Lots of slices of brains. Ever wonder what it would look like it an umbrella was stabbed in your brain? Scissors? Concussion? Bullets?? Yup it's all here and much more. It makes me want to wear a helmet everywhere... Of course they also have normal organs ti look at. And if your lucky at the front they will have some hands on organs... Don't worry there is hand sanitizer. I might be back another day... If there's an interesting exhibit... After lunch...

Great exhibits. As a nurse, I really appreciated how the museum chronicled the develop of modern medical practices. They also have the bullet that killed Lincoln. If you want to see the gun, it's at the Ford Theater Museum in DC. This place is not for the weak of heart. They have preserved specimens of human bodies.

This is a great stop for medical professionals or lay-people alike. The best part is hard to believe, this museum is free! Great budget friendly way to spend an hour or two. The museum itself appears well kept and has excellent exhibits with detailed and informative descriptions. Lots of civil war memorabilia and medical specimens. Interesting collection of both healthy human anatomy as well as various examples of disease and trauma. Surprised and amazed to find the bullet that killed Abraham Lincoln as well as hair and skull fragments. Just a few feet away the vertebral column of President James A. Garfield can be found with fatal bullet wound. Just a couple of the displays on site. All exhibits are located on one level, no steps throughout, friendly to those with difficulties getting around. Appeared to have ample on site parking. Educational for young and old alike, but be aware and prepared that some exhibits may frighten young children without proper context. Definitely a 5 star experience, especially considering the free admission.

National Museum of Health and Medicine in Baltimore...June 17, 2016...5 stars...almost thought this was a joke when we heard about it but, you know, this place is really a thing. Thoroughly enjoyed our self-guided tour through here. The museum itself (not the building here) was established during the Civil War to preserve and study specimens for medical research and surgery. As such, it has hundreds of specimens on display of bullet wounds, fractured bones, torn bodies and the like. Many of the specimens resulted from on-field amputations during the Civil War...and many have the bullet particles visible inside. There are hearts and livers and kidneys and even an intact spinal cord in preserving formaldehyde. While at first blush it sounds ghoulish...it was really a neat museum of science. While most of the specimens are from the Civil War, there are numerous ones from later wars such as the Battle of Little Big Horn (hip bone), World War II (tattooed human skin from Buchenwald Concentration Camp), etc. It is at once both a military museum and a science/surgery museum. Many of the specimens are plastinated whereby they hold their shape, color, and three-dimensional configuration. Surgical procedures of the time are explained and battle-field equipment intended to lessen the probability of injury is shown. While this place is somewhat of a drive outside of Baltimore to Fort Detrick/Forest Glen Annex in Silver Spring, Maryland, it was worth the drive. It is technically an Army Museum although it falls under the purview of the Department of Defense. Admission is free. There really isn't anything for young ones out here.

This is such a hidden gem! It's a cute little place, but full of nice medical oddities. I am a physician so I may be biased. There were a lot of preserved specimens of things that are rare - malformed fetuses, hydatid cysts and a megacolon. Also, IT'S FREE! This is important for cheap people like me. Worth your time if you're around. I recommend!

While small, the National Museum of Health and Medicine (operated by the Department of Defense) was one of my top museum picks while visiting the DC area. It's a little bit out of the way, and possibly a bit too morbid for some, but it is full of interesting historical medical specimens ranging from skeletons with Civil War bullet wounds and examples of early plastic surgery to antique medical equipment, weird old photographs, preserved oddities (a big tumor! Brains!) and the bullet that killed Lincoln (and related items). BONUS: admission is free, and it is a small museum, so the trip can easily fit into a single day with other outings. They apparently have rotating exhibits, so I will definitely hit them up the next time I am in town

I love this museum, it's one of DC's hidden gems! If you are interested in medicine, this is a great museum to walk around in. It's pretty small but all of it is super cool, there's not a single part of this place that didn't interest me. They have a collection of items that includes medical tools dating back hundreds of years, real human bones, preserved human tissue with various diseases, and a collection of biomedical innovations and prosthetics. Another claim to fame: they have the bullet that killed Lincoln. Some of these things in the museum are real human remains, so this isn't a great place for the faint of heart but, for anyone who loves medicine, it's a goldmine. This place is small and off the main dc circuit so it is always quiet and never too busy. It's a welcome relief from the packed smithsonians and, in my opinion, much more interesting. As an added bonus: it's completely free with easily accessible parking right out front. This is one of the best museum experiences I've had in DC.

I have been talking about visiting this museum since its days at the old Walter Reed Hospital in DC. I am so glad we finally got there. My mom happened to be into town and she loves medical oddities and such so off we went. Free parking, free admission and really helpful staff. I truly recommend this museum. They have a lot of special exhibit days that focus on information for kids. If you have little ones that might be your best bet to get them interested. You can usually get that schedule on their website and facebook page.

Hooray! My favorite place to horrify out-of-town guests has moved from the now-defunct Walter Reed to Fort Detrick in Silver Spring. Only a few temporary exhibitions are up and running now - most related to the Civil War - but by May of 2012, all of the artifacts in the permanent collection of this creepy, creepy, creepy national treasure will be back up on display, including: -the bullet that killed Abraham Lincoln, along with fragments of his skull and tufts of his hair -a plaster cast of Lincoln's face and hands, taken just after his death -an elephantitis leg in a jar -elsewhere in the elephantitis collection, an elephantitis scrotum in a jar (it's the size of a car tire) -the skeleton of a man whose virulent arthritis caused all of his joints to fuse together, freezing him in a chair until death -the stomach-shaped hairball surgically removed from a young girl who couldn't stop chewing on her hair (thought your parents just made that one up to scare you, didn't you?) -a chorus line of jarred stillborn fetuses, most with memorable birth defects -a "megacolon" in a jar -"the syphilis exhibit" -mummied pioneer girl. Don't come here if: you're freaked out by human bodies and body parts in jars; you are not curious about sickness or death, or you object to public displays of such curiosity; you vomit easily. Otherwise, oh man, this is one of the best museums in the country. It's open 10:30-5:30 7 days a week, and it's FREE.

Good way to spend an hour or two. It is small and off the beaten path (I mean, Forest Glen...who goes there...but no, it is still, about 3/4s of a mile from that metro!) You can see the bullet that killed Lincoln, an Elephantiasis leg, a skeleton of a four month old fetus, a skull with a bullet wound and all sorts of other odd yet strangely interesting artifacts. The information is enough to educate without overwhelming. I would rate this another quarter star if there were other things in the neighborhood to do, but this is about all there is to do that is within a mile radius of Forest Glen. Just the same, I felt it was worth the trip. *If anyone can tell me if that elephantitis leg is real, or just a model, please let me know.

Made a visit today. Staff were super friendly and welcoming. Spacious parking lot and free admission! They have maps at the front, although the building isn't incredibly huge. I really enjoyed the Lincoln exhibit! Overall, I really enjoyed my visit. I definitely need to come back and bring my husband!

This small yet wonderfully arranged museum makes for a great afternoon diversion for the person interested in military medical history, health, or with an affinity for grotesque objects in jars thrice(+) their age. You can see the bullet removed from Lincoln's brain, prosthetic devices from several decades, life masks from the subjects of the early days of reconstructive surgery, diseased bones and the marvels of modern military medicine. You could get through the exhibits in roughly an hour or so. They also host family-friendly events open to the public in an effort to get future generations interested in modern medicine - like the adorable Teddy Bear Clinic event this past weekend which featured activities and crafts designed to highlight the body, physical fitness and health habits

Absolutely fascinating place and nearly unknown, even to locals. It's in Silver Springs, MD, so not on the standard tourist track, and few other tourist "destinations" nearby. This version of the museum opened in the fall of 2011. It is a museum related to health and medicine, and while few, if any, of the exhibits are truly gross, they can be extremely graphic. Fascinating, but graphic. The NMHM grew from an Army Museum, so a heavy portion of the collections are military-related - various Civil Was weapons, projectiles, examples of damage caused, early prostheses, examples of death by various diseases, early hospital trains & ships, Civil War surgical equipment ... a replica of an intact MASH unit .... exhibits highlighting the Gulf War and its specific human impacts ... They have their fixed exhibits and a selection of rotating ones as well - several hundred years' of early microscopes, early x-ray equipment , the flip-through man (a person who was sectioned from head to toe in very thin segments, which were then sealed & mounted horizontally so you can flip from one end to the other, the first dialysis machine ever used, and much more. (They do have their own website if you want to look up the details.) When my boss had to be in DC for a conference, I told her to be sure to take a side trip here - they were having an exhibit of hairballs and she was in heaven! (Well, yeah, some of us find different things fascinating.) It's under military jurisdiction so they do ask for ID when you go there, and they note license plate and registration numbers of vehicles, but that's about the extent of their screening. Ample parking - free, and museum entry is also free. Very handicapped accessible. Hours are a bit shorter than some standard museums, so might want to double-check before you go. Can be a bit noisy sometimes because they have a fair amount of school field trips that come here.

This isn't to review the museum (it sounds awesome from review). But after verifying that the museum was open on weekends, my family and I drove two and a half hours to come see the museum to find out that it is closed due to extenuating circumstances. I'm writing this review now to save anyone else the trouble of driving out here only to find out the museum is closed. See photo. I assume museum will reopen soon but I would call first to verify before planning a trip.

I went here years ago. It's super creepy and fun! Extremely memorable. Definitely worth checking out.

A tiny medical oddity and military medicine museum in Silver Spring that's free. Great for kids that like to be grossed out.