The museum will be closed Wednesday, January 17. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Plan your visit
The Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation opened in April 2012. The nearly 8,000-square-foot facility hosts exhibits and programs on medical topics such as:
- The evolution of health care
- Laboratory and clinical research
- Patient and family support
- 2 North Grove Street
- 617-724-8009
- mghhistory@partners.org
- Near Public Transit
- Fully Accessible
- Free Admission
Areas of the museum
The Main Gallery, located on the first floor, houses nearly 2,000 square feet of exhibits organized around various medical themes.
The Putnam Gallery, located on the third floor, features rotating exhibits, a portrait gallery and space for lectures, presentations, receptions and other special events.
The Rooftop Garden hosts more than 30 kinds of trees, shrubs, grasses, vines and ground covers along with sweeping views of the Beacon Hill neighborhood. It is open year-round.
Visiting the Ether Dome
The Ether Dome at Mass General, the site of the first successful public surgery using ether as an anesthetic, is not housed within the museum. Located in the Bulfinch Building, this surgical amphitheater is open weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm, except during faculty meetings. Call 617-724-9557 for more information.
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Transportation
We encourage visitors to take public transportation. The museum is a short walk from the Charles/MGH Station on the MBTA Red Line.
Parking
Parking at Mass General garages is limited to patients, their families and visitors. When visiting the museum, you may use on-street metered parking or nearby parking garages. The museum does not offer validated parking.
Docents & Tours
Our specially trained docents are available to provide tours to all visitors. Large groups of visitors are asked to call 617-724-8009 to schedule their visit so we can plan accordingly.
Accessibility
The museum is fully accessible for people in wheelchairs. Click here to learn more about accessibility at Mass General
Dining
Several Mass General cafeterias and cafés are within a short walk of the museum, including the Riverside Café, Coffee South, Eat Street Café and Coffee Central.
Frequently Asked Questions
The museum is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Saturdays from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm April through October. It is closed on weekends November through March and the following holidays:
• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Presidents’ Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Columbus Day
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas
No. The museum is free and open to the public.
The museum is located at 2 North Grove Street in Boston, on the Massachusetts General Hospital main campus.
The Mass General Ether Dome, a surgical amphitheater and the site of the first successful public surgery using anesthetic, is located in the Bulfinch Building. The Ether Dome is open weekdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, but is closed during faculty meetings. Call 617-724-9557 for more information.
We encourage visitors to take public transportation. The museum is a short walk from the Charles/MGH Station on the MBTA Red Line. Parking at Mass General garages is limited to patients, their families and visitors. When visiting the museum, you may use on-street metered parking or nearby parking garages. The museum does not offer validated parking.
Yes, our specially trained docents are available to provide tours to all visitors. Large groups are asked to call 617-724-8009 to schedule their visit so we can plan accordingly.
Our subject matter is most appropriate for high school juniors and/or seniors. If you are an educator interested in bringing high school students to the museum, please call 617-724-8009 to learn more.
Yes, the museum is fully accessible for people in wheelchairs. Learn about accessibility at Mass General
The Boston-based architectural firm Leers Weinzapfel Associates designed the museum, which won a 2012 Preservation Achievement Award from the Boston Preservation Alliance. The annual awards “honor outstanding achievements in historic preservation and compatible new construction in Boston.”
The museum is made of copper and glass. The upper stories are faced with copper, one of the world’s oldest architectural materials. The copper has not been treated and will slowly oxidize over time to attain a green finish.
Yes, photography is allowed throughout the facility.
Several Mass General cafeterias and cafés are within a short walk of the museum, including the Riverside Café, Coffee South, Eat Street Café and Coffee Central.
Currently, the museum hosts events for Mass General departments and staff only. For more information or to book an internal event, please contact Michelle Marcella at 617-724-2755 or mmarcella@partners.org. You may also send an email to mghhistory@partners.org.
Yes, we offer a variety of volunteer opportunities. If you are interested in joining the museum staff as a volunteer, please contact the Mass General Volunteer Department.
We are very grateful to those who want to support the museum. To make a monetary gift, please contact the Mass General Development Office. If you have a Mass General-related artifact or document that might be of interest to the museum staff, please email museum director Sarah Alger at salger@partners.org.
The museum is part of Mass General, which is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. As a result, all donations to the museum via Mass General are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.