Morbid Anatomy Museum

The Morbid Anatomy Museum was a collection of historical medical objects, anatomical artifacts, and death-related exhibits housed in a converted nightclub building in Brooklyn. The three-story space contained exhibition areas, a specialized library, a cafe, and a gift shop.

The museum opened in 2014, founded by Joanna Ebenstein and four co-founders with a focus on presenting an unconventional perspective on medicine and mortality. Financial challenges led to its closure at the end of 2016.

The museum explored how death and medicine shape our understanding of human life across different periods. Visitors encountered exhibitions that revealed cultural attitudes toward mortality and the body throughout history.

The museum occupied a converted building in the Gowanus neighborhood with multiple exhibition levels and spaces for browsing and reflection. Visitors could spend time moving between galleries, the library, and the cafe area.

The museum assembled rare anatomical specimens, historical medical instruments, and taxidermy pieces sourced from private collections seldom seen by the public. Many items came from museum storage facilities and represented materials typically kept hidden from general view.