Heart of Cape Town Museum, Medical history museum in Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa.
The Heart of Cape Town Museum is housed in the original operating rooms of Groote Schuur Hospital, where a medical revolution took place in 1967. The space displays the exact setup from that period, including instruments, equipment, and documents from the time of the surgery.
A surgical team performed the first successful human heart transplant in 1967, an event that transformed medicine worldwide. The operation was initially observed with skepticism by international experts but quickly led to advances in transplant medicine around the world.
The museum shows how the heart transplant changed the medical world at that time and what questions it raised for doctors and patients. Visitors can read old letters and statements from medical professionals around the world who learned of this surgery.
Visits require advance booking since only guided tours through the rooms are offered and spaces are limited. It is best to arrive early in the day when tours are less crowded and you can see the details more clearly.
The museum displays reconstructed bedroom and recovery spaces that show who the donor and recipient were and how their lives changed through the operation. These personal rooms give the medical events a human face and make the history tangible.
Location: Observatory
Inception: 2007
Official opening: 2007
Address: Groote Schuur Hospitaal, Main Road, [[Observatory (Città del Capo)]]
Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 09:00-17:00
Phone: +27214041967
Website: http://heartofcapetown.co.za
GPS coordinates: -33.94111,18.46139
Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:41
Cape Town spreads between the ocean and the mountains, each neighborhood having its own pace. When walking along the Atlantic, the air turns crisp right away. The city then spreads out towards the heights where hiking trails wind along rocky slopes. Going down, you pass old streets with colorful buildings that catch the eye, then you reach gardens at the foot of Table Mountain. The country's past is always present here. Visiting the island where many political prisoners were held during apartheid helps understand that recent period and its wounds. The markets have a different energy, loud and lively, just like the beaches where swimmers and sea creatures share the space. This selection highlights places that show the spirit of Cape Town. It invites you to explore the city through its views, neighborhoods, and history, including Bo-Kaap with its brightly painted houses, the Mountain of the Table towering above, Kirstenbosch with its gardens full of local plants, or Robben Island with its key historical stories.
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