Dittrick Museum of Medical History

The Dittrick Museum is a medical history collection in Cleveland that displays thousands of objects spanning centuries of healthcare. Inside you find old surgical instruments, anatomical models, photographs, and documents that explain how medicine evolved and changed over time.

The institution started in 1898 as a medical library and gradually collected more medical devices and artifacts from earlier times. During the industrial era, it grew into a major repository that documents how medical practice and healthcare changed.

The exhibitions show how people's views on medicine and health have shifted over time, with displays of old healing methods, public campaigns, and educational materials. Walking through the rooms, you notice how treatments that once seemed normal now look quite different from what we do today.

The museum operates on a scheduled appointment basis, which means you need to register before your visit. This setup allows staff to provide better support and gives you more time to study the objects closely.

The museum holds one of North America's largest collections of obstetrical instruments, showing how childbirth practices changed over the centuries. This specialized collection documents the medical tools used during delivery and how differently doctors worked in earlier times.

Location: Ohio

Inception: 1898

Website: http://artsci.case.edu/dittrick

GPS coordinates: 41.50600,-81.60860

Latest update: December 12, 2025 12:05