Pennsylvania Hospital, founded in 1751 and widely considered America’s oldest hospital, is getting ready for its close-up. The institution will open a public museum in May 2026, when its historic Pine Building reopens for visitors. Inside, the hospital’s preserved library, surgical amphitheatre and a newly restored apothecary will anchor eight themed galleries. The timing lines up neatly with the hospital's 275th anniversary and the nation's 250th celebrations in 2026.
Grand opening and sign-ups
The museum's microsite lists a "Grand Opening May 2026" and invites visitors to join an email list for updates, according to Penn Medicine. Organizers say they will share ticketing details, tour options and other practical information through that list as restoration work wraps up. The site frames the project as a new public-facing chapter in the hospital’s very long story.
What's on view
The museum will launch with eight distinct galleries that mix interactive video, hands-on activities and historic spaces that have been carefully preserved, as reported by NBC10 Philadelphia. Visitors will be able to step into the hospital’s historic library and its surgical amphitheatre, and check out a restored apothecary that tracks the evolution of medicine from plant-based remedies to modern therapies like CAR-T and CRISPR. The layout will include a brain and mental-health gallery and a women’s-health section that highlights Pennsylvania Hospital’s role as one of Philadelphia’s busiest birthing sites. "Pennsylvania Hospital is linked to the history of the United States and has contributed across wars and pandemics," Stacey Peeples said in a statement to NBC10.
A living history
Founded in 1751, the Pine Building is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and houses what is considered the nation’s earliest surgical amphitheatre and medical library, notes Penn Medicine. Today, patient care happens in modern facilities nearby, while the Pine Building is being positioned as a carefully preserved historic site. Hospital stewards say the goal is to balance active clinical services with public access to the building’s historic rooms, giving visitors a chance to see the original spaces where students and townspeople once observed operations and where early practices helped shape American medicine.
Tickets, tours and timeline
Organizers told NBC10 Philadelphia that tickets will go on sale this spring, with visiting hours to be announced ahead of the May opening. Anyone hoping for pre-sale notices or word on special programs can sign up through the museum site. The new public access to the Pine Building, which also houses active archives and educational programs, offers Philadelphians and visitors a rare, close-up look at a medical past that still informs the way care is delivered today.
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