Heart of Cape Town Museum
About This Museum
You know that feeling when you're just walking through a hospital complex and stumble upon the very spot where medical history was made? That's the Heart of Cape Town Museum for you. It's tucked away inside Groote Schuur Hospital, and it's all about that incredible day in 1967 when a team led by Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the world's first human heart transplant. Stepping inside is like traveling back in time; everything is preserved with an almost sacred attention to detail. It’s not just a museum, it’s the actual theater where the impossible became possible.
Collection Highlights
The absolute centerpiece is the meticulously recreated operating rooms—both for the donor and the recipient—frozen in time from that historic surgery. You'll see the original heart-lung machine, all the stark surgical instruments they used, and even the simple brown bottle that held the anesthetic. It’s incredibly moving to stand there and see it all laid out, so real and so raw.
Visitor Information
Heads up, you absolutely have to book a guided tour in advance—you can't just walk in. The guides are fantastic, often with personal connections to the hospital, which makes the story come alive. It’s right on the hospital grounds in Observatory, so it's easy to fit into a day in Cape Town.
Architecture & Building
The museum is housed within the original, no-frills Groote Schuur Hospital building—think classic early 20th-century institutional architecture with high ceilings and long corridors. It’s not a fancy purpose-built museum, which honestly makes it feel more authentic, like you’re being let in on a secret.
Contact & Location
Address: Groote Schuur Hospital, Main Road, Cape Town Ward 57, Cape Town, City of Cape Town, Western Cape, 7937, South Africa
Phone: +27 21 404 1967
Website: Visit Website
