Mütter Museum: Einstein’s Brain and Medical Marvels

Why It Stands Out

The museum’s most famous resident is arguably the 20th century’s greatest mind. Visitors can view dozens of thin slices of Albert Einstein’s brain, mounted on microscope slides.

These fragments were surreptitiously saved by pathologist Thomas Harvey in 1955, who hoped to unlock the secret of the physicist's genius. Decades later, researchers discovered that Einstein’s brain possessed unique structural features, such as a shorter Sylvian fissure and a high density of glial cells, which may have contributed to his extraordinary spatial and mathematical abilities.

These slides eventually found a permanent home here in 2011 after being donated by neuropathologist Lucy Rorke-Adams. Beyond the brain, the galleries showcase a haunting array of human biology.

You will encounter the skeleton of Harry Eastlack, whose body was slowly encased in bone due to a rare condition that turns soft tissue into a second skeleton. Nearby sits the "Soap Lady," a 19th-century woman whose body transformed into a waxy, soap-like substance during decomposition.

The museum also houses the Chevalier Jackson collection—a fascinating and slightly terrifying archive of over 2,000 objects, ranging from buttons to safety pins, that were surgically removed from patients' airways. From the death cast of the original "Siamese Twins" to intricate wax models used for historical medical training, the collection offers a profound look at the complexity of the human form.

Before You Go

The galleries are accessible to the public every day of the week, with hours running from ten in the morning until five in the evening. While the museum is open to all ages, children must be accompanied by an adult.

Please be aware that photography of the specimens is strictly prohibited to maintain the dignity of the remains.