Pennsylvania Hospital, the oldest hospital in the country, is set to become Philadelphia’s newest museum as part of this year’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday, writes Stephanie Stahl for CBS News Philadelphia.
Founded 25 years before the nation itself, the hospital continues to stand at the forefront of medical care today.
“We’re the first chartered hospital in the nation,” said Stacey Peeples, the lead archivist and museum curator at the Pennsylvania Hospital Museum. “We have great fortune to turn 275 the same year that the country is turning 250 years old.”
Pennsylvania Hospital was founded by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond with a mission that was centered on caring for the sick, the poor, as well as the mentally ill.
“Before that, if you were sick or injured, you had to rely on hiring a physician,” said Peeples.
Eight rooms inside the Pine Building at Pennsylvania Hospital are currently being restored for the museum, including the historic pharmacy. The space will feature medical artifacts that will range from rare books dating back to 1762 to early surgical tools, such as scalpels.
Pennsylvania Hospital Museum will highlight the extraordinary progress of medicine from its origins to modern breakthroughs. It will open on Friday, May 8.
Read more about Pennsylvania Hospital’s history and future as a museum at CBS News Philadelphia.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on PHILADELPHIA Today in February 2026.
