Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Rig Museum “Mr. Charlie” side profile
Rig Museum
Enkiri Enoki
Mausoleum of Levy Mwanawasa
Embassy Park
Close up of the Alexander Graham Bell Statue.
Alexander Graham Bell Statue
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Dine beneath the metal ceiling and among the walls decorated with pieces of local history.
Griffith & Feil Soda Fountain
The warm exterior of Jim’s at night.
Jim’s Steak and Spaghetti House
The nine-pound banana split sundae is best when shared.
The Poky Dot
Poolsmoor Prison Cantina
The original owner opened up in the Bay Area in 1920, but came to this location in 1927.
Barney’s Beanery
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
This is Louise’s state map as of her visit to Kansas. She aims to get to all 50 states before July 4, 2026.
Your Emails Are Fueling My Quest to See All 50 States
The Trail of Tears marker in Prairie Grove, Arkansas
How to Walk on the Trail of Tears
Bontaites with her Abbott World Majors medals.
The Trip That Changed Me: How Running the World’s Biggest Marathons Pushed AnneMette Bontaites’s Limits
My 50-State Quest: Gravette, Arkansas

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Switzerland Basel Anatomical Museum Basel

Anatomical Museum Basel

A journey through every aspect of the human body.

Basel, Switzerland

Added By
CoolCrab
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Nestled within the anatomical wing of the University of Basel lies a hidden museum filled with medical specimens. it is one of the oldest museums to focus specifically on human anatomy.

The museum was established in 1824 under Professor Carl Gustav Jung, who wanted to create a museum that laid bare the secrets of the human body. Since it was built as a teaching tool for the training of future medical professionals, the setup of the museum is rather unique, with its specimens placed in categories and healthy and sick variants displayed together.

One of the most interesting items in the museum's collection is a skeleton prepared by the anatomist and physician Andreas Vesalius, who is often regarded as the father of modern anatomy. He prepared the skeleton in 1543, making it one of the oldest anatomical specimens in the world.

In recent years, the museum has made an effort to be more accessible to the public, with exhibitions and explanatory text around its key items. 

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Related Tags

Museums And Collections Medical Museums Anatomy Anatomy Museums

Know Before You Go

Check the website for opening hours, entrance is 8chf without discount.

Community Contributors

Added By

CoolCrab

Published

November 17, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Anatomical Museum Basel
20 Pestalozzistrasse
Basel, 4056
Switzerland
47.564971, 7.579611
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Spalentor

Basel, Switzerland

miles away

Hoosesagg Museum (Pants Pocket Museum)

Basel, Switzerland

miles away

Feuerwehrmuseum Basel

Basel, Switzerland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Basel

Basel

Switzerland

Places 12
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Spalentor

Basel, Switzerland

miles away

Hoosesagg Museum (Pants Pocket Museum)

Basel, Switzerland

miles away

Feuerwehrmuseum Basel

Basel, Switzerland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Basel

Basel

Switzerland

Places 12
Stories 1

Related Places

  • Copenhagen, Denmark

    Medical Museion

    A novel collection of medical curiosities housed in an 18th-century surgeon training academy.

  • Dr. Knox, Burke and Hare masks.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Edinburgh Anatomical Museum

    A collection of unique objects showcasing the university’s achievements in the medical field.

  • Museo de Anatomopatología

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Museo de Anatomopatología (Museum of Pathological Anatomy)

    Located in a veterinary school, this macabre exhibit displays the effects of animal diseases.

  • Rome, Italy

    Museo Storico Nazionale Dell' Arte Sanitaria

    One of the most important yet well-hidden museums dedicated to the history of medicine.

  • Anatomical collection at Tübingen University.

    Tübingen, Germany

    Steinkind von Leinzell

    The Tübingen University anatomical collection hosts an example of an extremely rare medical phenomenon.

  • University Museum of Sciences and Arts.

    Naples, Italy

    Anatomy Museum of the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli

    An eerie, little-known Neapolitan museum filled with preserved human remains.

  • La Specola.

    Florence, Italy

    La Specola Anatomical Collection

    The largest and most famous wax anatomical collection anywhere in the world.

  • Berlin, Germany

    Berliner Medizinhistorisches Museum

    Home to 10,000 medical specimens including the remains of Rudolf Virchow's extensive collection of pathological specimens.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.