Museum of the Eye – San Francisco, California - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

Museum of the Eye

San Francisco, California

A free, public museum dedicated to the fascinating science of sight. 

View all photos
129
916
Top Places in San Francisco
The Sutro Egyptian Collection
San Francisco, California
Exploratorium
San Francisco, California
San Francisco's Cable Car Museum
San Francisco, California
 See All

How do you see the world? Find out at the Museum of the Eye,  a free, public museum dedicated to the fascinating science of sight. Look through the pupil of an enormous eye, explore interactive displays and try on a virtual reality headset to see how new technology can impact medicine. Through high-tech exhibits and a renowned collection of ophthalmic artifacts, visitors discover surprising facts about how vision works and the field of medicine devoted to protecting it.

The collection traces the history of ophthalmology through its 10,000 artifacts, rare books, and extensive archives. The collection dates from the third century B.C. to the present, and includes the history of the Academy, personal physician papers, medical instruments, over one thousand spectacles, and additional vision aids.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology was founded in 1896, going on to establish The Foundation which used its funds to create the Museum of Vision in 1980. The Museum is dedicated to the dissemination of educational materials, exhibitions, publications, and research information to members of the medical community and the general public and aims to educate people about the eye, sight and the history of eye care.

The San Francisco Headquarters features a small array of the intricate 19th-century optometry instruments and artwork, with the exhibits changing out periodically. The website features exhibits past and present, including: ‘Eyes Examined’, an examination of 19th-century case studies; ‘Spectacular Spectacles’, a history of eye glasses and vision aids; ‘Eyes of War’, World War II from the point of view of ophthalmologists who participated in the war; ‘To Fool the Eye’, insight into myths surrounding American medicine; ‘Windows to the Soul’, ancient legend and folklore surrounding eyes and sight.

The Museum also makes available its archived collection that is not on the public floor of the museum. Tours of the behind the scenes collection are by call-in appointment, and led by a knowledgeable member of the staff.

medical museums collections museums
Nearby
Chamber of Secrets Door
0.09 miles
Stern of the Niantic
0.23 miles
Musée Mécanique
0.27 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
San Francisco, California

Chamber of Secrets Door

This residential door allows San Francisco muggles a glimpse at the wizarding world.
San Francisco, California

Stern of the Niantic

The only visible piece of San Francisco's most famous shipwreck.
San Francisco, California

Musée Mécanique

A collection of 20th-century automata, penny arcade games, and musical contraptions.
San Francisco, California

Aquatic Park Tombstones

Visible below the waves are memorials to the city's Gold Rush dead.
Related Places
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.
Field tools.
Saint Petersburg, Russia

Russian Museum of Military Medicine

Rare documents, old instruments, and gruesome specimens showcase the history of military medicine.
London, England

British Optical Association Museum

The world's oldest optical museum is an odd collection where the exhibits look at you.
The museum contains two halls, with different types of exhibits.
Hrodna, Belarus

Museum of Malformations of the Human Body

This rare collection of human deformities displays fetuses with two faces, one eye, and "mermaid" legs.
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web