Macabre exhibits galore pack this Department of Defense–run museum. The stomach-shaped hairball leaves a lasting impression (a 12-year-old girl ate THAT?), as does the megacolon (use your imagination). The showpiece is the bullet that killed Abraham Lincoln, encased alongside bits of his skull. The museum is located at Fort Detrick’s Forest Glen Annex. That’s officially out of the District, but just over the border in Silver Spring, MD.

Opened in 1862, the museum is one of the oldest in the DC area. The focus of the museum’s eclectic collection is military medicine – the displays on Civil War combat ‘nursing’ are gruesome and fascinating in equal measure. It’s not for the faint-hearted – visitors will see the effects of diseases, the tools used to battle them and all the messy side and after effects

Unfortunately, the Metro won't get you very close (the station is a mile from the site), so it’s easiest to drive out. Parking is free. Bring photo ID.

Transportation

  • metro: Red Line to Forest Glen

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Battleground National Cemetery

3 MILES

The 41 Union men who died defending Fort Stevens are buried at this tiny, poignant cemetery, a half-mile north of the old fortification.

2. Fort Stevens Park

3.33 MILES

In a raid on July 11, 1864, Confederate General Jubal Early attacked Fort Stevens, the northernmost of the defensive ramparts ringing DC. A small but…

3. Nature Center & Planetarium

3.38 MILES

The Nature Center & Planetarium is the main visitor center for Rock Creek Park. Besides exhibits on park flora, fauna and history, it can provide hiking…

4. Rock Creek Park

3.66 MILES

At 1700-plus acres, Rock Creek is twice the size of New York’s Central Park and feels wilder. Terrific trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding…

5. Soapstone Valley Trail

4.37 MILES

This rugged 1-mile trail follows along Soapstone Creek and makes a nice add-on to a hike in Rock Creek Park. Access the trailhead on Ablemarle St NW,…

6. Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens

4.52 MILES

The former estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post of Post cereal fame, this lavishly decorated 1920s mansion showcases her extraordinary collections of…

7. Peirce Mill

4.7 MILES

Alongside Rock Creek, the 1829 Peirce Mill is a beautiful fieldstone building that houses a recently restored gristmill – the last of the mills that once…

8. President Lincoln's Cottage

5.1 MILES

History buffs can make the trek to President Lincoln's summer house tucked away on the grounds of the Soldiers' Retirement Home. Abe came here to beat the…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "usa/washington-dc/logan-circle-u-street-columbia-heights/attractions/national-museum-of-health-and-medicine/a/poi-sig/386099/1329654",
      "position": "superzone"
    }