Q&A: Penn Medicine – Pennsylvania Hospital turns 275

How did the Pennsylvania Hospital Museum come into existence?

As Pennsylvania Hospital approached its 275th anniversary, we looked at its legacy and how to share it more fully, a vision championed by Pennsylvania Hospital CEO Alicia Gresham. Bringing together archivists, storytellers, and designers, we reimagined the historic Pine Building as a modern museum. Through restored spaces and curated artifacts across eight galleries, the team transformed centuries of records into a cohesive narrative that invites visitors to experience the story of America’s oldest hospital and trace the development of medicine from its earliest practices to today’s advances.

How did museum organizers decide what to include, and how does that work continue today?

We are fortunate to have an archive that reaches back to the 1700s. Working together, Alicia Gresham, lead archivist and curator Stacey Peeples, and a group of volunteers reviewed patient records, board notes, rare books, surgical tools, and everyday items. Each object was chosen with attention to its place in history. Our preservation efforts continue today. We catalog and maintain materials as they come in, from digital records to staff accounts and items saved during events like COVID-19, so the archive reflects care as it’s practiced in real time.

How do Pennsylvania Hospital’s long-standing areas of care continue to shape its work today?

Throughout its history, Pennsylvania Hospital has led in areas such as mental health, medical education, and maternal care, which still define its work. For example, the first baby delivered at the hospital was in 1765, a time when most births still took place at home. Today, the hospital delivers more than 5,000 babies annually and continues to advance women’s health, from early work in in-vitro fertilization to more recent uterus transplant births. 

What are some of the can't miss exhibits and activities of the museum and Penn Medicine's anniversary celebrations?

Pennsylvania Hospital Museum shows medicine’s path from colonial America to the present. Exhibits include Benjamin Franklin’s role in founding the hospital, wartime care, including the Revolutionary War, and work in women’s health, mental health, and medical education, among others. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday.