Step inside the world’s first heart transplant

On 3 December 1967, a team of surgeons at Cape Town's Groote Schuur Hospital made medical history by performing the world's first successful human-to-human heart transplant. Today, you can step inside the very operating theatres where it happened. At the Heart of Cape Town Museum, lifelike recreations bring the extraordinary events of that night to life, from the tragic circumstances that led to the donation of a heart to the groundbreaking surgery performed by Dr Christiaan Barnard and his team. It's a fascinating, surprisingly moving journey into one of medicine's greatest achievements — and a reminder that world-changing history happened right here in Cape Town.

BEFORE YOU GO
The museum is located inside Groote Schuur Hospital's original building, with visitor parking at Entrance 3. Guided tours take approximately 90 minutes to two hours and run Monday to Friday at 9am, 11am and 1pm, with a 3pm tour available by prior arrangement. Advance booking is essential. Weekend tours may be arranged for groups of six or more. The exhibits include realistic surgical scenes and medical specimens, so the experience may not be suitable for younger children or sensitive visitors. Photography is permitted. Make sure you head to Groote Schuur Hospital in Observatory, not the similarly named hospital in the city centre.