The Heart of Cape Town Museum Admission Ticket | 1 hour 30 minutes

13 Reviews | Cape Town
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You can select up to 15 travelers in total.
Adult (18-99) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 15
2
Child (4-17) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
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Infant (0-3) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
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Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
The Heart of Cape Town Museum Admission Ticket
2 Adults x $16.51
$33.02
Approx Total
$33.02

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Guided tour
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities

Overview

Celebrate one of the greatest moments in medical history at the Heart of Cape Town Museum – a museum dedicated to the world’s first successful heart transplant. Visitors experience the drama of that moment in the fully restored, original operating rooms laid out as they were on the day of the operation. Highlights • Museum dedicated to the world’s first successful heart transplant • Fully restored, original operating rooms laid out as they were on the day of the operation • Trained and certified tour guide

Meeting points

Heart of Cape Town Museum
Main Road, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, Cape Town Central, South Africa, ZA, 7925

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

  • Heart of Cape Town Museum

    Celebrate one of the greatest moments in medical history at the Heart of Cape Town Museum – a museum dedicated to the world’s first successful heart transplant. Visitors experience the drama of that moment in the fully restored, original operating rooms laid out as they were on the day of the operation. The medical museum also includes a timeline of events that led up to the operation and exhibitions on the donor Denise Darvall, and the surgeon Christiaan Barnard. A trained and certified tour guide will describe the electrifying events of the day with the help of silicone models and reenacting important scenes. History After being declared braindead, Denise Darvall was brought to Theatre B at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town on 3 December 1967. She was prepared for surgery, and at 03:00 her heart was harvested for transplantation. Professor Christiaan Barnard, assisted by Rodney Hewitson, proceeded to sew the donor heart into the recipients’ chest. The operation lasted four and three quarter hours, and at 06:13, the heart began beating in its new home. The Heart of Cape Town Museum honours the skill and wisdom of the transplant team, the courage of the recipient, the generosity of the donor’s father and the memory of the donor herself. Did you know There were several important milestones that led up to the first human heart transplant. The first of these was an operation performed on a dog on 22 July 1958. Norman Shumway and Dick Lower succeeded in bringing a dog’s heart back to life after it had stopped and been stored in saline for one hour. Six days later, Chris Barnard performed his first open heart surgery on 15-year-old Joan Pick. Advice for visitors At the time of this surgery, Christiaan Barnard received a lot of criticism, particularly with regard to ethics. At the Heart of Cape Town Museum, the exhibition covers Barnard’s struggle and the ethical backlash and international attention the surgery received. Another fascinating feature to take note of is the recreation of the donor recipient’s recovery. Ask the guides as much as you can about it – they are knowledgeable and some have even worked with Barnard! The tour lasts roughly two hours, and although it is a fantastic learning experience for children, pre-school age children and youngsters are not recommended as guests.

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • The tour lasts roughly two hours, and although it is a fantastic learning experience for children, pre-school age children and youngsters are not recommended as guests.

Free Cancellation

June 19100% refund
June 20No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews

4.3

13 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    10
  • 4 stars
    1
  • 3 stars
    0
  • 2 stars
    0
  • 1 star
    2

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 10 reviews with 5 stars

Simple and effective

Published on Mar, 2025

A chronicle of the first human heart transplant with historical video and demonstrative set-up. Simple and effective.

Wonderful experience - hidden gem

Published on May, 2024

Exceptional experience - well presented and super interesting. Only people there and guide was amazing. I could have stayed longer - lots to read and appreciate.

Excellent tour given by a...

Published on Dec, 2023

Excellent tour given by a very knowledgeable tour guide. The reproductions are vivid and authentic. We learned a lot about what went before, and after the first heart transplant, and about Dr. Christian Barnard, the good and excessive enjoyment of his celebrity.

Excellent

Published on Jul, 2023

Excellent, definitely worth to see. The staff is very generous and kind. Highly recommend! Thanks for everything.

Christian Barnard story and museum

Published on May, 2023

Fantastic, highly recommend but you have to get transport, I used Uba. A tour guild takes you thru, you will probably have the company of medical students

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