The Health Museum

{{about|the museum in Houston|the museum in Istanbul|The Health Museum (Istanbul)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox museum |name= John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science |image = McGovernMuseumHealthHouston.JPG |caption = Photograph from 2009 prior to renovation. |established= 1969 |location= Houston, Texas |type= Science museum |public_transit={{rail color box|system=METRORail|line=Red}} Museum District |website= {{URL|http://www.thehealthmuseum.org/}} }} {{Location map+|Houston Museum District|float=right|width=260|caption=Location within Houston Museum District|alt=Location marked as THM|places= {{Location map~|Houston Museum District|lat=29.7218|long=-95.3860|label=THM|mark=Blue_pog.svg|position=right}} }} The '''John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science''', or '''The Health Museum''' in short, is a museum in the Museum District of Houston, Texas. The museum is a member institution of the Texas Medical Center. As of 2012 the museum gets over 180,000 annual visitors, including 22,000 schoolchildren who visit the facility during organized field trips.<ref name="About">"[http://www.mhms.org/ManageDetail/Detail_Default.aspx?contentid=481&categoryid=423 Who We Are]." The Health Museum. Retrieved on August 28, 2012.</ref><ref name="Hopper">Hopper, Leigh. "[http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Cadaver-battle-leaves-Houston-museum-in-cold-1883660.php Cadaver battle leaves Houston museum in cold]." ''Houston Chronicle''. Saturday February 4, 2006. Retrieved on August 28, 2012.</ref>

==History== The Museum of Medical Science opened in the Houston Museum of Natural Science on November 16, 1969, and it remained there for 21 years. The current museum facility opened on March 16, 1996, as The Museum of Health & Medical Science. The building housing the museum, the John P. McGovern Building, was funded with a $9.5 million capital campaign. Since its opening, the museum has processed over two million visitors. In late 2001 the museum's board of trustees unanimously voted to rename the museum after John P. McGovern. The museum revamped its brand in 2006, as part of the 10th anniversary of the standalone facility.<ref name="About"/> The new branding included a shortened name ("The Health Museum") and a new logo. As of 2006 the museum received 175,000 annual visitors.<ref name="Hopper"/>

A 2011 renovation included the addition of 3,300 SF of exhibition space to the southwest side of the museum with a metal-panel facade and 1,500 SF of additional interior renovations.<ref name=RHA>{{cite web|title=Health Museum Expansion|url=http://www.rharchitects.com/rha-projects/rha-institutional-projects/item/22-health-museum-expansion|publisher=Ray+Hollington Architects|accessdate=15 March 2015}}</ref>

Permanent exhibit space for the DeBakey Cell Lab opened in 2015. The DeBakey Cell Lab is a unique science-focused experience and the only bilingual science lab museum exhibit in the country. Honorably named after the respected and accomplished medical pioneer, Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., this 2,000 sq. ft. exhibit features seven authentic biology-based science experiments developed for visitors ages 7 to adult.

[[File:CN Animation Exhibit at Houston Health Museum - 4652443509.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The 2010 ''Animation'' exhibit featuring characters from Cartoon Network was once present in the Health Museum.]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Portal|Texas}} * [http://www.thehealthmuseum.org The Health Museum] *{{cite news |url=https://abc13.com/archive/6980592/ |title=Health Museum takes visitors to Mars |publisher=KTRK-TV |date=August 24, 2009}} {{coord|29.7218|-95.3860|format=dms|type:landmark_region:US-TX|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Health Museum, The}} Category:Museums in Houston Category:Human body Category:Science museums in Texas Category:Medical museums in the United States