In addition to being a resource and advocacy organization, the AAO oversees the Truhlsen-Marmor Museum of the Eye, located in San Francisco, California. Established in 1980 as the Museum of Ophthalmology at the AAO, the museum was a collection of books, instruments, photographs, eyeglasses, and the AAO’s archived material. Now, the museum’s collection has expanded to 38,000 ophthalmic history-related items, including art, stamps, coins, memorabilia, literature, and pharmaceuticals, among other items.
The museum is the only free public museum that contains eye-related items. Museum visitors can look through the pupil of a large eye, use virtual reality headsets to learn about new medical innovations in eye care, and explore with interactive displays. The museum offers visitors a unique chance to understand how the vision works.
The museum contains displays and offers school tours and resource materials. For more information on the Truhlsen-Marmor Museum of the Eye, please visit www.aao.org/museum/about.