Massachusetts General Hospital, known locally as Mass General or MGH, is one of the oldest and largest teaching hospitals in the United States and the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. Its main campus sits on Fruit Street at the western edge of Boston, near the Charles River and the foot of Beacon Hill. Founded in the early 19th century, MGH is a flagship of the Mass General Brigham system and a major center for patient care and biomedical research.
The campus holds a place in medical history: its Ether Dome, a surviving 19th-century surgical amphitheater topped by Bulfinch’s domed Massachusetts General Hospital building, was the site of the first public demonstration of surgical anesthesia using ether in 1846. While primarily a working hospital rather than a tourist site, its historic architecture and riverside setting are notable. Visitors with appointments or business should consult the hospital’s official directions and parking guidance.
Good to know
- A working hospital and Harvard Medical School’s largest teaching hospital, not a tourist attraction
- Home to the historic Ether Dome, site of the first public surgical use of ether (1846)
- Charles/MGH Red Line station is directly adjacent to the campus
- Check the hospital’s official site for visitor directions and parking
Getting there
- Address: 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114
- Neighborhood: West End (at the edge of Beacon Hill)
- Nearest T: Charles/MGH (Red Line), directly across from the main campus