Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
about 1 month ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
about 1 month ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
about 1 month ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
about 1 month ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State New York City Manhattan William J. Syms Operating Theatre

William J. Syms Operating Theatre

Once considered the height of medical modernity, this structure is now the oldest remaining component of Roosevelt Hospital.

New York, New York

Added By
Leslie McIntyre
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Americasroof at en.wikipedia
  Americasroof at en.wikipedia
  St. Lukes - Roosevelt Hospital
  via NYCScout/Flickr
The Syms Operating Theatre as it appears today   ScoutNYC/Flickr
Syms Operating Theatre, 1893   via NYCScout/Flickr
  NYCScout/Flickr
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Construction of the William J. Syms Operating Theatre was facilitated by the theatre's namesake, a gun-dealing millionaire who, upon his death in 1889, bequeathed $350,000 to Roosevelt Hospital with the stipulation that the money be put toward the construction and operations of a surgical operating theatre with Dr. Charles McBurney as its director.

McBurney had presided over an operation on Syms some years earlier. Following the surgery, the surgeon received a check from Syms to the tune of $3,000 as payment for the $300 procedure. McBurney returned the money only to be repaid tenfold following the eventual death of his grateful patient.

The Syms Operating Theatre was completed in 1892 and was widely hailed as a testament to medical modernity. In accordance with the modern emphasis on sterilization, the theatre's architect eschewed the use of wood and other porous materials that could harbor bacteria, opting instead for mosaic floors and liberal use of marble on the walls, ceilings, and even laundry chutes. Other state-of-the-art features included separate rooms for prepping patients and surgical tools, and a moat to ensure proper drainage. The tiered amphitheater could accommodate 184 student observers, and the conical skylight, the structure's defining feature, allowed for plenty of natural light.

By the 1940s, the facility's once-revolutionary amenities had become standard practice and the Syms Operating Theatre had lost some of its luster. The theatre saw its last surgery in 1941, after which it was converted to a blood bank and mortuary and later served as a temporary emergency room. The interior was gutted in 1953 and the building is currently undergoing renovations to prep it for a new life as the home of the private Speyer Legacy School. Renovators plan to leave intact any original architectural features that remain, including a faded inscription in the basement which reads Mortui Vivo Docent, or "Let the dead teach the living."

Related Tags

Instruments Of Science Architectural Oddities Medicine Architecture

Know Before You Go

Visitors are not allowed to enter the building. Best viewed from outside.

Community Contributors

Added By

Leslie McIntyre

Edited By

reunionswamphen, Mauronic

  • reunionswamphen
  • Mauronic

Published

July 22, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/25/realestate/streetscape-syms-operating-theater-mildly-romanesque-west-side-bargaining-chip.html
  • http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2012/04/1892-wm-j-syms-operating-theater-59th.html
  • http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/01/built-as-an-operating-theater-soon-to-be-a-private-school/
William J. Syms Operating Theatre
338 W 59th St
Roosevelt Hospital
New York, New York, 10019
United States
40.769285, -73.985195
Get Directions

Nearby Places

New York's Adam and Eve Sculptures

New York, New York

miles away

Al Hirschfeld's Desk and Chair

New York, New York

miles away

Power Station

New York, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New York

New York

New York

Places 406
Stories 90

Nearby Places

New York's Adam and Eve Sculptures

New York, New York

miles away

Al Hirschfeld's Desk and Chair

New York, New York

miles away

Power Station

New York, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New York

New York

New York

Places 406
Stories 90

Related Stories and Lists

Even Midtown Manhattan Has Its Secrets

List

By Molly McBride Jacobson

Related Places

  • London, England

    Epstein's Medical Sculptures

    A series of carved figures that scandalized British society.

  • House Bouchoute.

    Bruges, Belgium

    House Bouchoute

    The compass on its front was a handy tool for 17th-century merchants who needed to know the direction of the wind.

  • A relief of surgical instruments.

    Nagoa Ash Shatb, Egypt

    Temple of Kom Ombo

    One of its engravings is believed to be among the first representations of medical and surgical instruments.

  • A tuberculosis hut converted into a visitor center at Rock Ledge Ranch

    Colorado Springs, Colorado

    Tuberculosis Huts

    Small teepee-like houses built for TB patients have become sheds, studios, and bus stops around Colorado Springs.

  • IceCube Research Station

    Antarctica

    IceCube Research Station

    The world's largest neutrino telescope searches for secrets of the universe at the South Pole.

  • The sound mirrors.

    Greatstone, England

    Greatstone Sound Mirrors

    Huge concrete structures designed as an early warning system for Britain to detect enemy aircraft.

  • Victoria, British Columbia

    Fisgard Lighthouse

    An operating lighthouse from the 1860s.

  • Ruins of the Observatory. (Wikimedia Commons)

    Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine

    Pip Ivan Observatory

    Remains of a station that only operated for one year.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.