Fortifying anatomy course materials with visual aids is undoubtedly beneficial to the learning process. The aim of this project was to develop an in-house gross anatomy atlas and investigate its role in improving student performance in the gross anatomy component of a first-year anatomy and physiology course for BScN students at St. Lawrence College. The atlas was developed using local anatomy specimens such as preserved cadavers and models. Images of captured specimens were edited, labelled, and converted into a printable format. The atlas was made available to the students. The efficacy of this atlas was analyzed by comparing test scores of the class of 2015 (atlas not available) to the class of 2016 (atlas provided). The class of 2016 significantly outperformed that of 2015 on gross anatomy-focused quizzes (p<0.05). We found that addition of an in-house gross anatomy atlas improved student performance in the laboratory and enhanced overall anatomy learning.