Objective To develop a method for the primary culture of retinal Müller cells of adult rabbit in vitro. Methods Retina was isolated from adult rabbit, cut into 1 mm × 1 mm pieces, and placed into Dulbecco modified Eagle medium/F12 containing 20 % fetal bovine serum to culture. Cultured cells were identified by inverted phase contrast microscope, transmissim electron microscope and immunohistochemistry staining method. Results Visible cell processes grew out from the retinal tissues after three days culture, and more cells grew radically around the retina after seven days culture. The cultured cells were often inflated at one side and had one long process at another side, and the nuclei were elliptical and there were two or more than two nucleoli under inverted phase contrast microscope. The cytoplasm was rich and contained abundant microfilaments in eight to ten nanometers under transmission electron microscope. Immunohistochemistry assay showed that 95% of the cells were positive for glial can be cultured by the explant culture method.