Finite-element models of the eardrum are developed to understand its function. Accurate models can potentially be used to optimize diagnostic tests and surgical procedures. However, modeling accuracy depends on the elastic properties specified when constructing the models. Although the eardrum is an orthotropic elastic structure whose stiffness varies in the radial and circumferential directions, for simplicity, many investigators have measured the eardrum’s elastic properties (specifically Young’s modulus) under the assumption of isotropy, thus limiting the applicability of these measurements. Whether the eardrum is assumed to be isotropic or orthotropic, most measurements of its properties are made using strips cut from the pars tensa. However, cutting can potentially cause damage to soft tissue. In this work, existing indentation-based and pressurization-based methods were extended for estimating the orthotropic elastic properties of the eardrum in situ. The two methods are initially tested using synthetic data with controlled amounts of noise. The results indicate that for the pressurization-based method, estimated elastic parameter values are within 10% of the known values used to generate synthetic data when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is 2 or greater. An SNR of 200 or greater is required when using the indentation-based method to achieve error of less than 10%. The indentation-based method is applied to the rat eardrum for which experimental measurements of load-displacement curves are available in the literature, yielding average elastic orthotropic moduli values of Ec = 23.4 士 1.6 MPa (circumferential direction), Er = 58.7 士 4.2 MPa (radial direction), and Gcr = 35.6 士 3.3 MPa using an average uniform pars-tensa thickness of 12 ^m.