Indiana Medical History Museum

Indiana Medical History Museum

State:
Indiana
Name:
Indiana Medical History Museum
About Us:

The Indiana Medical History Museum is located on the grounds of the former Central State Hospital on the near west side of Indianapolis. The heart of the museum is the Old Pathology Building, the oldest surviving pathology facility in the nation. The Building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Inaugurated in 1896, the Pathological Department facilitated medical education and research on the physical causes of mental disease. In operation until the 1960s, the Pathological Department was reborn as a museum in 1969 and its scientifically equipped interior was left intact.

Today, visitors can explore the teaching amphitheater; laboratories for bacteriology, clinical chemistry, histology, and photography; the library, reception room, and records room; as well as the autopsy room and anatomical museum which houses preserved specimens--mostly brains, organized by pathology.

In addition to guided tours of the beautifully preserved Old Pathology Building, the museum offers special events, exhibits, and programs on a range of topics, including the history of science and medicine, mental health care past and present, forensic science, and health careers today.

Our Work with SOI:

The Indiana Medical History Museum staff members took students from IUPUI on a tour of the museum, which is located in an 1895 building that originally was the pathology lab of the Central State Hospital. The staff also reviewed the text for the Indiana section of the exhibit and provided valuable commentary.

Get Involved:

3045 West Vermont Street,
Indianapolis, IN 46222
Phone: (317) 635-7329