In order to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus/COVID-19 in the community and to protect our staff and volunteers, effective March 15th we will be closed to the public until further notice.
IMHM Statement on Racial Injustice and the History of Medicine
GET INVOLVED
Learn how you can support the work of the Indiana Medical History Museum by clicking the Get Involved Link above. See our tour hours and admission fees. You do not need to make a reservation unless you have a group of 6 or more. Group tours must be scheduled ahead of time. Click the Group Tours link above for more information. |  Courtesy of Tom Mueller Photography, LLC |
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4/1/2020: Indianapolis Medical Society Bulletin Special Feature: Indiana Medical History Museum by Richard D. Feldman, MD, IMS Board Member, IMHM Board Member and Past President, Former Indiana State Health Commissioner 3/18/2020: Today we said goodbye to Dr. Charles A. Bonsett. Dr. Bonsett was working at Central State Hospital when the Pathological Department was closed in 1968 and slated for demolition. He and his colleagues worked tirelessly and invested their own funds to save the building and establish the Indiana Medical History Museum. Dr. Bonsett's support and enthusiasm never wavered, and to the end he was still a member of the Edenharter Circle and attended nearly every event. Without him the Indiana Medical History Museum would not exist and the Old Pathology Building would not have survived. We are so grateful to him for, and he will be sorely missed. Obituary 3/17/2020: One T.C. Steele painting of Dr. William B. Flecter is the newest addition to the Friends of T.C. Steele online compilation of T.C. Steele works from museums, sites, and private collections across the country. See it and learn more about this and other works here. 3/16/2020: IMHM mentioned in Indy South Magazine's article "Museums offer perfect getaways during dicey spring months." 2/17/2020: IMHM is among the cool places to visit in Indy in this month's issue of Nashville Lifestyles Magazine. Check it out here. 2/3/2020: IMHM Announces crowd funding campaign with Ball State University Applied Anthropology Laboratories to locate the burials in the oldest section of the Central State Hospital Cemetery in order to properly memorialize the patients buried there. Click here to learn more, watch the video, or make a donation. 1/21/2020: We're excited that we made this USA Today 10 Best list of must see quirky and unique museums in the United States! We're certainly unique....you won't find anything else like the Indiana Medical History Museum in the country! But stop by to see for yourself!
Voices from Central State was a Fall 2016 event series that spotlighted the patient perspective on life at Indiana's flagship mental institution, Central State Hospital (1848-1994). Click here for more information. We're currently planning a continuation of the Voices project, an initiative to gather stories from people with connections to Central State Hospital, including former patients, workers, neighbors, and families. If you are interested in participating, please contact Sarah Halter at shalter@imhm.org. | The Old Pathology Building is in trouble! Learn more about our Capital Campaign to save the building and protect the future of medical history in Indiana. See the progress we have made, what still needs to be done, and how you can help.
Help us to fulfill our mission to interpret and preserve the Old Pathology Building through tours, exhibits, and programs.
for more information, visit our events page *Please note: The Old Pathology Building that houses the Indiana Medical History Museum is a historic building and, as such, may present certain risks and/or physical restrictions. Some floor seating is available for visitors with limited physical mobility, but these must be requested in advance by emailing Sarah at shalter@imhm.org. These are available on a first come, first served basis. We are working to make our historic amphitheater more accessible and safer, but all program attendees must read and accept the Ticket Agreement to acknowledge the risks posed by steep stairs, the lack of a railing, etc. Click here to view the Ticket Agreement.
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When the Spanish Influenza began to affect life in Indianapolis in late September 1918, the Hoosier Capital City was relatively quick to react. The community had dealt with typhoid epidemics in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and an outbreak of diphtheria in 1910 had resulted in orders to close schools until the infection passed. Public health officials ordered schools, theaters, restaurants and other gathering places shut down to halt community spread of the deadly influenza, and residents were asked to wear cloth masks when out in public (and to refrain from spitting on the streets and sidewalks, at all costs). Indiana University, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame all canceled football games that fall, and popular Halloween Trick or Treat activities were suspended until the fall of 1919.TAKE A TOUR Central State Hospital Grounds (available soon) |
