Glore Psychiatric Museum
Glore Psychiatric Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Housed in the medical, surgical, and admitting unit of the former St. Joseph State Hospital, the museum is one of only a few of its kind. The original displays created in 1968 by the museum’s namesake, George Glore, are still a part of the collection. These exhibits give visitors a life-size visual of what mental health treatment devices looked like in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Exhibits also share the history of what was once known as “State Lunatic Asylum No. 2” when it opened in 1874. The exhibits include surgical tools, treatment equipment, and doctor’s personal notes. Patient artwork, such as pottery, paintings and needlework, is also on display to give visitors an idea of how patients faced their daily challenges and expressed themselves through their art. Exhibits include the contents removed from a patient’s stomach (such as nails, thimbles, and eating utensils) as well as a television set packed full of handwritten notes written by another patient.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
340 reviews
Excellent
206
Very good
102
Average
25
Poor
4
Terrible
3
Dorothy H
Syracuse, Nebraska, United States25 contributions
Feb 2022 • Couples
Thought the topic looked interesting. It was! We learned so many things. Mental health is still such a mystery even in our day. This museum goes through the many ways folks have been dealt with through the years. I especially liked the art and diary excerpts of Arthur Kraft.
Written February 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Matthew C
Saint Louis, MO121 contributions
Oct 2022 • Solo
I have been wanting to go here for years and finally got around to it. I work in the mental health field, so I really wanted to see a museum that educates people on the terrible way we used to treat mental illness and the amount of progress we have made today. I spent roughly an hour here. I did not go to the other museums that were a part of the tour. Each exhibit is explained well. You definitely get more than you pay for as the tickets are only $10 for adults! I think everyone should visit this museum but I especially think you should visit it if you work in the healthcare system.
Written October 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for visiting the Glore!
Written November 1, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
brinkster
washington DC72 contributions
Nov 2020
This is a very interesting museum if you're into the weird and quirky. That being said, you won't find much on the way of carnival sideshow exhibits, more like a difficult subject (care of the mental illness) shown in a tasteful and educational way. While macabre, and many of the treatments are outrageous by today's standards, it is important that malice to the ill was unlikely. While most of the attention is on the exhibit on the 2nd and third floor, the basement also has an interesting exhibit on the role that the hospital farm played in keeping the system supplied with fresh meat, fruit, and vegetables.
Written November 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DrumRGirl
Hiawatha, KS1 contribution
May 2024 • Couples
Really fascinating place to visit. It really brings mental health and illnesses to life. Showing the odd behaviors of patients as well as a variety of procedures done on said patients. The reasons people were admitted in the first place is still baffling to me.
Highly recommend for anyone. It's family friendly and showcases the good and bad experiences for patients beautifully. It also really shows how much we as a society have grown since the time period that hospital was in operation.
Highly recommend for anyone. It's family friendly and showcases the good and bad experiences for patients beautifully. It also really shows how much we as a society have grown since the time period that hospital was in operation.
Written June 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ShiningStar0921
South Sioux City, NE571 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
Very well done museum! So many displays with descriptions that are short and to the point which kept my attention :). A lot of personal stories and items mixed in which made it even more interesting! So glad we stopped. So interesting and a bit crazy to see what caused people to end up in these facilities and how recent it was still functioning.
Written September 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vila G
Romania18 contributions
Feb 2021
I've wanted to visit this museum for years and finally managed it. Totally worth your time and only took a couple of hours. Watch the video first, but the rest of the museum can be seen in any order. I found the morgue and the section of lobotomies especially interesting.
Written March 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nikki A
Yukon, OK6 contributions
May 2021 • Solo
This was amazing place. I hope I get to go again. I gained so much knowledge and insight on the highly stigmatized practices of asylums and the “morbid” procedures of mentally ill patients. I encourage everyone to go. I throughly enjoyed learning everything that I did. You will want to stay longer than you planned to.
Written May 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SunDog78
Bismarck, ND84 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
Well worth your time. This was a fascinating yet sad place to visit. A step back in time to the procedures and treatment of the mentally ill. Very informative and gives a glimpse into what the people endured in the name of help.
Written January 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I visited about four years ago (I was about 16 years old) and to this day my visit to the Glore Museum stands out as one of the most eerie specticals of my life. The inmate-produced artwork still wakes me from my sleep and remembering the weird cages, harnesses, and instuments of lobotomy make my skin crawl. Don't get me wrong, I found the museum educational, eye-opening, and overly interesting, just in a creepy way. I think the tour lasted about two hours, and if you happen to be staying in Saint Joseph for a day or two I think you should stop by. It will definitly give you a new appreciation of your sanity as well as for modern (humane) medicine.
Written April 1, 2002
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nikisma
san francisco, ca15 contributions
My husband and I visit St. Joe more often than we like, owing to his having family in the area, and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that you can count the number of attractions worth visiting there on one hand. However, we have been to the Glore Psychiatric Museum on numerous occasions and it never ceases to fascinate. The exhibits on the history of psychiatric care in Europe and America help to illuminate the shameful ways mental illness was dealt with up until the recent past - the chair of regret, anyone? The inmate art is by turns beautiful, bizarre, disturbing, and hilarious. This place is almost worth a separate trip to St. Joe, and if I'm not mistaken admission is free, all they ask for is a donation at the door, so give generously to this truly unique and memorable museum.
Written April 3, 2005
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are you open until 4pm today?
Written December 29, 2020
We're RVing through St Joseph in early September with a small dog. Can we bring our 14 lb dog into museum chained in an on-body dog carrier (can't leave him in heat of RV) ?
Written May 16, 2019
I would expect not. Best bet is to call them and clarify the question. Missouri is very hot in September. Can you just leave the A?C on in the RV?
Written May 17, 2019
I don't believe that is possible. The museum, although three floors is rather small, and each individual area is marked with a great deal of information on the items presented. In addition there is a short movie on the history of the place and the exhibits within, that you can view prior to walking through the floors. Because of the very nominal fee to go through it, I would guess it would not be worth their time to have a guided tour.
Written October 5, 2018
What is the average time it takes for a visitor to go through?
Written February 20, 2017
I would allow about an hour to an hour and a half. The Glore Psychiatric Museum has a 10 minute introductory video. There are three floors of exhibits to see after that.
If you are interested, the Doll Museum, the Black Archives Museum, and the American Indian Galleries of the St. Joseph Museum are all in the same building. One admission price allows you to explore everything on site.
Written February 20, 2017
slucas800
Kansas City, Missouri
How much does it cost to get into the museum? Regular price and student discount price? (Does it matter where you are a student to or is it only specific schools?) I go to a college in Kansas City, MO.
Written February 6, 2017
The regular price is $6, but students pay $4. That includes non-traditional students and it doesn't matter which school a student attends. We welcome students year round and they are a big part of why the museum exists.
Written February 6, 2017
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