Indiana Medical History Museum

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.