We had the incredible opportunity to experience the Glore Psychiatric Museum in two completely different ways! First, we came at night for a paranormal investigation. Our museum host was absolutely wonderful--super nice and helpful. They gave our team a great introductory tour of the key areas and then handed over the reins, giving us the freedom to investigate independently for the rest of the night. The very next morning, we returned with a larger group for a regular daytime visit. The museum is fascinating! The exhibits are deeply interesting and do an excellent job covering the extensive history of the asylum and the evolution of mental health care. There is an entire second building that houses other great collections, including The Black Archives, which is easily accessible via a walkway on the 2nd floor. Highly recommend a visit whether you're a history buff or a paranormal investigator! read more

See all

The Glore Psychiatric Museum is located 51miles NW of Kansas City in St. Joseph Missouri. It has been called one of the fifty most unusual museums in the United States. The museum illustrates how the treatment of mental illness has progressed through time which was first located in a ward of the original "State Lunatic Asylum No. 2" Besides the artifacts of the instruments used for lobotomies, hydrotherapy and Bath of Surprise floors two and three have art work of the patients. Besides this museum St Jo was established in 1821 and became a principal channel of distribution for the building of the west also the Pony Express started here in 1860; visit Pony Express Museum which is a must see. The massive mansions reflect the prosperity of the 1880s. It's a fun day trip. read more

Glore Psychiatric Museum - Museums Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

!!SIMULTANEOUSLY SERIOUS, FASCINATING AND SCARY!! Provides a look WAY back at how mental and emotional issues were treated. Progress has fortunately been dramatic. Don't miss it. I've been through it twice and will likely do it again. read more

So much interesting stuff. If you like museums this is a must stop. Lots of reading along the self guided tour. But worth it! read more

See all

Interesting museum..creepy museum lol give it a go! At $12 per person its educational and not expensive to visit. Employees were nice and friendly read more

Very unusual but interesting museum. Watch the video that is shown near the gift shop. It was very interesting. This is a large museum with 4 floors to explore. I would not recommend the psychiatric museum for children. It also includes a section that has Native American artifacts, one section that has Black History and a doll room. read more

Came across this museum on TikTok, and was visiting the area from Cleveland. So so happy we made the stop! Several floors with an amazing amount of detailed information about the Missouri state hospital as well as history of mental hospitals and treatment as a whole. Absolutely worth the affordable entrance fee for all the exhibits they have. As a therapist this was so so cool to see, I would definitely recommend! read more

See all

Great place to see and learn much about the history of psychiatric treatments, as well as conditions. The site being on the grounds of a former state hospital makes it even more authentic. read more

We were on our drive to Des Moines and this was on our way. I love everything medical so decided to stop by. This place is in front of the psychiatric facility and next to a prison. It's not very busy do you can find parking with no problem. The cost for 2 adults was $20. The staff who works there is super nice and helpful. This is probably one of the coolest museums I've ever been to. It's very real and raw this is what you don't really see since no one talks about it. They had actual tools they used in surgery. The revolution of mental health. It Aldo breaks down the types of conditions a person can have. There is the history of the treatments they had for mental health and how it's evolving. There was a very cool room that was my favorite where it was youth who were probled and how they became a success because of the help they got. There's a lot of cool art that was done by patients. This is not a boring museum this is very interesting and educational. I don't think it's for little kids but teenagers and adult can benefit from this place. This is under rated. Definitely worth checking out. read more

Glore Psychiatric Museum - Museums Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

Wow- what a great museum! I am a therapist so I find the history of treating those with mental illnesses so intriguing. We came into town for the chiefs training camp, and I was so hoping they would be open on a Sunday and it was- score! The museum is in the actual former state hospital #2 and not just in a random building. Some of the artifacts were also originals, and some models are from other closed hospitals. The second floor was my favorite and I spent over an hour reading every single sign. I was so intrigued and thoroughly enjoyed myself. There are so many reminders of how those with mental illnesses used to be treated. I feel honored to be a part of the profession as of now where we are ethically obligated to treat clients/ patients with dignity and respect. Hours are 10-5 daily and adult admission is $10. read more

See all

I fell in love with this museum the moment we drove onto the property! Scattered buildings on the grounds of what was once the area's mental health asylum make for an eerily beautiful landscape as you drive around to the parking lot near the entrance of the series of museums. I admire the respect this museum holds for mental health and the patients who were, as we know now, mistreated in an era of ignorance about such things. The museum does a great job of highlighting the fallacies of this asylum and offers detailed information about former patients and more. It also houses the Doll Museum, which is a little underwhelming, but interesting nonetheless, as well as a Black Archives Museum, Native American History, and more. Definitely worth the ticket. Stop by sometime. read more

Glore Psychiatric Museum - Completed in the 1960s, this stands as a testament to the daily life of a former patient who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. - Museums Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

If your into this type of stuff it's time we'll spent. I spent 1 hour and was moving along pretty well and did not take time at every area. Could easily spend 2 hrs. At only $10 for adults, it's time well spent. read more

See all

Let's talk about ignorance...This museum has artifacts from Wounded Knee. They were scavenged by looters after the massacre, who profited by selling them to collectors. They ended up in a private collection in the St Joe area, and was more than likely donated to the Glore Psychiatric Museum in St Joseph, Missouri, as a tax write-off for the wealthy family. They sit in a quiet corner of the small, but lasting exhibits at Glore Psychiatric Museum (a converted mental hospital that now serves to show the horrors of the past.) If you are unaware of what transpired during the massacre at Wounded Knee, please take a moment and do a quick search. It's at the very least a civic duty, because that information will change you, entirely. (If it doesn't, please see a therapist.) This chapter was left out of my history books, too, so don't feel ashamed to look it up. These items should not be here. They should be in the hands of the Lakota people. They should be travelling to schools, libraries, and community centers with Lakota educators, sharing the truth about American Indigenous history. They should not be sitting behind glass for decades. They should be returned to the descendants of the people who were massacred there! read more

If you're looking for a great dark tourism destination then here it is! When we were in St Joseph, MO we decided to stop by this museum and I'm glad we did. Such a cool place and very fairly priced for what you get. It's a good mix of dire and informative. It took us about 2 hours or so to walk through everything. I learned about all the different methods they used to treat the mentally ill in the past. Things like hitting them over the head with a club to calm them. They called this an anesthesia stick. A coffin shaped cage they used to lock patients in. This was called a calming cage. We got to see the lobotomy room. That was pretty fascinating. Down in the basement is the morgue. This gave off some serious creepy vibes being down in that basement with nobody else! We pretty much got full run of the hospital and got to explore at our own pace. It takes you through most of the time periods of mental health and the methods, questionable or not, that they used. It was very cool and interesting. Also there is a Native American museum attached to the hospital as well with all kinds of cool artifacts from the Native American culture. I really dug this and thought it was a great bonus to an already pretty fun experience. If you're in the area I definitely recommend the Glore psychiatric museum. It's so worth the money and it's something you don't get to see everyday. Side note: it's attached to an active prison which gives it an even more ominous feel read more

I am honestly not the best judge when it comes to Museums and such as I usually start getting really bored about 10 minutes in... lol This place wasn't so bad! The exhibits were pretty interesting and it was pretty crazy how they treated the patients!! Gift shop seemed somewhat dated. read more

See all

This was one of the most interesting stops of our road trip across America last year! I have a fascination with anything medical and historical sites and this place satisfies both. It sits right next to an active prison (we learned this when we got there!) and are several floors to this exhibit, each featuring a different part of the psychiatric care. We arrived a little bit late so we only had about 2 hours to explore. If you love to dive into the details of a museum like me, I would suggest you allow yourself at least 2-3 hours here to fully explore everything. read more

I have visited the Glore Museum several times and always enjoyed my visits; all the stellar reviews of the museum are absolutely correct. This time, however, I want to give special thanks to the staff during my last visit with my siblings. We had really been looking forward to touring the Glore; my brother and sister had never been there and were visiting from out of state. So you can imagine my distress when, just as I was turning in to the parking lot, I discovered that my car had a flat tire! We went to the front desk of the museum, and Max and Heather were very understanding regarding our situation. They allowed me to stay in the lobby of the building (since it was raining) while my siblings started their tour. I called AAA, then had to wait for a call from the roadside assistance technician, and then had to call the local tire store to arrange a time to bring my car in to have the tire repaired! I'm sure it wasn't optimal to have all that activity occurring at the entrance to the museum, but they remained calm and considerate and very helpful (especially in providing information like the exact address of the museum). Thankfully, I did have time to tour the museum as well, and my siblings and I ended up having a delightful visit. Max was very solicitous and asked about my car as we were leaving (the technician had changed out my flat tire for the spare), and seemed genuinely glad to hear the good news that I'd be able to have the tire repaired. This was also the first time I'd visited the museum with pets, as my siblings were traveling with their dogs. We were delighted to discover that the Glore Museum does permit well-behaved dogs on leashes in the museum! It was a relief to be able to take our time wandering through the exhibits, without someone having to watch the pets outside. The museum is such a unique place, with such wonderful exhibits, that I look forward to every visit and love taking out-of-town guests there. It was wonderful to be treated with such kindness and understanding when I had my tire mishap. It's just one more example of why the Glore Museum is the BEST museum in Missouri! read more

I visited the Glore museum in 1993 in nursing school. My first experience at Glore was weird, to say the least. I vowed to return there one day. I returned today. And I'm glad. They have remodeled it,and moved it to another part of the building. It shares the grounds of the prison and the school district. There's a high school directly across the street from the prison...okay, we won't go there.... You enter the Glore and we started on the 3rd floor. The third floor displays how meds were passed and music therapies and art therapies. There's a quote about how the nurses were expected to behave. "Nurses who dance in the halls will be considered unloyal and will be suspended" It's floor 2 right off the elevator you see the nails (over 1,000's) of them that a pica patient swallowed. Then there's the colonic therapy..but not called colonic back when it was used for torture. It's actual several displays of ice water therapies, and colon tortures. They show the rectal dilation therapy,and electro shock, lobotomy therapy. And then there's the room with the human hamster wheel and coffin restraints. Really if you have a weak stomach, I'd not visit this place. But it is so perfectly executed that it is worth the visit.I'm an hour and a half away and made the trip to see it again. When I visited it in 1993, there was patient access. That was the first time in my nursing career I'd ever seen a catatonic patient. He'd gotten loose and was in the rocking chairs. They captured him and gave him Thorazine and hauled him back to the unit. Well, they've changed that now, and I'm glad. They've moved it, and expanded with no patient access, but more exhibits. Being a nurse this is very interesting. There's other museums attached to this one, but this is the main attraction and yes, it's a creepy, dismaland. Worth the trip. read more

See all

This is a mind jarring, macabre, educational, and the stuff that nightmares are made of type of museum. Three floors of artifacts and reproductions of items that were used to treat, control, or contain people with mental illness. Some items are directly from this former state hospital, while others were from decades prior. There is a morgue in the basement along right next to custom cars that patients had built for show. Scattered about the building are pieces of art that was made on site by patients, some very normal and nicely done, other pieces hauntingly odd. Another room was an exhibit called "The Secret" which gave voice to people who had mental illness and the events that triggered it or the direct manifestation of it. Scary how close we all are to being victims of mental illness after reading the displays. There is a walkway on the 2nd floor that connects to an other building housing a hodgepodge of several mini-collections, including Native American, African American, Dolls, and Missouri music. The Native American area has several pieces of art and clothing that are impressive, you can skip the rest. read more

Glore Psychiatric Museum - Perform your own autopsy! - Museums Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

See all

We had no idea this museum would be so meaningful. Filled with fascinating artifacts, patient artwork and a wide variety of stories of staff and patients from years of treating mental illness, this museum tells a story from when the treatment was basic torture to now, when science has provided a better way. Very very interesting. Staff were very friendly. We spent two hours here. read more

See all

This a nice little history complex. Several museum areas - not just the psychiatric museum. Worth the time spent seeing all of the exhibits in each of the museum areas. Staff helpful and knowledgeable. Two thumbs up! read more

Fascinating museum, but definitely haunted. I learned a lot of things and I had a great time, but I did feel creeped out and like someone was watching me at times. Make sure to take a friend with you, but totally check it out! read more

I'm thankful that people have put the time and effort into an unusual museum such as this so future generations can learn. It's a hidden gem in the area for anyone interested in history, abandoned buildings, psychiatry, the unusual, or the macabre! Take your time exploring the whole building on the self guided tour. Reasonably priced and friendly, helpful staff. Ask to see the artwork in the tunnel!! read more

I'm torn by how to rate this. Is there a better psychiatric museum out there? Probably not. Do barbie dioramas depicting old treatment methods take away from a museum's professional image? Definitely. What this museum does really well is educate without judgment. The 20 minute introductory film on the first floor helps to explain this purpose. Right away you're asked to set aside preconceived notions of psychiatric hospitals and their residents. Then, each display challenges you and broadens your view point. Some information is shocking, but it's not sensational. They reference specific, tragic cases, but it doesn't feel exploitative. To our modern eyes, some treatment techniques seem like torture, but for the most part, clinicians were searching for solutions. The sad reality, that I think this museum touches, is that we still understand very little about mental disease. At the end of the day, the museum presents facts without bias and asks you as the visitor to draw your own conclusion. It's obvious they don't have a huge budget, but they make do. This is probably not a great place to take young kids. TLDR: I think this was worth the drive from kansas city and price of admission. Get a Groupon voucher to save some cash. read more

See all

This was on our way from Kansas City to Omaha. The greeter was very nice. We didn't get as much out of this museum as we did the asylum in Salem, OR. Glore is ok. read more

One of my favorite museums! I really like reading the information they have with the exhibits...it's chilling, but so real. The Pica display was very interesting and thought provoking. read more

This will be the first time in my YELP history that I say five stars is an understatement. You start at one of three floors and see the basics: the display of contents of PICA victim's stomach (it would make Albert Fish recoil in horror)...actual hydrotherapy and electroshock units...blah blah blah. But what you notice is the mannequins!!!! They are department store mannequins in compromising positions and their expressions make it seem like they are just fetish modeling these torture contraptions. My favorite is the one that is saucily gazing out at you as she is trapped in some kind of cage (on the second floor), as well as the one who is modeling a "camisole" (aka "straightjacket). And then there are the faceless mannequins. And then there are the shadow boxes where these tiny figures with demonic looks on their faces throw buckets of scotch tape over their victims to drown them...I mean, subdue them. ERM, OK!!! And then there is the third floor full of the art that was created by the patients there. One guy was quite the sculptor and did a model of not only capital building, but two of the little African doll that terrorizes Karen Black in Trilogy of Terror. This museums is a must see. The only thing that comes close is the Mutter Museum in Philly, but that is not even in the same league as this. I could have spent, uh, hours in the Glore Museum. I can't wait to go back! read more

For a few bucks this is a good way to spend an afternoon. they did a good job converting this ward into an educational attraction. It really makes you appreciate how far we have come in treating people with mental health issues. they have several floors to walk around and you can handle some of the items too. Some of it seems like something out of a horror movie; it's not meant to scare but to remind us of what we used to do to people we didn't understand. read more

Sooo much fun!!! I enjoy all things psychology and this museum gave a good history of what psychiatric hospitals used to be like and how much they truly have evolved. They also have a cute little gift shop with books, clothes, coffee mugs, etc. I'll definitely be going again. Ask to see the tunnels!!! read more

See all

I had a staycation due to covid. While I had heard of the Glore Psychiatric Museum, I had never traveled there. The price was reasonable. The history of the facility was fascinating. As a nurse, I have enjoyed seeing the progress that the medical community has made over the years. There is so much in the museum that at times it can get overwhelming. The flow was at times hard to follow, and there were other collections that were hard to follow at times. But seeing this sometimes hidden part of the medical world was fascinating! read more

If you want a good combination museum and place that gives you the "heebee jeebees", then this place is perfect for you. What it lacks in professional, modern design and displays, it wholly makes up for in make-your-skin-crawl location. Since it is set up in the old mental hospital, the smells and feelings of The Shining set are everywhere. They'd make a mint off an over night option or even a Mystery Theater game night. There are other mini museums or displays you can add on to your experience. I was "meh" about those...maybe I was just tired and creeped out by the time I got to those in the back. It's worth a visit at least once. read more

Interesting and thought provoking!!! Also was impressed by the Native American museum section!!!

I love this place! There are several floors which makes the building really unique. You can feel the ghosts and spirits there walking down those long halls. We got in for free. I really loved reading the history and information. It also made me sad that people use to do that crap to others... the employees were respect and had good customer service. A better gift shop would be nice, and maybe like a cafe, + add a kid play area And turning the building next to you into a Museum, children's museum, a bunch of different things for tourist and locals to enjoy. read more

This is the coolest place. I've been several times, but it is always cool. There is so much to see. Spend a couple hours here!!

Very unusual museum, mindful of the mental institutions of the past without the "scary movie" vibration. Humanizing and empathic.

A must see in our town, it tells the way how mental illness was treated at the times of ignorance. It is as well a teaching tool in many ways for all!!! read more

When I was little, I had two friends named Travis and Dusty. That's right, Dusty. Anyway, they moved to KC from St. Joe when we were all about 7-10 years old as a result of their father's job transfer. We became fast friends. I rode them down dirt-hills like they were human sleds and laughed all the while (they were portly children with ample cushioning). At some point, they decided to move back to St. Joe. Their father kept his job in KC but decided the commute was better than the apartment complex where they were stationed. Since we were all flaming dorks, Travis, Dustin and I decided that we would remain friends. This meant that I would come to see them during the summer, when time would allow. They returned to their semi-Gothic house on Olive street that dated back to the late 1800's. I visited. And I was terrified each and every time that I did. See, legend had it that their home was once a housing area for the St. Joseph Mental Health Facility... Although back then, it was called something euphemistic like 'The Missouri State Home for the Criminally Retarded,' or whatever. Point is, it's where you stuck the loonies. And the leftover loonies (heretofore known as the Le' Loons) were kept at their house. On Olive Street. Where they now hung their hat(s). Their attic was terribly frightening. I couldn't go upstairs by myself. I was terrified to pee (the bathroom led into the unfinished portion of the attic... at night, I SWEAR I saw red eyes peering back at me). The old bathroom was boarded up after they found a skull during renovation. At night, I'd hear chains clinking in the hall and the doors would open without warning. Anyway, some of these weirdos went on to live at the psychiatric hospital, now the Glore Museum. Do I feel a personal connection to these patients? No. Mostly, they're now relegated to mannequin status. The whole thing looks like an early Depeche Mode video or a beginner's S & M Training Guide. It doesn't take away from the terrifying ferocity of the fact, though. There were a lot of crazy mother fuckers when this place was a functional hospital, as witnessed by the 'patient ingestion' displays and no-nonsense plaques that display the depths of depravity. Now, however, these once unfathomable beasts are stuck as dummies... but they're still pretty fucking scary. read more

Walk through here and then visit your nearest adult toy shop. When you're browsing around said adult toy shop and happen to stop to observe a strange object then think, "I wonder who thought up *this*?" you'll remember the time you visited this museum and you'll go, "Oh...that's who." Or, ever wonder where waterboarding came from? No, it wasn't your high school bully shoving your head in a toilet, it was Benjamin "The Father of American Phychiatry" Rush. He also signed the Declaration of Independence. Apparently, he required freedom to do lots of things to suffering human beings. There's no way I can write enough creepy words to encapsulate this place which is housed inside State Lunatic Asylym #2 in St. Joseph's, Missouri. But if you go, you will never forget this experience. It sticks with you, kind of like the 1,446 nails and spoons and paper clips carved out of a woman's stomach and displayed, artistically mind you, at the entrance to the museum. If you're ever near Kansas City, a sure side trip for the strange. read more

Glore Psychiatric Museum - 1446 objects that were removed from a woman's stomach - Museums Near Me - Saint Joseph, Missouri

See all

I almost thought about taking a star away from this place due to the fact that when I visited it, it terrified me. Then I remembered that I was a young child at that time - probably not the best age to visit this museum. In any event, I would recommend visiting the museum to anyone who is slightly older than I was when I was there. The Glore Psychiatric Museum used to inhabit the State Lunatic Asylum #2, which is now a prison. It sits outside the prison these days. It contains dozens of toe-curling devices (some authentic, some reproduced) used to "treat" mentally ill patients throughout history. Perhaps the creepiest part of visiting the museum is when you start to realize that some treatments, such as lobotomies and fever cabinets, are not such a distant memory in the mental health profession. If you have an interest in the history of mental health, or you are just interested in something a little offbeat during your trip through St. Joseph, be sure to stop by this museum. I dare you to leave the functional morgue in the basement without feeling a little uneasy. read more

What *is* this place? That's what we kept thinking to ourselves as we walked through. The low budget exhibits are part of what makes this place such a memorable experience. There has never been enough money to remodel this place in any substantive way, so you never lose the sense that you are walking through rooms where all kinds of people experienced all kinds of pain over the years. Some of the (seemingly unrelated) exhibits of Native American artifacts, etc. just add to the surreal experience. If you look at the photo gallery on their website it will give you a sense of the disjointed collections, but it's the pure physical presence of the space that really stays with you. We visited over five years ago and I still remember things in great detail. Definitely not for sensitive children, or thoughtful ones unless you are ready to answer some pretty huge questions about what makes life fair or unfair. read more