A nice activity for an hour, I recommend this museum for anybody who can stomach it. Its not gross but there are things (like brains, child skeleton, etc) that might not suit everyone. Our guide was nice and I felt she let us explore the rooms with adequate timing. $10 to get in and they have a small parking lot northwest of the building. Small but with enough parking. We walked up to the steps 2 min before the hour and were let in after she unlocked the door. They accept credit card. Very informative tour! I will definitely be coming back with visitors!!

Something this size could take one visit, but Ive been twice now (with kids 10, 11, 15 the second time) and I loved it just as much. Its interesting to know where we were in history and where we are now. I visited more of the grounds years ago, but the buildings are pretty much in shambles now. Its pretty cool to see them though.

Warning: tours start on the hour, and you cannot get in until ten minutes before! The museum is on the grounds of the Indiana state mental institution. This is the building where research and autopsies were actually done. Including a theater with original chairs than you can sit in. The tour was about an hour and the guide was very knowledgeable and took adequate time in each room. Very enjoyable. Real brains in jars!

If you have any interest in the history of medicine, this is a must see if youre in the area. I was surprised at just how much I learned. The person providing the tour (which starts on the hour) was very knowledgeable in regard to the building and its history. There really is a ton to see in the hour long tour. If youre a Pearl Jam fan, make sure to check out the original copy and order form for the Vitalogy book.The only issue I had, and the reason for 4 stars instead of 5, is that there is so much to see, an hour almost isnt enough to see it all. I consistently felt rushed when moving to a new room, and kind of had to lag behind to snap pictures without having someone standing in the photos. Overall though, it was an excellent tour.

Interesting place. Old medical teaching facility with old medical equipment still on display. Also has a lot of different diseased brains in jars. Kinda creepy. Might not be the best place for a first date but with the right person it’s an amazing date.

Essentially a museum of pathology, not all Indiana medical history. They offer guided tours only. On the hour, every hour.Our guide did not share much about the items in the room and kept saying things like dont ask me about [something] because I do not know anything about it. Not the best quality in a guide.But the volunteers were friendly and the information we learned (by reading) was interesting. It was overall a cool place to check out for an hour.

Great information. An awesome look at that point in history! Will definitely go back once the medicinal gardens are in full bloom.

Oldest pathology building still standing in US (second oldest overall). Interesting brain specimens with tumors and other pathologies from people in the nearby hospital for insanity. It is a guided tour with more general information, rather than specific advances made by the doctors that worked there. If you have a science background its interesting to see how much and how little has changed (which could have made the tour more interesting to touch on i.e the machine they used to slice small sections in wax for closer exam is very similar to what is used for frozen sections from samples during surgery)

Strange, delightful, spooky, humbling. Loved the tale of the rich history. Tours start on the hour for $10 ($5 students with ID)...come a little early and you’ll get to look around at a bunch of human brains. There’s stories about each human. That was the stuff that kinda “hits home” and gave me creepy feels. Loved the medicine bottles! Neat neat neat.

Ive put off writing a review for lack of words to describe how wonderful this tour was. Just go and take the tour. Theres no way anyone could leave disappointed!

Very informative tour. You will learn a lot of history about this old building and the things done in it. Check it out if you are in the area and have some time to spare.

Very cool time capsule of a medical school. A must see if you dare.

This place was fascinating! Our guide Doug, was so knowledgeable and it was really nice to read the humanizing stories that went along with the specimens. So many neat things to see and beautiful old furniture and history. 10/10 would recommend.

One of the coolest museums Ive ever been to, but Im entering the pathology field, so I may be biased. Very unique and a lot of U.S history here. Definitely worth seeing if youre in the area.

This museum has tours that last almost exactly one hour. It is the cheapest museum I have ever been to. With probably the most knowledgeable hosts of any museum Ive ever been to. Now they cant answer all of your questions, but if they cant then they usually write it down and find someone who can cuz thats exactly what they did to me when I went here a year ago. I took a friend here just the other day and it was just as awesome of an experience. Theyve got the stories of the patients, not just the medical descriptions. This place could very easily entertain you for days on end, and it truly saddens me that the tours can only be one hour long. I also recommend going there over the summer because the medical garden is also very interesting. Theyve got every plant in there labeled with common name, scientific name,

Mums and I loved this [affordable] tour, they didnt oversell or over dramatize the history, which we appreciated. It was a fun look into the history of indiana medicine/ treating mental conditions. Would have definitely liked to hear/see more about the grounds apart from the last building standing. This was a great day activity, go if youre in the area.

Very interesting tour!!! Would definitely do again to see all the unique items! The ladies conducting the tours and greeting you are amazing and knowledgeable about the history of the museum and able to answer questions and provide a good history lesson all while having a good time! Thank you ladies for a great visit!

This place is awesome!!!! I had no idea of the amount of history sitting in Indianapolis. What is great is the amount of items that are original not only to the era but the actual building. There are some creepy things too, which made the tour that much cooler. Wierd Science

Excellent museum. They pretty much had to drag me out. Not very appropriate for children, as its catered to a somewhat more intellectual audience. Its not hands on but theres tons to look at and you can walk around the rooms freely for the most part. Since its on the old grounds of Central State, its got a heavy psychiatric influence, but it goes well beyond the history of the hospital. Highly recommended for anyone in interested medicine, mental health, or the biological sciences as a profession or simply as an interest.

Not really all that we were expecting. It is a nice place to visit, but definitely one that you only visit once and then dont return to.

I have visited this museum twice, one time about 7 years ago & once recently. This museum doesnt get enough credit. I love the guided tour. I only wish there was more to see!

You must go to this place. A rare historical gem! A chance to get up close and see medical history from 100 years ago.

I loved visit this place. So much beautiful history packed into this small building. Our tour guide was so friendly and knowledgeable. We will be back and will bring family.

The IMHM is a quaint spot off the beaten path but so interesting! It was really cool to see all the exhibits, and to see how work on mental health issues began. The anatomical museum was fascinating and very informative. Outside, there are cool examplea of medicinal plants. Overall, this was a very enjoyable experience!

We had a fabulous intern lead our guided tour. He was knowledgeable and kind to answer all our questions. The museum is one of the better treasures of Indianapolis deserving of its historical status and efforts of preservation. The medicinal gardenbis so plentiful could also have a tour associated with it.

My wife and I stopped in for a tour today and had a great time. Our tour guide David was really good and very knowledge. Tour takes about an hour and they leave on the hour. Very unique bit of history!

Absolutely amazing history and amazing tour guides. Our tour guide Katie was very knowledgeable and a great speaker. The building is beautiful and is full of history everywhere you look.

Was in the area so decided to stop in hoping that my museum membership would cover this museum as well of which it was not a participating facility. However, we were able to walk around and educate ourselves in the medicinal gardens on the property. I havent taken extra cash with me as I was in town to support my granddaughters softball team. I would definitely like to return and tour the museum at some point.

Well worth the time and money! A valuable piece of Indiana history

One of the most underrated places to see in Indianapolis. A great tour to learn how much Indiana did for those with psychiatric needs in the early 1900s. Katie did a great job with the tour and we learned so much.

One amazing historical medical museum! Oldest pathology building in our nation.

It was very cool to walk around this building. Most everything is in tact and just as it was before. I think the tour could have been more detailed and more organized. The tour seemed very slow paced to me.

Place is neat. Guided tours are nice. However we went close to close so they wouldnt let us take the time to look around. Go early if you want to take your time.

Took my kids 12 and 14 and this was their favorite part of the weekend. Great history lesson.

Interesting history lesson, the museum was closed up and left operational and reopened as a museum. Our guide actually used some of the extremely outdated equipment when he was in school many years ago. Its like stepping back in time.

This is one of the coolest places Ive toured in Indiana. Our guide took us all around for over an hour. She provided great detail and historical context to the facility. Very interesting.

Fascinating place! Im glad we discovered it. I only wish we could have had more time to browse after the tour, but understand why this isnt really feasible.

This museum was amazing! $10 for the tour, and they only open the door a few minutes before each door so time that accordingly. Tours seem to be on the hour but call beforehand to be sure. The tour guide we had was very knowledgeable and happy to answer questions. Take time to peruse their garden!

Very interesting and informational

I love it great place to go

A must see, whether you have medical background or not. Fabulous tour guides!

Amazing building and history. Knowledgable staff. Overall, a great experience.

I think the guided tour makes this museum worth it! With their knowledge the rooms come alive and there’s more understanding of context. My sister and I really enjoyed all the history of the building and medical era in time.

This place is full of history!

Rich history and great detail in sharing what this place once was! See

$10 dollars and you get a guided tour. Its super interesting and the tour guide will answer all of your questions (but might not laugh at all your jokes)

Interesting tour in a cool old building. $10 for admission.

Great place to spend an afternoon if you have any interest in the medical field.

Very interesting. The tour guide did an amazing job. She explained things well and was open to answering all our questions.

Extremely interesting and informative. May be slightly out of the way and in a bad neighborhood for some, but well worth going to learn about the history of how mental institutions began to develop research into the human brain and into how we should treat those less fortunate.

Ive been twice. the first time was a few years ago and it was really informative and interesting. The guide offered insight into how the asylum was run and a lot of history. The current tour had a lot less information provided thru the tour, but still a good time and I would recommend stopping by. the area on the grounds of the former Central State is really being built up and theres a coffee shop nearby.

I loved learning the history of this building. The expirence was amazing and the people were lovely. Our tour guide took time to explain each detail and was patient with our questions. The artifacts were great. Overall a good trip.

Incredible place within an incredible history and well worth your time, efforts and support.

It would be great if the museum was open for people to wander through it or do tours in half hour intervals. We missed the tour time by a couple of minutes and had to leave because we couldnt wait an entire hour for the next one.

Awesome if youre interested in the history of medicine, psychiatry, neurology, etc.

An excellent museum and a jewel for our community.

Dont miss out on this place. This is one of the best museums Ive ever visited!

The medicinal garden tour was very informative and a great experience.

Limited hours but worth the effort . The docent was informative and had interesting stories.

This place is neat! There are so many things to look at, and the staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. I especially loved looking at medical equipment from the early 1900s.

Fascinating experience! Definitely recommend, especially for those in/going into the medical field.

Theres so much history in this place! Its a great deal for the $10 admissions. Theres also discounts for students with ID and seniors. The tour takes about an hour, and you cant hangout in the museum ahead of time, so be aware of that if its a hot day. They also have a free garden tour on Saturdays at 11:00 AM during the summer, and thats really interesting. Free parking too.

Happy that I came across this on my vacation. Staff was full of information and let us ask plenty of questions. Lots of the old equipment, records, chemicals, and books from when the hospital was functioning are still there and helped to paint a full picture.

We wanted to go check out this museum pretty bad, but got kind of rudlly shoved outside the door because there was another group going on a tour I guess. The lady was not very friendly at all. All she said was for us to wait outside in the garden for another 30 minutes....She could have been a little bit more pleasent. Needless to say we left and didnt come back. I guess they didnt want our business.We were there disappointed since we r both in the medical field and would have really loved exploring this old medical museum.

Awesome museum with a ton of history. Well preserved items, great price, super educational.Tours happen on the hour, but make sure you’re there a bit early. Groups of 12 are brought in, if the group is full you’ll have to wait another hour.

Loved this place! Beautiful building, awesome specimens, phenomenal history. I really want to visit again, hopefully during the seasonal garden time. Dave did a great job with the tour too.

Very interesting. Inexpensive if you are a student. Our tour guide was really informative.

Amazingly interesting! Great for school medical field trip. There are a lot of cool artifacts and stuff left there from before there was a museum made of it

An incredibly interesting subject matter, with a great tour, and amazing volunteers! Would recommend for anyone looking for something out of the ordinary to do!

Fascinating place and local history! off the beaten path but well worth visiting for hospital and local history!

Enjoyed the tour. Walking through a time capsule.

This was such a cool place to visit. Tour guide was great. We will definitely be back for another tour.

I go here to fly RC aircraft. For that purpose its pretty good.

This place is a hoot! Simply lousy with medical artifacts from a terrifying time not too far into our past. We went at noon on a Saturday, and had roughly 10 people in our tour group (the guide said it was a large group, but we were able to navigate the space well). Our guide was funny and well informed, and the artifacts on display were incredibly enthralling! If you have any interest in medicine, history, or the horrors of the human body, this is the place for you. Highly recommended.

This museum is small but packed full of awesome information. The venue was rented out for a Chthulu based event, but it was staffed with a docent in every room that could better explain the objects you were looking at. The displays are varied and in depth. For a small museum it is just packed with historical objects.As a venue the setting was just amazing for what we were doing, it would work well for murder mystery parties, fundraising mixers, etc.

It was very nice afternoon tour. Excellent history lesson

Great value. Our guide was very able in explaining the relevance of the building/pieces, and most of the rooms had typed up displays for extra detail/information.

This place is extremely rich in history. Its a definite recommendation when people ask me what to do around Indianapolis!

Very interesting exhibit! Our guide was a retired physician, so he was able to impart some professional knowledge as we toured. Displays of preserved human brains from various ailments. It was a glimpse into the early pathology. No touching - not a good place for young children that are unable to control themselves. Outdoor garden displays medicinal plants that are labeled with info about previous usages.

If you like medical history, or history in general, you will enjoy this museum. Its jam packed with things to see and hear as you are guided through a tour of the facility. The pricing is unbeatable as well at only $5-10 per person (the $5 is with a student discount). Tours start every hour on the hour. The only thing I can possibly complain about is that the content of the museum rarely changes, but this isnt much of an issue as there is so much detail that repeat trips are still enjoyable because you can still learn more and see new details.

What great history packed into this amazing building!!! The tour and specimens are AMAZING! Will definitely be coming back!

The tour is incredibly interesting, it withholds boundless knowledge and experience, the tour guides are knowledgeable in the topics and are very enthusiastic about the tour.

Really educational and a littl scary

I dont usually go out of my way to review non-food/booze spots, but I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Indiana Medical History Museum today. I should preface this by saying I am a scientist with an interest in the macabre; a non-scientist who does not get a kick out of seeing pickled, cancer-ridden brains of insane people may not have quite the same experience as me, and I feel strongly I enjoyed the tour more than the other 6-7 people in our group. That being said, the presentation is interesting, the guides knowledgeable, and you will really see how far medical science has come over the past 100-150 years. They have some scientific and medical equipment I have only ever heard of, but never seen in person (e.g., an iron lung, an old-school brain dissector, and more), and they have a cool garden with medicinal plants. Not suitable for little kids: not because its boring but because there are too many priceless objects for them to inadvertently run into! As mentioned by others, the hours are very limited, especially for working stiffs (of which I am not one), but its well worth an hour of your time if you can make it between 10:00-3:00 on a Saturday (or the same window on Thurs. or Fri.).

Great experience plan on standing for awhile!

Interesting museum on the Westside of Indy. It was enjoyable and informative. A little cramped and hard to see some exhibits due to large crowd. I would recommend for fans of history, medicine, or the macabre. Not for the the faint at heart.

They ONLY do tours on the hour. Cant look around independently. Museums usually offer self guided tours for those that prefer to look at their own pace. The elderly woman wasnt very friendly. $10 to go on a tour, on some one elses time frame, is a little crazy.

Fabulous museum off the beaten path. Inexpensive and unique, mandatory guided tour helps you get a lot more out of this visit than youd expect. Be aware however, that tours begin on the hour and they wont let you in the building until 10 minutes or less before the tour begins. Easy to get to on both the IndyGo 3 & 8 buses. If you havent been, I highly recommend it.

Very cool! As someone who works on laboratory medicine, it was really interesting to see how the same type of testing was performed in the past. The volunteers at the IMHM have done a fantastic job in preserving a time capsule of a medical diagnostic laboraroy. I would highly recommend to anyone who works in medicine or has children/students who are considering going into the medical field. My husband who is not in the medical field also really enjoyed our visit, so if you just enjoy science and are looking for a fun afternoon, it is an excellent place to visit.

My boyfriend took me here for our first date. Very interesting if your into anything related to the brain or medical field. Garden tour in the morning is fun, and the tour guide is very sweet.

Friendly tour guides and a lot of fascinating historical information.

If you are in the medical field this place is an absolute must. If you arent in the medical field its an absolute must! If you work in a shoe store this place is an absolute must! If you work as an axe wielding murderer....seek help.

Very nice place to visit. Extremely informative.

Amazing. Wonderful tour. Artifacts are overwhelming.

This museum is amazing! Someone who is interested in any area of the medical field or psychology, or just loves the neat, different and rather unique hidden places will love it here. The guided tour allows for enough time to explore the room and look at items for a few minutes after the guide explains the purpose of the room and the highlighted areas. The museum contained both items donated and items origional to the pathology building apart of what was once Central State Hospital. I would definitely recommend and return!

It was an amazing place and was very interesting. The tour and the tour guide were both very informative and they even made a few jokes which i laughed at. It was such an amazing experience to see parts of organs and to understand how this place worked during the 1890s.

Very interesting. We did the tour of the medical plants garden. Knowledgable and friendly guide, very nice and educational. Highly recommend the garden and museum.

So much history and such extraordinary preservation! Highly recommend to anyone interested in medicine and architecture.

I enjoyed myself a lot. The guide for my group was knowlegable and patient. He answered all of questions. This is not a good place for kids though as there are several body parts on display.

My favorite museum in Indianapolis by far.Love how preserved everything is. They closed the doors and left EVERYTHING.It’s like you’re stepping back in time!