Visit to Oregon State Hospital Museum of Mental Health

Earlier this week I had a great visit at the new Oregon State Hospital Museum of Mental Health in Salem. I joined several other members of the OMEF History of Medicine in Oregon Committee on a tour led by the museum's wonderful staff, who are highly professional and dedicated volunteers. They allowed me to take a few snapshots of the building and the exhibits (I must apologize for the poor quality of my phone snapshots)

Above: The museum occupies about 2500 square feet of the massive hospital building, which you might recognize from One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Above: A cabinet displaying a selection of the museum's collection of thousands of artifacts.

Above: More medical artifacts, including electroconvulsive therapy equipment.

Above: Musical instruments, records, film projectors, radios, and other entertainment for patients.

Above: A famous prop from One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Above: Reconstruction of a typical patient room. 

Above: Reconstruction of tunnels used for transporting equipment and supplies between buildings.

The volunteers have done an incredible job selecting artifacts from the collection, creating fascinating displays, and interpreting the hospital's story in a way that honors and respects its patients and staff.