Public Health Museum in Massachusetts - Tewksbury, Massachusetts

Ariana Zarate

We signed up for the indoor and outdoor tour and loved both!
We started with the outdoor tour, which was the longer of the two, and walked around the grounds learning about the history of the property, what buildings were old/new, and their historical and present day use. We learned so much!

The indoor tour was contained to a few rooms but they were full of key moments in public health history and contained some cool artifacts.

Anyone who is interested in public health or who works in health, should visit!

Ellen Mandel-Steiner

I had seen signs for the place and decided to drop in. Turns out, I joined the tour and found it to be extremely informative and interesting! Did you know that the museum is the first of its kind in the nation? ? You'll find exhibits on Polio, Tuberculosis, Patent Medicines, Dentistry and Nursing for starters. The only drawback was the $10.00 admission fee and they don't offer senior discounts. If you're looking for a unique first of its kind museum don't forget to stop by!

erin byrne maness

Wish more of the original buildings were still standing, but what is there is intriguing. The Tewksbury State Hospital was once a 1,000 acre self-supporting city. It housed orphanages, hospitals, asylums, dorms for men and women, farms and everything else necessary for life. The Public Health Museum and its tour guides helped to flesh out this world. Well worth a visit!

Rick Mayes

A hidden gem! Took my college public health class here on a field trip and was very impressed with both the setting and the items the museum has to show. First time I've ever seen an iron lung. Great tour guides and definitely worth a visit! Highly recommended. Rick Mayes, University of Richmond and UVA School of Nursing

Nancy Gelardi

The students were engaged the entire time, both with the tour of the grounds and the history of the hospital and with the exhibits in the museum. Great day trip! We all learned a lot about public health and health policy! Thank you!

Patricia Stanfield

The speaker was very knowledgeable and information was concerning the history of vaccinations,the first mental hospitals and infectious diseases as well as the history of Tewksbury Hospital and Public Health Department. They had a hospital, a solarium for mentally ill and much more. The tour and information was very enjoyable.

Sonja Moore

If you’re in the Tewksbury area, or are passing through, the Public Health Museum is definitely worth a stop. Their exhibits show the importance and evolution of public health (vaccinations, infectious disease, chronic diseases like AIDS, etc.), nursing, and mental health. The exhibits and many of the items displayed are from the Tewksbury Hospital, but the story they tell is relevant to anyone from any state. They are also constantly updating the exhibits to remain relevant to today. For example, they were working on a display related to COVID-19. The tour lasts about an hour, but you could spend longer there reading all the information. It is absolutely worth a visit.

Dael Angelico-Hart

Our guide Paul was passionate about this museum and his knowledgable tour highlighted that!