Indiana Medical History Museum

08/28/2026

"Dark Tourism: Dealing with Ghosts and the Past at the Indiana Medical History Museum" By Rebekah Turner, Intern Indiana DNR, Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology

08/27/2026

The brain is one of the first organs to begin decomposing after death. Yet archaeologists have discovered more than 4,400 preserved human brains around the world, some of which have remained intact for the last 12,000 years. In hundreds of cases, the brain was the only soft tissue left among otherwise skeletal remains.

But how—and why—do brains sometimes persist for millennia while all other types of soft tissue disappear? https://bit.ly/4cdwr9f

📸: Alexandra Seviour

08/26/2026

"Inside the Indiana Medical History Museum, Danielle Thomas created an exhibit about her grandfather. 'Polio has fallen out of common memory,” said Thomas, 31. “I wanted to show people what this looked like in a child at that time.'"

A staff member created an exhibit for her grandfather, who had polio.

08/25/2026

Looking for a volunteer opportunity in Indianapolis?

Check out the Indiana Medical History Museum Volunteer Program! We are always looking for people who have a passion for learning and sharing knowledge. Our volunteer program has two main roles that volunteers can fill for us:

Docent:
Trained docents provide IMHM visitors with a thematic one-hour tour of the Old Pathology Building to both scheduled groups and drop-in visitors. Docents create an engaging educational atmosphere for museum visitors and effectively communicate the emergence of modern medicine at the turn of the 20th century, not to mention science, mental health care, architecture, local history and much more!

Greeter:
The Greeter admits visitors, performs check-in duties, and answers general inquiries. Because he/she provides the initial impression of the museum, we are looking for someone who is comfortable with handling money, enjoys interacting with others, and is enthusiastic!

Do either of these positions sound like something you'd enjoy? If so, please visit our website at https://imhm.org/volunteering to get more information about volunteering and to fill out an application. You can also email the Museum Operations Manager, Danielle Thomas, at [email protected] if you have questions or would like more information.

08/24/2026

"'A new era is rapidly dawning upon the world’s locomotion.' This is the exhilarating first sentence of an 1881 editorial, 'The Bicycle and Tricycle for Physicians,' published in the Atlanta Medical Register."

Joining in national celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, Circulating Now is publishing a series of posts throughout the year dedicated to…

08/22/2026

On this day in 1883, three tornadoes ripped through the area around Rochester. Even though they had warning, at least 20 people were killed and 200 people injured by the Rochester tornado. Its wind strength is estimated to have been at the F5 level, according to the NWS. In the aftermath of the terrifying storm, locals found themselves facing a huge problem: There were no hospitals nearby.

What was the solution? https://bit.ly/4wH5HFs

📸: Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, Minn. / Wikimedia Commons

08/20/2026

2026 George H. Rawls, MD Memorial Lecture on the History of Minorities and Medicine
Sunday, September 6, 2026 at 1pm (Eastern)
“Rehumanizing People of the Past: Bioarchaeology, Medical Museums and Archives, and the Human Remains Trade”
presented by Kristin LaFollette

FREE for Current IMHM Members* (donations of $35 or more in the past 12 months)
$5 for NonMembers
*Member tickets are only available for current active IMHM members. Member status will be confirmed.

Much of the communication used to reference human remains—including reports in bioarchaeology, labels and descriptions in medical museums and archives, and web content in the human remains trade—does not adequately recognize the humanity of the individuals represented by those remains. However, “rehumanizing language,” which is informed by advocacy and social justice, offers one solution to this dehumanization problem. Building from concepts and ethical standards in bioarchaeology, medical museums and archives, the human remains trade, technical communication, and rhetoric of health and medicine (RHM), the speaker presents frameworks for developing rehumanizing language in various contexts to better honor, dignify, and respect the people represented by human remains. These frameworks are also applied to several original studies (one of which was conducted at the Indiana Medical History Museum), which explore existing communication and the ways it uses rehumanizing language or could be adapted to better emphasize the humanity of the dead.

08/20/2026

08/15/2026

TODAY'S GARDEN TOUR IS CANCELED.
Because more heavy rain is expected, today's 11am garden tour has been canceled. We hope to see you at the next one on September 5th.

08/14/2026

UPDATE: Because more heavy rain is expected, today's 11am garden tour has been canceled. We hope to see you at the next one on September 5th.

Our next FREE guided tour of the Indiana Medical History Museum is tomorrow at 11am (Eastern). No need to make an appointment. Just meet us at the entrance to the garden about ten minutes before the tour. See you there!

FREE Guided Tours of the IMHM Medicinal Plant Garden
1st and 3rd Saturdays June through September*
Meet at the garden entrance arch ten minutes before start time. Tour does not include access to the Museum.
*Please note that because the Museum is closed on July 4th for Independence Day, there will not be a guided tour on that first Saturday in July. To schedule a group tour at other times, email Danielle Thomas at [email protected]. Fees will apply for scheduled tours.
June 6th
June 20th
CLOSED ON July 4th No Tour
July 18th
August 1st
August 15th
September 5th
September 19th