Glenside Hospital Museum

Glenside Hospital Museum Glenside Hospital Museum has a nationally significant collection on the history of mental health & l

The museum transports visitors into a world that has evolved considerably over the last 150 years. The wide range of artifacts and images provide insights into life at Glenside Hospital and of the local Learning Disability Hospitals of the Stoke Park Group and the Burden Neurological Institution. The stories provide gentle opportunities to consider mental health care and our own well-being. The mu

seum was founded by Dr Donal Early, a consultant psychiatrist who worked at Glenside Hospital from 1944 - 1979. Dr Early, Dennis Griffiths and other volunteers began collecting artifacts during this time, and placing them into storage. Then the hospital granted the use of the balcony overlooking the dining hall at Glenside. The collection gradually built up, as people donated artifacts to the museum. When the Hospital closed in 1994, the use of the derelict church originally built for the patients in 1881 was leased to the Museum. The church was in a very poor state of disrepair, all of the stained glass windows were boarded up and damaged, and the interior had become home to pigeons and squirrels. Volunteers set to work scrubbing floors, removing pews, boards from the windows and the museum gradually developed with Dr Early as the guiding light. Today the museum continues to be developed by a diverse range volunteers of all ages helping to tell the story of mental health care through an examination of the museum's extensive collection. Dr Peter Carpenter helped Dr Early publish a book depicting the history of Glenside Hospital shortly before his death in 2004. The 'Lunatic Pauper Palace' is on sale in the museum as well as on Amazon.

If you like this old photo of a corridor at Glenside Hospital you’ll love a visit to our museum to browse many more like...
02/06/2026

If you like this old photo of a corridor at Glenside Hospital you’ll love a visit to our museum to browse many more like this.

We’ll be open tomorrow from 10am-1pm. No booking required.

🎟️ Entry £5 adult annual pass, under 18s free.

If you missed our guided history group tour during we’ve got great news! We’re repeating it this Saturday morning, as p...
01/06/2026

If you missed our guided history group tour during we’ve got great news! We’re repeating it this Saturday morning, as part of Bristol Community Festival 🌳🚶🏻

Exploring Glenside takes you on a scenic wander around the grounds of Bristol’s first purpose-built psychiatric hospital, right here in Fishponds.

Discover the history hidden here with our experienced volunteer guide Anwyl Cooper-Willis.

🎟️ We have just a handful of tickets left for this event. Please book via the link in comments below.

Each ticket includes an annual pass to our museum, and is a donation to our charity, helping to support us now and into the future 💚

‘What brings me joy’ is our current exhibition showing at Glenside Hospital Museum.🌟 Artist spotlight: Julie Begen 🌟 “As...
01/06/2026

‘What brings me joy’ is our current exhibition showing at Glenside Hospital Museum.

🌟 Artist spotlight: Julie Begen 🌟

“As someone who was going through life pretty well, but got up one day with long term mental health issues,  joy has been a tricky one, fairly elusive.

But as I have moved forward with my life, I have found such reward in nature I spend a lot of my time walking on beaches, in fields and lanes,  searching , fossil hunting, foraging and also wild swimming.

All year round I walk and look and swim.

My family say the rougher the weather, the better I am. The battle does me good. Gives me strength, a sense that I can. No matter what.

The crowns are 3 from a much larger collection that go under the title “Wear your strength like a crown”.
These three, to me encapsulate what brings me joy or at last a sense of peace, a calm spot to reflect and to nourish.

They each tell their own story, but are ultimately about gratitude and hope, about making sense, connecting, and pausing for thought.

Working in textiles is both a creative and sensory experience for me. I like the feel of the fabrics and the solidity of layers and stitch.

Wherever possible, fabrics are repurposed.”

⏰ Our museum is open every Wednesday 10am-1pm and every Saturday 10am-4pm.

🎟️ This exhibition is included in the ticket price of all general entry tickets. £5 adult annual pass, under 18s free (and it has been rather popular with our younger visitors!)

Thanks to everyone who attended our Exploring Glenside event yesterday to round off at in Fishponds. If you missed it,...
31/05/2026

Thanks to everyone who attended our Exploring Glenside event yesterday to round off at in Fishponds.

If you missed it, we’ve got great news! We’re hosting another guided tour of the old Glenside Hospital grounds next Saturday. Only a few tickets left though, so be quick to book if you’re coming 😍

🎟️ Full info & ticket link for Exploring Glenside Sat 6th June is in our bio

Tomorrow (Sat 30th May) is your LAST chance to follow this amazing trail for at in Fishponds to learn about the histor...
29/05/2026

Tomorrow (Sat 30th May) is your LAST chance to follow this amazing trail for at in Fishponds to learn about the history of mental health care in Bristol 🌳

Download the app before your visit and you’ll be all set.

🎟️ Tickets to our museum are not essential, but will save you time on arrival (link in comments below).

P.s. we recommend starting the trail from 11.30am onwards as we have an Exploring Glenside guided group tour of the trail until then.

📍 postcode: BS16 1DD

Our museum will be open from 10am-1pm today for you to explore after following the FREE trail we have at Glenside 🌳 Ent...
27/05/2026

Our museum will be open from 10am-1pm today for you to explore after following the FREE trail we have at Glenside 🌳

Entry to the museum is £5 for an adult annual pass & FREE for under 18s. No booking required.

Come and enjoy a sunny walk, then cool off in the shade of our museum (a stone built chapel 🥶) while browsing our collection & fantastic art exhibition.

Not many chances left to catch at in Fishponds. Tomorrow, our museum of mental health care will be open from 10am-1pm....
26/05/2026

Not many chances left to catch at in Fishponds. Tomorrow, our museum of mental health care will be open from 10am-1pm.

It’s going to be another warm day so we recommend that you take the trail beforehand and visit our museum to cool off after 🥶😎

⚠️ Please note: On Saturday our museum will be open 10am-4pm but we ask that you don’t follow the self-guided trail until after 11.30am as we have a guided group tour taking the same route so it’ll be too busy.

🎟️ No booking is required to visit our museum but pre-booked tickets make entry times quicker and easier (link in comments)

If you’re visiting the Glenside site for today you’ll find a cooling refuge on site 🥶 So come and join us after your w...
23/05/2026

If you’re visiting the Glenside site for today you’ll find a cooling refuge on site 🥶

So come and join us after your walk to slowly take in the fascinating history of mental health care in Bristol.

🎟️ No booking required, entry to our museum is a very affordable £5 annual pass which is a donation to our charity to keep us going now and into the future 💚

Under 18s free!

There’s still loads to enjoy during so don’t forget to pick up a programme when you’re visiting in Fishponds 💚Open Sat...
22/05/2026

There’s still loads to enjoy during so don’t forget to pick up a programme when you’re visiting in Fishponds 💚

Open Saturday 23rd May 10am-4pm.

📍 Postcode: BS16 1DD

22/05/2026

Who’s coming?! We’re hosting a FREE walking trail for until the end of May at in Fishponds.

📍 BS16 1DD
🎟️ Visit our on site museum of mental health care while you’re here, tickets in our bio
🕰️ Sat 10am-4pm, Weds 10am-1pm until 30th May

Address

University Of The West Of England, Glenside Campus, Blackberry Hill, Stapleton
Bristol
BS161DD

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 1pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Website

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