Glore Psychiatric Museum

05/29/2026

If you missed tonight's Psychology Social hour with Michael Uram, Chief Education Officer for SMI Caregiver Academy, you can check it out on our YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/zgGGaXsWlMk

This was the first session of a 2 part series that will be finishing up next Thursday, June 4 at 6PM CST. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84869413584

SMI Caregiver Academy Chief Education Officer, Michael Uram introduces his 12 week care giver course.

05/27/2026

Check out this amazing piece on the Glore from My Family Travels. Thank you for the great article and for including the Glore in your travels!

A Missouri museum home to one of the most unsettling collections of medical history in the world, not for the faint of heart.

05/25/2026

On this Memorial Day, we pause to honor the men and women who gave their lives in military service. Their courage, sacrifice, and devotion to our country continue to shape the freedoms we hold today.
At State Hospital No. 2, the echoes of war were felt long after the battles ended. Following every major conflict—from World War I through Vietnam—the hospital saw significant increases in military patients struggling with what was then called “shell shock.” Today, we understand these symptoms as Post‑Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
These veterans carried invisible wounds: nightmares, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, and the overwhelming weight of memories they could not escape. Their stories remind us that the cost of war extends far beyond the battlefield, and that healing requires understanding, compassion, and community support.
If you or someone you know is living with PTSD, we encourage reaching out to organizations dedicated to veteran and caregiver support, including The Wounded Warrior and Stop the Threat, Stop the Stigma. No one should have to navigate trauma alone.
Today, we remember the fallen.
We honor those who served.
And we recommit ourselves to supporting those still carrying the burdens of war.

05/24/2026

05/23/2026

Caring for someone with a serious mental illness can be overwhelming, confusing, and isolating. That’s exactly why this month’s Psychology Social Hour is dedicated entirely to you.
On May 28, 2026, we’re hosting Psychology Social Hour - Supporting Loved Ones with Serious Mental Illness, a free online program designed to bring clarity, compassion, and practical guidance to caregivers.
We’re honored to welcome Michael Uram, Chief Education Officer of SMI Caregiver Academy, who will walk attendees through what loved ones experience during schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or schizoaffective disorder—and how caregivers can navigate crisis moments while protecting their own wellbeing.
You’ll also get a first look at the upcoming three‑week Caregiver MiniClass (four weeks total with the May 28 introduction), an extension of the Social Hour Series that offers evidence‑based tools, communication strategies, and relationship‑strengthening approaches proven to reduce crisis moments and support long‑term stability.
If you support someone living with SMI, this session is built for you—your questions, your challenges, your hope.
Free and open to the public.
Full details and registration: www.stjosephmuseum.org/events

05/22/2026

This photograph of patients playing baseball at State Hospital No. 2 captures something timeless: the power of physical activity to support mental well‑being.
Long before exercise was formally recognized as a therapeutic tool, staff understood that movement mattered. Games like baseball offered patients more than recreation—they provided structure, teamwork, confidence, and a chance to step outside the daily routines of the wards.
Physical activity has always played a meaningful role in mental health care:
• Boosting mood and reducing anxiety
• Improving focus and cognitive function
• Encouraging social connection and cooperation
• Building physical strength and self‑esteem
For many patients, afternoons on the field became cherished memories—moments of laughter, friendly competition, and simple human joy.

05/21/2026

This photograph of patients visiting together on the ward at State Hospital No. 2 captures something essential about mental health care—something as true today as it was in the then: we heal better when we’re not alone.
For many patients, the hospital community became their circle of support. Friendships formed in dayrooms, hallways, and shared activities offered stability, companionship, and a sense of belonging during difficult chapters of life. These everyday moments—talking, laughing, playing games, or simply sitting together—provided emotional grounding that clinical treatment alone could not.
Human connection has always been a powerful protective factor. Research continues to show what these patients lived firsthand:
• Friendship reduces stress and anxiety
• Social interaction strengthens cognitive and emotional resilience
• Shared experiences build confidence and reduce isolation
• Community fosters dignity, identity, and hope
These images remind us that mental health care is not just about medicine or therapy—it’s also about being seen, being heard, and being connected.

05/20/2026

Moments like the one captured in this photo from a State Hospital No. 2 patient fishing trip to Pony Express Lake remind us just how important time outdoors has always been for mental well‑being.
Long before “nature therapy” had a name, we recognized that fresh air, movement, and time in natural spaces could make a meaningful difference in a patient’s day. Fishing trips, picnics, walks, and time by the water offered patients a chance to step away from the stress of the wards and reconnect with something peaceful, grounding, and restorative.
Outdoor activities supported mental health in ways we still value today:
• Reducing stress and anxiety
• Encouraging social connection
• Building confidence through new skills
• Providing calm, structure, and sensory relief
For many patients, these outings became cherished memories—moments of independence, joy, and simple human experience.
At the Glore Psychiatric Museum, we preserve photographs like this to honor those stories and to highlight the long‑standing understanding that nature is a powerful partner in healing.

05/19/2026

The history of mental health care is filled with practices that can feel shocking today, and dentistry is one of the most overlooked parts of that story. Tools like the tooth jack pictured here help us remember just how intertwined dental procedures once were with psychiatric treatment at State Hospital No. 2 and similar institutions across the country.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many facilities believed that dental health was directly connected to mental illness. Some physicians feared that infected teeth could worsen psychiatric symptoms or spread illness throughout the body. In response, it wasn’t uncommon for hospitals to remove multiple teeth—or even all of a patient’s teeth—in an attempt to prevent infection.
Other practices were rooted in safety concerns. If a patient bit staff or other patients, some institutions responded by extracting teeth as a form of behavioral control. These actions were justified at the time as protective measures, but today we recognize them as part of a broader pattern of misunderstanding, fear, and limited medical knowledge.
At the Glore Psychiatric Museum, we preserve tools like this not to sensationalize the past, but to honor the people who lived through it and to help our community understand how far mental health care has come. These artifacts remind us why compassionate, evidence‑based treatment matters—and why remembering this history is essential to shaping a more humane future.

05/18/2026

This vibrant drawing of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Raphael —reminds us of something deeply important: creativity has always been a powerful outlet for the people who lived at State Hospital No. 2.
Throughout the hospital’s history, patients engaged in many forms of art therapy, long before the practice had a formal name.
From drawing and coloring, like the piece shown here, to woodworking, sculpture, leatherwork, and textile arts, creative expression offered patients a way to communicate emotions, build confidence, and find moments of calm in their daily routines.
Art wasn’t just a pastime—it was a lifeline.
It provided structure, purpose, and a sense of identity for individuals who were often navigating complex personal challenges. Whether shaping wood in the workshop, molding clay into meaningful forms, or filling a page with color and imagination, these activities helped patients express what words sometimes could not.
Today, the Glore Psychiatric Museum preserves these artworks to honor the resilience, creativity, and humanity of the people who created them. Each piece—no matter how simple or bold—tells a story of someone finding their voice.
We invite you to explore more patient artwork and learn how creativity played a vital role in care at State Hospital No. 2.