national museum of civil war medicine

This museum has great artifacts and provides fascinating insights into the brutal reality of the U.S. Civil War.

This unique museum is a must-visit for any Civil War enthusiast or person involved with medicine. The photographs of the patch-work fix-ups of the wounded soldiers are incredible--amazing what could be done so long ago. The museum is also easy to get to, with parking on the street or in several near-by garages.

It's kind of a dark museum, and it tells some rather unusual stories about how health was handled during a primitive war, by today's standards. So it can be a little depressing, but it is extremely informative and well done.

One might not think civil war medicine would be interesting enough to devote an entire museum to it, but you would be wrong. This two floor museum has more than a dozen rooms. There is a mixture of historical objects, full size dioramas, and a lot of education signage. The gift shop is well stocked with interesting things to buy. If you find yourself in Frederick, check out this museum.

This is a unique museum. Never have I seen the issue of medical casualties discussed or addressed in readings or documentaries. I know it sounds nerdy, but the information kept my attention and that of my teenagers.

I was hesitant to visit as I was afraid there would be two floors describing the limited medicines and surgical techniques available during the war. However, the museum shines in exploring the full range of challenges and advances that Civil War medicine meant. From the first exhibit that dispels many myths, through descriptions of the battlefield environment, the use of anesthesia in surgery, the advances in prosthetics, the many diseases the soldiers faced, the development of a planned ambulance service and the role of women and African Americans in medical treatment, the museum continually informs in an interesting way. Best of all is the ability to put a human face on the whole subject with numerous personal stories of doctors, nurses, soldiers and private citizens.

Other reviewers appear to have done good reporting, so I do not have much to add. The theme covered is quite limited in scope, of course, and the museum is small, but one learns a lot (and particularly, understands better things one already thought s/he knew). They have organized the museum as a sort of linear display, not large rooms where one can pick and choose what to see. I appreciated following the letters home which are part of the display, giving an immediacy to what was being observed. I wouldn't recommend a visit to Frederick just to see this museum, but if you are in the area, a visit to this museum will contribute to your understanding of both medicine and the Civil War.

I learned quite a bit about the Medicine that they were able to give during this time. There are some things that could have been a little better, but I am sure that they will work on this in the future.

I love history and all types of museum. This museum puts the Medical History into perspective for that time period and also compares medical milestones, on a smaller scale to this time period. WORTH it!

I thought this museum was going to be fascinating because of the subject matter and we really kind of went out of our way to visit. What a disappointment. I didn’t learn anything that I had not seen or read about before. The displays are setup so that you have to read your way through the museum and frankly it got tiresome. It covers two floors, but they are partial floors. If I was bored, I can imagine children being bored silly. Maybe I wouldn’t have been as disappointed if it had cost $3 to get in, but at almost $10, it really wasn’t worth it. I wish I would have spent my precious time seeing another attraction.

Our only in Frederick, this museum did an excellent job portraying what it was like to have been a patient during the Civil War. A real eye opener as to how medicine was revolutionized during the years of war.

We decided on this museum as it is something different and we could both enjoy. The exhibit starts with myths about old-time medicine and is a good read. The top floor is full of information about how medicine and medical practices were performed under field conditions. It showed how advances were made and how the ambulance service evolved. On the lower floor there was a dentistry area with some instruments and depictions. There were doctor’s notes and diaries from nurses. Throughout the museum there were letters, medical histories and some medical cases in words and pictures.There were also many examples of the doctor’s tools and medicines and the drugs they used at the time and what they were used for.The last part of the exhibit in total contrast was models of what is being used in present day warfare.The goriest item was a gangrenous arm and hand preserved in a jar. There is an elevator to the top floor.If you go to the Visitors Center they will give you a BOBO for the entrance fee.

The museum was well done, interesting topic, a great way to spend a couple of hours, had a nice flow to it, educational!

It's worth the trip to Frederick just to see this little museum and a bargain for $10 (adults). You don't have to be especially interested in medicine or civil war history to enjoy it - and its a good choice for middle schoolers and above who don't mind doing some reading. My nephew was fascinated by how changes in weaponry result in changes in the severity of injuries, how battlefield medicine is moving closer to the front lines, the impact of anesthesia and lack of antibiotics, etc…You can see the entire museum in about 1 1/2 hrs.

While this is a small museum, there is a ton of information, and was a great place to spend 1.5 hours. Our family had been in Gettysburg the day prior and having that recent experience, extremely helped our appreciation of the exhibits/ information presented here. We have 4 children, aged 10-18, the younger two didn't enjoy it as much as the older two-there's quite a bit of reading involved.