For hundreds of years there has been a stigma surrounding mental illness, but with the accumulating research and knowledge being acquired, the public is finally beginning to scratch the surface of truth behind mental health and treatment.

A majority of the AP Psychology students visited the Glore Psychiatric Museum in St. Joseph, Mo. on April 20 to learn more about the history of mental illness.

George Glore established the museum in 1967. Prior to the museum’s opening, the building was a ward in the St. Joseph State Hospital, originally called the State Lunatic Asylum No. 2. The majority of the institution was located in the adjacent building that is now a prison.

Among the many exhibits in the museum is a room displaying the historical treatment of mental illness. The room included mockups of devices used to “cure” patients such as a human hamster wheel and various cages.

“It’s incredibly interesting to see how far we have advanced in our treatment of mental disorders and to see how ‘resourceful and creative’ the doctors of that time were even if they were misdirected,” Haley Murgia, sophomore, said.

Those who stayed at the hospital had the opportunity to engage in various occupational therapies such as art.

“My favorite part was seeing the art that the patients made on the upper floor. By looking at what they created we kind of got to see things through their perspective,” Mikayla Smith, senior, said.

For those who are interested in visiting, the museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors (62 and above), $4 for students, and free for children under 6 years old.