Private tours of Glenside Hospital Museum in Bristol
Victorian patient portraits: a talk with Dr Paul Tobia 19th March 2026
Glenside Hospital Museum
Tucked away in UWE Glenside Campus in Fishponds, our museum is often referred to as a "hidden gem" a true rising star among the many brilliant museums we are lucky to have in Bristol.
We're very grateful to everyone who supported our museum in 2025.
Whether you volunteered with us, visited the museum, attended an event, bought from our eBay shop or museum gift shop, created art for one of our exhibitions or commented/liked/shared our social media posts to help raise our profile.
Read on for a round-up of our best events of 2025.
Here's how our 2025 unfolded at Glenside Hospital Museum...
January 2025
The Turret room, now used for Tea in the Turret, was once in a very sorry state. A formerly damp and dilapidated room. It had suffered fire damage, and due to water ingress was simply being used for non-collections related storage (read: mannequin graveyard!)
After repairs it was earmarked for deep-cleaning and decoration, tackled by a team of dedicated volunteers over a period of 3 months.
March 2025
We were delighted to welcome the Bristol Lord Mayor Andrew Varney for the official launch of the PoW! (Protect our Wellbeing) initiative.
The museum received a grant from National Lottery Heritage Fund for this programme, designed to empower individuals to explore and enhance their mental health and overall wellbeing by engaging with Glenside Hospital Museum’s unique heritage.
April 2025
Following on from the Secret Turret Tours hosted during National Lottery Open Week in March 2025, we launched the Tea in the Turret experience, allowing visitors to book a quirky afternoon tea experience in the newly renovated space.
A ticket-only event originally intended as a time-limited event to close in September 2025, this has proven so popular we're continuing into 2026!
The turret room and balcony were constructed in 1881 as part of the chapel, and now host a homely light hearted reflection of the museum's content.
June 2025
Following Glenside Hospital Museum’s launch on the Bloomberg Connects app in 2025, we launched a brand new accompanying event: Exploring Glenside, which sold out in record time!
Led by volunteer tour guide Anwyl Cooper-Willis, visitors enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the Glenside site, uncovering hidden stories from Bristol’s mental health history. Demand was so high that further walks in May, July, August and September were all fully booked.
We plan to continue these popular walking tours in 2026, so keep a close eye on our events page, and subscribe to our newsletter.
July 2025
After joining an Exploring Glenside walk, five former Glenside Hospital nurses went on to arrange a cheerful reunion at Tea in the Turret.
Over tea and cake they reminisced about their working lives. Before long, a group of former nurses from Purdown Hospital followed suit.
Tea in the Turret proved the perfect place to reconnect over old times, so why not gather up a few of your former colleagues and book your own reunion?
August 2025
A group of our museum volunteers were treated to a fantastic guided tour of the UWE Glenside campus, housed within the historic buildings of the former Glenside Hospital.
Now a state-of-the-art medical training facility, the site offered some striking contrasts. Volunteers encountered uncanny breathing mannequins, revisited the old dining room and cinema hall, and wandered corridors once familiar to generations of staff and patients.
In 2026, if we're lucky, we hope to host a public tour inside Glenside. Watch this space...
September 2025
This year was our maiden journey into the hugely popular nationwide event Heritage Open Days.
We offered another round of (not so) secret turret tours for a huge influx of visitors, many of whom were discovering our museum for the first time.
We have exciting plans for various events this year, including a brand new experience for National Lottery Open Week in March.
October 2025
Senior lecturer at the University of Bristol, Dr Pam Lock, treated us to one of the most delightfully bizarre talks we’ve ever hosted: “Did Victorians believe heavy drinking caused spontaneous human combustion?”
The talk was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone who attended, and it was wonderful to see another packed event. We have plenty more talks coming in 2026. Check our calendar for the latest events.
November 2025
Another launch event, another Lord Mayor. How exciting!
The Bristol Lord Mayor for 2025-26 Councillor Henry Michallat joined us for the private view of What Brings Me Joy, our brand new art exhibition.
Pictured here with artist Caroline Watson and her quirky paper mache sculpture, the larger-than-life character Punchead.
What Brings Me Joy runs until April 2026. Book tickets via Eventbrite or pay on the door.
December 2025
Via short videos collated throughout the course of 2025, our One Thing I Remember project shares a diverse range of memories of Glenside Hospital, reaching audiences online across the world.
One Thing I Remember brings together a rich mix perspectives on hospital care at Glenside, with a few snippets about Stoke Park Hospital for good measure.
We invite you to explore these videos at your leisure.
Visiting Glenside Hospital Museum
Our museum comprises three main collections: Glenside Hospital (formerly known as Bristol Lunatic Asylum), Stoke Park Hospital, and Beaufort War Hospital.
We have a regular programme of events and frequently host new art exhibitions.
Our regular art exhibitions cover current topics and are typically inspired by artists who have been invited to explore our collections and offer a deeper understanding of various themes via their own creative mediums.
If you've already visited the museum, please do consider returning in 2026.
Visit Us
If you haven't yet visited, what are you waiting for?
Contact us about the museum
