Exploring Glenside: guided walking tours for summer 2026
BBC Points West feature for Glenside Hospital Museum in Bristol
Glenside Hospital Museum: a hidden gem that many in Bristol still haven't discovered yet
Most people in Bristol have never heard of us. We’re a museum documenting the history of mental health care, hidden inside the walled grounds of a former Victorian asylum. Much like mental health itself, our museum is virtually invisible from public view.
You'll find us by exploring just inside the gates of UWE Glenside Campus in Fishponds, and on Saturday 19th September we're welcoming back our immensely popular History in your Hands experience.
This is only the second time the general public have ever been able to do this, and we currently have no plans to repeat it. Don’t miss your chance!
Read on to find out about this fantastic opportunity...
About Glenside Hospital Museum
Glenside Hospital Museum sits inside the Glenside Campus of the University of the West of England (UWE) in Fishponds, Bristol. We occupy the Grade II listed chapel of what was the Bristol Lunatic Asylum, opened in 1861, which became Glenside Hospital and finally closed in 1994.
Our collection spans more than 130 years of mental health and learning disability care, and we have been run entirely by volunteers for 40 years.
Saturday 19th September 2026
🎟 Free museum entry as part of Heritage Open Days (tickets only - now SOLD OUT)
⭐ Enhance your visit: £5 History in your Hands experience including hands-on access to museum objects and an annual pass for unlimited visits for 12 months
Discover hidden histories at Glenside Hospital Museum
Step inside one of Bristol’s most fascinating hidden gems. Housed in the beautiful former hospital chapel dating from 1881, complete with stained glass windows.
Glenside Hospital Museum invites you to explore the history of mental health care via a large collection of fascinating artefacts, including photographs of Victorian patients accompanied by their stories.
Explore the history of three historic Bristol institutions:
• Glenside Hospital (formerly Bristol Lunatic Asylum)
• Stoke Park Hospital, supporting people with learning disabilities
• Beaufort War Hospital, where over 29,000 wounded WWI soldiers were treated
Encounter extraordinary objects and personal stories, from a patient-made key that once unlocked every door in the hospital to striking drawings by 1950s artist-patient Denis Reed. Walk the same tiled corridors once scrubbed by Stanley Spencer during his wartime service as a hospital orderly.
Upgrade your visit: History in your Hands (£5)
Make your Heritage Open Day visit even more memorable with our exclusive History in your Hands experience.
This special behind-the-scenes session gives you the rare opportunity to:
• Handle original museum artefacts up close
• Explore a deactivated ECT machine and learn how treatments evolved
• Experience objects such as a straitjacket, rarely accessible to the public
• Learn from knowledgeable volunteers and staff
Your £5 ticket also includes an annual museum pass, giving you unlimited visits for 12 months, including future exhibitions and events.
Both the free and paid parts of this event have now SOLD OUT.
Please do not attend without tickets as our museum will be at full capacity.
Plan your visit to Glenside Hospital Museum
History in Your Hands
Date: Saturday 19th September 2026
Time: 10am–4pm. Tickets only.
Entry: FREE (pre-booked tickets only)
History in your hands experience: £5 donation to our charity (includes an annual pass)
Address: UWE Glenside Campus, Blackberry Hill, Stapleton, Bristol, BS16 1DD
Getting here: By bike: 25 minutes from Bristol city centre via the Frome Valley Walkway. By bus: First Bus 48a. By car: Saturday visitors can use the University car park outside the museum (free of charge).
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible with fully accessible toilet within the museum.
Tea in the Turret: our secret room above the chapel
If you're looking to enjoy a sweet treat and refreshments during your visit, why not book if for Tea in the Turret?
On Heritage Open Day, tickets will also include access to the History in your Hands, to experience everything our museum has to offer.
