Museum Dr. Guislain

We had not expected to like this museum as much as we did. You enter the museum through a wonderful closet (Narnia-like experience) in a beautiful room decorated with luggage, maps, bottles, and more antique items. The art and journals shown were personal and intimate and both of the expositions that were on display were informative and interesting. Put this museum on your to-do list!

I read the reviews for this museum, which were very divided with one star or five star ratings. So I hoped it was more five-star. The building was beautiful and you could still see some of the original features from when it was an institution. But, I didn't enjoy the art installations, many of which I couldn't relate back to mental health at all. Working in this field, I appreciated the small number of exhibits based on the care of people with mental health needs but in all honesty, unless art is your thing, I wouldn't visit if you are wanting a medical history experience.

The Guislain Museum in Ghent opened in 1986 and is dedicated to educating the public about psychiatric care, a bold agenda for a museum located inside a psychiatric institution. Dr. Guislain championed the rights of the mentally ill and devised plans for dignified and humane treatment in 1828, when patients were still chained. The museum hosts exhibitions of work by mentally ill people (for example, the second photo shows a mentally ill person trying to make a map depicting Central America, part of South America, and Cuba). There are also exhibitions that examine how we connect to each other as humans. In addition to the temporary exhibitions, the museum houses three permanent collections: (1) a comprehensive exhibition on the history of psychiatry, (2) a catalogue of photographs of people with mental disorders dating back to 1860, and (3) a collection of foreign artists. The history of psychiatry records ancient treatment, from the ancient Greeks and the Eastern peoples (from the trepanation tools of Hippocrates to exorcisms), to the present era of psychotropic drugs. The museum also has a small collection of medical models related to psychiatry. The photo collection is based on photographs taken at the institution since the middle of the last century. Finally, the collection of foreign artists contains paintings and sculptures by self-taught artists from all over the world. Special mention deserves a section of the museum where reference is made to female hysteria and the means of dealing with it. These are the last two photos of the post. Those who read them were truly surprised and burst out laughing.

A fascinating journey through the history of modern day psychiatric care based on a model of compassion. This doctor was groundbreaking in his opinions of treating patients with love of compassion and an environment that promotes healing. He designed this facility with their care in mind. Staff was helpful in the museum, insightful. Easily accessible by tram. This museum is covered with the Ghent city card if you decide to go to several of the cities attractions over the course of a few days or a single day.

I checked this out during my visit to see my boyfriend in Ghent. I have always been fascinated with mental health and psychiatry. This was an amazing experience to read about the history of how mental health has evolved. It was also amazing to read the stories of the past patients.

Amazing and beautiful museum. This is definitely a must-see in Gent! It kept us hooked the entire duration of the stay. Would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about the history of mental health.

Amazing place to visit, covering the old ideas of mental health to some great pieces of art work from former patients. Lots of info in English as well Lockers so you don't have to drag bags around and the cafe in the courtyard was very good value

A very interesting museum on mental health. They have very nice exhibitions. At the time of our visit there was the very interesting exhibition on the influence of mental illness on art by way of dance. It had some nice art pieces and lots of footage. There was also an exhibition of photos and video work on addiction which was very high quality. The permanent collection on mental health and on the facility itself is also good, but lacks context and information. The permanent art collection of “non professional” artists or artists who have turned away from the art world, is curious, but less interesting than the other collections. The buildings are the former mental asylum, which gives extra value to the visit. We experienced the staff as a negative point: they were clearly bored and gave the impression of being inconvenienced by the visitors. Some were downright rude, which was a shame.

Oh my goodness! Positives - it's a good walk to get there and back. Almost everything is in Dutch, so we weren't really understanding anything. The whole place was so creepy. I kept wondering if we were going to get out.

I had never heard of this place or of this man, but the museum is really worth a visit. First: the building complex is a beautiful example of 19th century neogothic architecture: many smaller internal gardens, very, very quiet, bricks in all sorts of shapes turned into instruments for a gothic revival. Waw! But not only the exterior is worth a vist, so is the museum. I only visited the permanent collection. The history of psychosis is very well documented with nice pieces form the Far east (now that I think of it: there is also a part dedicate to the efforts of the Fathers of Charity in Congo), and a view on the slow development of the views on psychic problems in the West. Some parts I found a bit boring, because I am not a physicist but I can understand the fascination about how X rays were discovered and turned into tools or CTT scans (I actually found this even myself quite fascinating although I'm an absolute layman) You can reach this place using tram 1 (or taking a taxi)

A great museum that definitely doesn't pull any punches. If you're in Gent, then you should definitely check this place out. There's a ton of really interesting information, and it will take a LOT longer than you'd initially imagine to make your way through it. As it stands, we only got about 2/3 of the way through, before closing time (their hours, like many places in Gent, are pretty slim). The initial installation (which I guess was rotated?) was about military trauma and psychiatry. It was dark, disturbing, provocative, informative, beautiful, tragic, and moving. You won't walk out of it without asking yourself some questions. Now, one problem that I encountered was that the English-language translation book was good, informative, but completely disorganized. You walk along the same wall, looking at the numbers on the wall to know which exhibit you're looking at, and you're looking at number 17. Okay, no problem. Next picture, that's exhibit 87. Aaaalright. Next exhibit is 88, then 89... then 34. Wait- what? There was absolutely no orderly or logical sequence, but that's something that only English-speaking travelers will have a problem with. The main museum was really cool, but without a separate English guidebook, it was a little difficult to put things into context. Even without that, the large machines and mystery pieces of history were pretty awesome. You'll feel like you're in a Nine Inch Nails video when you walk through here, and that can be a disturbing thing. I don't know if I'd recommend this place for children, unless you're willing to commit to some SERIOUS conversations with them. Next time we're in Gent, we'll be coming back here to pick up where we left off. This is a great museum, and is definitely worth coming to!