The Public Health Museum
365 East Street
Tewksbury MA 01876
Date/time visited: Saturday, March 28th 2026 at 12:30pm
Bathrooms: Yes
Parking: Yes, on-site lot
Cost: Adults $10; free for children, veterans, and active military. You can reserve your tickets here: https://www.publichealthmuseum.org/visit-us.html
Hours: Thursdays & Saturdays, 10:00am to 2:00pm. Also open the first Sunday of the month from 1:00-3:00pm
Accessibility: While the actual museum is wheelchair and stroller-friendly, there is a set of about ten stairs to get into the building and there is no ramp, so strollers have to be carried up.
My kids and I recently toured The Public Health Museum in Tewksbury and learned so much. My oldest daughter loves history and is an aspiring EMT, so this was the perfect trip for her. But really, it’s an incredible learning experience for anyone, even if you’re not in or not particularly interested in the healthcare field.
Public health is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. It focuses on disease and injury prevention, health education, and environmental safety.
There are self-guided or docent-guided tours. The museum’s coordinator, Amber, was super warm and friendly. Although we chose to do a self-guided tour, she was nearby and available for questions.
The museum made our visit fun and engaging, providing scavenger hunts for each of my kids. My oldest child chose to do the question hunt, focusing on finding facts throughout the museum. My younger kids chose to do the picture hunt, checking off pictures of things they spotted in the exhibits. My rambunctious five year old actually participated and stayed focused, so it really worked at keeping him interested and asking questions. I honestly wouldn’t recommend this museum for children under five as they may not be too interested or understand, and there are several things that you cannot touch.
The Tewksbury Public Health Museum is the very first public health museum in the country. It began as an almshouse in 1854, and it was once home to Helen Keller’s teacher, Annie Sullivan. Annie was sent here as a child due to an eye disease that nearly left her blind. Her original admittance form is actually on display in the replica administration office. Seeing the history of someone who went from these beginnings to becoming one of the world's most important educators is an incredible way to enrich a child's life experience.
The office area offers kids a chance to sit down at an old desk and typewriter, see a real emergency switchboard, and see what the healthcare office side of things were like.
The building that once served as an almshouse is now home to some really neat artifacts, records, and memorabilia related to the health field. It’s an impressive preservation of the past. There is a huge assortment of old medicine bottles and medical tools and devices.
A replica classroom shows what nursing school life was like, including vintage nursing uniforms and learning material.
The interactive AIDS exhibit allows people to honor those lost to the disease by tying a red ribbon on a wire display. I found this to be a special tribute that allows kids to practice empathy.
Other exhibits include tuberculosis and smallpox, mental health, and early dentistry. We learned that Paul Revere was the very first forensic dentist (who knew?!). The antique dental tools and chairs were neat to see too.
Something we all thought was cool to see was an iron lung, a machine that saved the lives of people who had been paralyzed by polio by assisting them to breathe.
This museum provides a wealth of information. It was a great educational experience for both my kids and myself. It’s definitely worth checking out!
Holly O'Blenis is a mom of four who loves finding new, exciting things to do to create a fun, happy childhood for them! She is an avid reader and crafter who loves the outdoors.
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