National Hansen's Disease Museum

They have done some renovations to this museum since I was last there a few years ago. Very lovely docent, a treasure trove of information. People diagnosed with leprosy were shunned and pushed here, away from friends and family to create their own community. Even after they were cured, most were allowed to stay, or even come back if they realized that they were shunned again when they went back to their community. There was a sense of pride here. Love. Family.

Well worth the trip if you're in the Baton Rouge area. Great staff and interesting exhibits.

What an UNBELIEVABLE experience. This was tough to get to but once you got there you were rolled back into the world of yesterday. It was an amazing thing to behold. There are very few museums that make you feel like you "were there" but this one did. It made you really consider what these folks went through, their plight, and the amazing things that happened as a result of their being there. The place DRIPS with history. You NEED to check this place out. Well worth the drive down off of I-10. Wonderful and helpful staff for certain!!Don't let the fact that this is on a military base stop you. They are nice, polite, and really great. They will roll the red carpet out for you.If you drive past this without stopping, you will have missed a true gem.

TLDR: just saying...I came here out of curiosity, not the morbid kind but the regular. so what does a person expect to find in a place like this? ...in a review of a place like this? ...in a review of this exact place? this is not my first time to the rodeo nor even my third, but shucks and awe are off the table so maybe I was looking for hindsight during the pandemonium that defines 2020.The facility is from a different place in time, the museum attempts to interpret the history and treatments of a bygone era for people living in the 21st century; to inform and educate, to honor those patients and medical staff who lived here pursuing a better sort of treatment and ultimately a cure for leprosy. By and large it does so.The museum itself is not open to visitors during the current outbreak but self paced driving tours of the grounds are permitted. keep in mind that the site is an active military installation so all visitors are required to present valid identification while checking in at the gate - maps of the historic district are available at the museum entrance, please return them when finished. the placards at the museum and notes on the maps include a good deal of information and insight on life at the camp; much of it not so very good, some only slightly terrible. the cemetery is the last stop on the tour and the only place visitors are allowed to walk around, poke about, and take pictures. I chose to remain in my car since burying grounds are sacred to some and I claim no stake in the past or present.more delicate souls may consider the attitudes that gave rise to leprosaria and other isolations as travesties or tragedies of epic proportion ...and perhaps they are, now, but the people were scared and reacting in ignorance of how? and why? and what to do?Reflecting on current events I am not so sure anything has changed but the players :-( sad face

I would suggest to anyone who is interested in medical history or patient's rights that this is an essential stop. This is one of only 2 federal Leprosariums (to use the old term) in the US and the other one was on Molokai, Hawaii. The exhibits in the museum are interesting and moving, as they are the artifacts of people who were forcibly removed from their families. If you can get the tour from the archivist (she's there one Saturday a month usually), her stories about information requests will break your heart.There is a small gift shop where you can purchase books, postcards, pins, etc. I can't remember if they accept credit cards or not.The original antebellum mansion is still in use and is not tour-able since it houses federal offices. Be prepared for everyone in the car to present identification at the gatehouse as you enter.I was lucky enough to attend a meeting at this location last month and because we were special, we were allowed to take some photos of the museum. But don't' try to take photos of the grounds, it is a federal facility and you'll get in big trouble. Plus there are still patients living here, so their privacy needs to be respected.

Have been wanting to visit this place for awhile, mainly due to the fact several Yelp friends have spoken of it, but also because it is close to my residence and the fact that it was THE national leprosarium if you were diagnosed with Hansen's Disease in the 48 contiguous states...I really didn't know what to expect and was openly surprised at how emotionally moving my visit was...the educational aspects of learning about this disease was greatly informative and the understated way in which the exhibits humanized this portion of our population that were feared and shunned due to our collective medical ignorance of the late 19th and early 20th century was very moving...The information on the Golden Age movie goddess, Tallulah Bankhead, and her friendship with Stanley Stein (a sufferer of Hansen's) was pretty damn cool!! I always thought Tallulah was a helluva broad and the exhibits dealing with her just confirmed it...I took my son, sister, father and step-mother with me and all were reluctant but once we hit the front porch and started reading the exhibits located there they were all ready to get in and start the short film and self tour...they were surprised at how enjoyable this experience was...One thing I'd like to really learn more about was the murder of one Hansen's patient by another that occurred in the 50's I believe...Another cool thing is the fact that they have a 9 hole golf course on the grounds still open to the public... $5/person for all day play and another $5 to rent a cart...My son and I will definitely be playing some golf there this summer, you can bet on that!!

Most good museums demand a second visit for you to be able to glean even more information, especially museums like the National Hansen's Disease Museum, which is so stuffed with treasures, memorabilia, magazine and newspaper articles, photos, artifacts, patient mardi gras floats (yes, they had their own parade) and my new favorite discovery, the room where they archive what those in the field of social services would call psychosocial profiles. That typically means that the writer puts in all the personality traits, likes, dislikes, as well as the patient's life story into a couple pages so that he or she becomes more than just a case. At the Hansen's Disease Museum, they go one step further and give some of the people nicknames on their files that you can choose from "The Pack Rat," "The Eccentric" or "The Diva" (I might have made that one up, but you get the picture). And no worries, plenty of patient privacy going on here, as no real full names are used, so don't go notifying HIPAA or anything. This might be one of my favorite museums in the world because they are doing something here beyond giving you a glimpse into the lives of they who once were stigmatized and banished here away from their families (sometimes in shackles), stigmatized as the dreaded Leper. They remove the shroud of mystery and give you the facts about the disease. You also get to meet Mr. Pete, who came here in his early 20s and is one of 10 who *chose* to still live here. He works at the museum and shows you around, entertains you with stories and answers any questions you may have. One of the things he talked about yesterday was how he and all the other patients would sneak through the hole in the fence (when they were forbidden to leave). Once that changed in the 60s, the rules lifted and the hole fixed, leaving lost its allure because you could just walk where you wanted. "What fun was that?" I look forward to third and fourth visits. We met the curator who told us that anyone could contact her and spend the day elbows-deep in research, if they so desire. I, for one, could lose myself in those patient profiles, as well as in the many letters from patients to their families. This museum, which is free, is a must-visit for any disease geeks and those who are also so inclined to visit places like psychiatric and medial hospital museums.

Upon entering the complex where the museum is located, we were greeted by the friendly gate guard and after showing our ID's were directed to the museum and convenient parking. We then visited the free museum and were immediately welcomed by Jason, the assistant curator. Jason provided an informative and very helpful overview of both museum and the surrounding complex. With Jason's attention to detail and friendly demeanor, we were able to enjoy the museum to its fullest. There are free headsets for a self guided tour of the museum. It has a very extensive collection of historic materials. While we learned much about Hansen's Disease, we also learned about the residents and staff's way of living there. One could easily have spent a half day there, and it made an entertaining day trip destination . There is also a driving tour that is accompanied by a 2 minute narration at each of nine stops. An exchange is on site for cold drinks, pizza at the warming station, candy, chips, and very basic supplies. It's located near Gonzales where there are many good restaurant choices.