Bryce Mental Health Museum

The opening of the Bryce Mental Health Museum marks a full-circle moment Alabama’s history.  Our state was ahead of its time when Bryce opened its doors in 1861 to its first mental health patient: a civil war soldier.  Renowned for the use of moral treatment in service to individuals and innovative architecture, Bryce played a pivotal role in the advancement of mental health care in the state.

In the 1960s, Governor Lurleen Wallace toured Bryce Hospital and successfully persuaded the Alabama Legislature to make historic investments in mental health facilities. 

The museum is part of the Catherine and Pettus Randall Welcome Center at the University of Alabama, on the historic Bryce Main property. The museum offers education and information through its extensive collection of photographs, artifacts, and exhibits, while honoring history and progress of mental health care.