A NEW visitor attraction delving into the nation’s gory history of medicine and pandemics is finally opening its doors in Chester, ironically after being delayed by the Covid pandemic.
The new ‘Sick to Death’ attraction – opening at St Michael’s Church in Chester city centre on Thursday, May 20, will plunge visitors into a fully immersive experience exploring weird and wonderful medicines used through the ages.
The newest museum in the UK will be an educational and entertaining resource for all ages.
Sick to Death is funded by the Wellcome Trust, a foundation campaigning for better education and engagement in science and health research. The attraction has been developed by Cheshire-based education and heritage specialists, Big Heritage, the team that turned Liverpool-based Western Approaches from dereliction to one of the UK's most popular heritage sites.
Visitors will be welcomed by a Harry Potter-style apothecary, inspired by the crowded shops of Diagon Alley in the best-selling books, and will feature a host of weird and wonderful knick-knacks, all grounded in the history of medicine.
The new Sick to Death attraction opens on May 20.
From there, visitors will go on a journey exploring how medicine and attitudes towards sickness have changed over the years; a topic that is more relevant than ever following the spreading ‘fake news’ around medical treatments linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
Other activities include an autopsy room with life-like autopsy bodies, an interactive surgery room, a fenced-off section dedicated to exploring sexual health through the ages and toilets disguised as Doctor Poo’s ‘Turdis.’
A ‘Bad Medicine Wall of Shame’ will also highlight the strange and often harmful ‘cures’ from over the centuries, ranging from Victorian electric-shock machines for women who were deemed to be ‘hysterical’, through to celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow’s entire GOOP! website and Donald Trump’s bleach drinking advice.
The spectral figure of Chester’s infamous Plague Doctor, already familiar with the streets of Chester will be back, wearing his iconic 17th century-style PPE.
The new Sick to Death attraction opens on May 20, complete with the Plague Doctor. Picture: Sam Ryley
Dean Paton, managing director of Big Heritage, said: “We’re thrilled to finally be able to open the doors to Sick to Death.
"The irony of us planning the UK’s first pandemic museum, only for its opening to be delayed because of a global pandemic, is not lost on us – you simply couldn’t write this stuff!
“The challenges posed by coronavirus mean people have never been more interested in learning and understanding about medicines and treatments, both in the present day and the past.
"However, we live in a world where bad science and misinformation can spread around the world quicker than any virus could, and Sick to Death aims to tackle some of these misconceptions in a fun and engaging way, helping people to understand how medicine has developed over the years.
“The Big Heritage team has worked so hard to create an amazing new attraction we hope will inspire and educate people, and it is fit to burst with weird and wonderful experiences for the whole family.
"We look forward to welcoming visitors from this month, so we can educate and entertain in equal measure.”
Ian Ashworth, Director of Public Health at Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “The progress of medicine has never been more apparent than in the response to this current COVID-19 pandemic and the phenomenal speed of developing and rolling out a safe and effective vaccine.
“It’s great to see this timely and relevant addition to Chester’s varied cultural offering and West Cheshire Cultural Services have been very pleased to support the attraction with collections, including a 1960s mortuary table for autopsy section and a medieval skeleton of a male monk found in Greyfriars.”
Sick to Death is set to open its doors to visitors from Thursday, May 20 and will initially be open on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between 10am and 6pm.
For more information, visit https://sicktodeath.org/
Tickets, priced from £3.50, can be booked at https://bigheritage.digitickets.co.uk/tickets?branches.branchID=1139
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here