A NEW museum delving into the fascinating and gory history of medicine finally opens its doors in Chester city centre on Thursday, May 20.
Sick to Death was originally due to open its doors at St Michael's Church in 2020, but in a darkly ironic twist, had to be delayed due to the Covid pandemic.
Have a try in the surgeon's chair.
But as Covid restrictions are (thankfully) easing, visitors will now have the chance to see what lies in store.
It will not be the first time Sick to Death has graced the city, having originally opened on the medieval towers forming the Watertower complex on the city walls in 2016.
However, the new space in St Michael's Church offers considerably more space for plenty more gruesome exhibits to be showcased.
The toilet wall comes complete with an audible experience.
The Standard was this week given a sneak preview of what to expect from the attraction, which has been put together by Big Heritage, which previously hosted Chester: A Life Story at the church, as well as the Western Approaches attraction in Liverpool which focuses on secrets of the Second World War.
While St Michael's Church isn't the largest of buildings, every square metre of space has been maximised throughout Sick to Death, with plenty of interactive exhibits and experiences for visitors to enjoy.
The existing setting of St Michael's Church complements a section of Sick to Death looking at the role religion has played.
It focuses on the evolution of medicine, and how medical professionals throughout history would treat medical ailments
Visitors can get all diagnostic themselves in the authentic autopsy room, seeing what the unfortunate figure on the autopsy table died of (several things, it turns out, when you look more closely at his innards on display).
The setting of St Michael's Church has also complemented a section of the museum to focus on religion, with a feature on the patron saints of various diseases.
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 wall featuring plenty of bogus treatments for conditions endorsed by people who should have known better.
While most of the attraction is grounded in real-world medicine and ailments, there are a couple of exhibits dedicated to the more fantastical side, with medicine inspired from the likes of Harry Potter, and a 'Bad Medicine Wall of Shame', featuring quackery from past and present, such as goat body part transplants to cure impotence, or bleach to cure Covid.
Sick to Death is funded by the Wellcome Trust, a foundation campaigning for better education and engagement in science and health research.
Take a trip in the Sick to Death 'Turdis', for an adventure like no other.
Helping Big Heritage put together the new attraction and showing their support include the Grosvenor Museum, local artist Russell Kirk, the Chester Model Centre and Chester Health Store.
Dean Paton, managing director of Big Heritage, said: “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.
A look at how herbs have treated people's ailments throughout history is showcased at Sick to Death.
“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.”
Sick to Death opens on Thursday, May 20 and will initially be open each Thursday-Sunday from 10am-6pm. Adult tickets cost £6, with tickets for children aged five to 15 costing £3.50 and under fives go free.
Click here to book tickets.
The new Sick to Death attraction opens on May 20.
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