As part of the University of Maryland, Baltimore's (UMB) Founders Week 2025 celebration, students, staff, and faculty are invited to visit five historical sites on campus Oct. 21 between noon and 2 p.m. (Download the Historical Treasures Flyer).
SAMUEL D. HARRIS NATIONAL MUSEUM OF DENTISTRY
Location: 31 Greene St.
The Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry is the congressionally designated national museum of the dental profession and a Smithsonian Affiliate institution. The museum is home to over 50,000 artifacts and features two floors of exhibit spaces exploring how different cultures view their smiles, how teeth develop across species, the importance of prevention, and the people, cultures, and innovations that shaped the history of oral health and dentistry.
With a collection dating back to the establishment of the world’s first dental college, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, in 1840, the museum has been a cultural steward for the likes of the first dental license and diploma awarded, George Washington’s denture, Queen Victoria’s dental instruments, and an extensive collection of toothbrushes, natural history specimens, dental instruments, artwork, and much more.
JOSEPH U. DORSCH SR., BSP ’39, PHARMACY MUSEUM
Location: 20 N. Pine St.
This beautiful space in Pharmacy Hall contains historical items of importance to the pharmacy profession and the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP), such as unique glass bottles, jars, paper prescriptions, advertisements, and other artifacts donated by alumni.
Among the items on display are the diplomas of UMSOP graduates Alpheus Sharp (Class of 1842) and Louis Dohme (Class of 1857), who co-founded the company Merck Sharp & Dohme.
Location: 655 W. Lombard St.
Maryland’s only museum dedicated to nursing, the Living History Museum honors the critical role of nurses and chronicles the continuing story of the profession. Hundreds of artifacts tell the stories of University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) students, faculty, and alumni. Images and objects from the founding of the school in 1889 to contemporary student uniforms convey the discipline, dedication, and innovations of Maryland’s nurses.
The museum also features video and audio histories of nurses recounting stories from previous generations. Together, the exhibits in the museum weave an insightful tapestry of the nursing profession — with UMSON serving as its common thread.
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS AT THE HSHSL
Location: 601 W. Lombard St.
The Historical Collections area at the Health Sciences and Human Services Library (HSHSL) serves as the official archives of UMB. The collections — both physical and digital — document the rich history of UMB’s schools of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Social Work, and Graduate Studies, as well as the broader story of health sciences in Baltimore.
Highlights include a 1497 edition of “De Medicina” by Celsus, rare 19th-century handwritten theses, letters from Dr. James Carroll’s work on the Yellow Fever Commission, and striking botanical and dental illustrations. These treasures support exhibitions, publications, and research for the UMB community and beyond.
Historical Collections is open to the public. For more information or to plan a visit, contact Tara Wink, historical collections librarian and archivist, at twink@hshsl.umaryland.edu.
WESTMINSTER HALL AND BURYING GROUND
Location: 519 W. Fayette St.
People have traveled far and wide to visit historic Westminster Hall’s Burying Ground and Catacombs. Guests have the opportunity to explore one of Baltimore’s oldest cemeteries, which contains tombs of prominent political, military, and business leaders; four of the city’s earliest mayors; a number of generals from the American Revolution and War of 1812; and the grave of famed American poet Edgar Allan Poe. All told, the cemetery is the final resting place for hundreds of people of all faiths.