Entry No. 8 — the St. Louis file — filed under: oddities
Inside the Vault (Saint Louis Science Center)
Tucked inside the Planetarium tunnel, this exhibition showcases the long-hidden collection of the National Museum of Quackery, featuring over 180 fraudulent medical devices confiscated by the FDA.
The story
Most people walking the long tunnel connecting the main Science Center building on Oakland Avenue to the McDonnell Planetarium across Interstate 64 are hurrying to the next space show. Keep your eyes on the glass cases built into the walls. Tucked into this subterranean corridor is Inside the Vault, an exhibition housing one of the country’s stranger archives of medical desperation and snake-oil engineering.
The display draws from the historical collection of the St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society and the former National Museum of Quackery, which documented medical fraud between 1964 and 1984. On display are more than 180 confiscated contraptions: electro-therapy boxes, glowing ray lamps, vibrating belts, and dubious cure-all gadgets seized by the FDA or gathered by doctors intent on exposing mid-century health swindles.
What makes the vault worth stopping for is the sheer ingenuity of the grift. You are looking at polished chrome and mahogany cabinets designed to convince sick people that a hum of low-voltage electricity or a colored light bulb could cure kidney ailments, arthritis, or fatigue. Positioned inside a legitimate science institution, it stands as a quiet, slightly eerie monument to human gullibility.
What it's like
Expect a low-key, self-guided stroll through the pedestrian tunnel connecting the main facility to the planetarium campus in Forest Park. General admission to the Science Center is free, so you can walk right in without buying a ticket. The tunnel is usually cooler and quieter than the chaotic main exhibit halls, making it an easy 20-minute detour. Double-check facility hours before visiting, as access to the planetarium tunnel can vary.
The move: Stroll through the tunnel to marvel at the bizarre, pseudoscientific medical contraptions of the mid-20th century, then discuss which 'cure-all' device you'd be most likely to fall for.
- 📍 Forest Park
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 5050 Oakland Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Turtle Playground — Pair a walk past mid-century medical absurdities with a quick trip across Forest Park to climb giant concrete reptiles sitting near the highway overpass.
- None of the Above — Swap fraudulent mid-century health gizmos for real drinks hidden behind an unmarked gray steel door in Midtown.
- Origin Wellness STL — Contrast historical pseudoscientific cure-alls with modern high-tech wellness treatments like dome saunas just a few minutes away.
Good to know
Do I need a ticket to view Inside the Vault?
No. General admission to the Saint Louis Science Center and the planetarium tunnel exhibition is free.
Where inside the Science Center is the exhibit located?
It is displayed inside the glass cases along the skybridge/tunnel connecting the main building at 5050 Oakland Ave to the McDonnell Planetarium building inside Forest Park.
What is the history behind these quack medical devices?
The items originate from the St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society's Medical Historical Museum and the National Museum of Quackery, active from 1964 to 1984, which collected pseudoscientific devices and FDA-confiscated machinery to educate the public on health scams.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: slsc.org
last checked: 2026-07-21