Driving along US 264, a signpost announces the Country Doctor Museum. Locals and visitors alike may be intrigued by this sign, and decide to take the Bailey NC exit and check out this history museum.
According to the museum website, its 1800s farmhouse and other buildings include exhibits of early physician’s tools and apothecary equipment.
Initially created by a group of local women interested in preserving this snapshot of early medicine, the museum serves as a tribute to early NC physicians. In 2003, the museum was donated to the Medical Foundation of East Carolina University.
The Country Doctor Museum is open for guided tours on some days. Guided tours include the interior druggist’s shop, medical device displays, and medicinal herb garden, and may take 45 minutes to an hour.
Museum admission is just a few dollars, with very young children free.
So the next time you’re taking a drive down US 264, stop in and check out this tribute to day’s gone by.
The Country Doctor Museum is located at 6642 Peele Road, Bailey NC. The gift shop and parking lot are just across the street from the museum house and garden.
More information is available at www.countrydoctormuseum.org.
06012011
