Tucson

The Coit Museum of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, housed at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, traces its origins to 1966 when retired State Board Inspector Jesse Hurlbut donated his extensive collection of pharmaceutical artifacts to establish the museum. Originally spread throughout the hallways and lobbies of the College of Pharmacy, the museum underwent a dramatic transformation in 2021 with the opening of a dedicated interpretive gallery in the Skaggs Pharmaceutical Sciences Center, funded by a generous gift from alumnus R. Ken Coit. The museum now houses one of the world's leading collections of pharmacy artifacts, featuring the prestigious Upjohn Pharmacy collection from Disneyland, a full-scale replica of an old-time drugstore complete with period-appropriate displays, and thousands of medical curiosities documenting pharmacy practice from the 19th and 20th centuries. Visitors can experience interactive exhibits including the award-winning "Great Moments in Pharmacy" featuring 40 digitized and animated paintings, and enjoy hands-on activities such as creating their own "snake oil" labels for medicine bottles. Among the museum's more unusual artifacts is a jar containing gangster John Dillinger's chewed gum, highlighting the eclectic nature of this fascinating collection that bridges pharmacy history with popular culture.