History
The Hall of Health opened in 1974 as a temporary exhibit in the main lobby of Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley. Public response was so enthusiastic that the Hall of Health was soon moved to a semi-permanent home. Ten to twelve thousand visitors were attending annually by 1989.
In the fall of 1989, Alta Bates Medical Center and Children's Hospital Oakland agreed to pool resources and talent to become joint sponsors of the Hall of Health. With approximately 6,200 square feet of space the current location, 2230 Shattuck Avenue at Kittredge in Downtown Berkeley, is nearly twice the size of the former site. The new site has allowed the Hall to accommodate more visitors than ever, and approximately 18,000 people are currently visiting each year. In January 2001, Children's Hospital Oakland became the sole sponsor of the Hall of Health.
With a modest investment in dollars and a deep commitment from volunteers and the community, the Hall of Health has developed into a museum that not only educates visitors but also generates strong feelings of goodwill from its East Bay community. From its humble beginnings, recognition of the Hall's community education value was fast in coming. It has received the national MacEachern Award, given for outstanding achievement in public information, as well as development funds from such organizatons as Cowell Foundation, the L.J. Skaggs and Mary C. Skaggs Foundation, and the Berkeley Rotary Endowment.
Many institutions, organizations, and companies have contributed time, equipment, or dollars toward exhibits. These have included Alameda County Tobacco Control Coalition, Alta Bates Associates, American Academy of Pediatrics, Berkeley Police Association Charitable Fund, Berkeley Rotary Endowment, Blue Cross of California, Children's Hospital Branches, East Bay Community Foundation, Genentech, Inc., Glenview Women's Club, Health Net, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Medtronic, Inc., Pacific Gas & Electric Company, State Farm Insurance Companies, and the TransAction Companies. The Hall of Health has also received a Learning Opportunities Grant and a Museums for America Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
