All our stories happened here.
This museum tells the story of a religious group, formed in Bedford in the early 20th Century.
The Panacea Society was most active during the 1920s and 1930s, when the community grew to more than 70 resident members living in and around Albany Road in Bedford, with about 2,000 'sealed' members living elsewhere across the world. Over 130,000 people applied to receive the Society’s method of healing through water – its ‘panacea’ to cure all illnesses.
Many of the displays are in ‘Castleside’, a beautiful Victorian house that was part of the community’s headquarters. It tells the story of the Panacea Society and other similar religious groups.
The museum also incorporates several other buildings, set within the Gardens, that formed the original community’s ‘Campus’. The main entrance for the museum is 'The Haven':
