Museums and Tourism in Eastern Washington State

History Museums in Eastern Washington State

• Gorge Heritage Museum, Bingham
  Dedicated to discovering, preserving, and disseminating knowledge about the history of Western Klickitat County and Eastern Skamania County.
  
  
• Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village, Cashmere
  Native American artifacts dating back 9,000 years, desert wildlife diorama, pioneer materials from 1880 - 1930, displays of semi-precious stones; the adjoining Pioneer Village has 21 original structures from North Central Washington, an 1891 waterwheel, and a Great Northern passenger car and caboose.
  
  
• Alpowai Interpretive Center, Clarkston
  Audio-visual presentation, historical displays and artifacts relating to Alpowai, which was a Nez Perce Indian village during the mid-1800s.
  
  
• Perkins House, Colfax
  A carefully restored and furnished Victorian-style home built in 1886.
  
  
• East Benton County Historical Society and Museum, Kennewick
  Historic artifacts, such as ancient Indian petroglyphs recovered from the Columbia River in 1939, pioneer farm implements, and the school bell from the old Finley School; the museum claims to be "the best small museum building in the state".
  
  
• Moses Lake Museum and Art Center, Moses Lake
  Extensive collection of historical artifacts, including the prestigious "Adam East Collection".
  
  
• Franklin County Historical Society and Museum, Pasco
  Historic old library, now a collection of historic artifacts and information.
  
  
• Washington State Railroads Historical Society Museum, Pasco
  Extensive displays of historical regional and general railroad memorabilia and photographs.
  
  
• Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science, and Technology, Richland
  From primitive irrigation systems to the development and use of robotics, a journey through the unique Columbia Basin region; emphasizes interactive, hands-on displays and activities.
  
  
• Ritzville Railroad Depot, Ritzville
  A depot renovated to its old look and feel, plus many displays of regional historical material, notably a photo-montage of the striking effects of the massive Mt. St. Helens volcanic eruption on eastern Washington State.
  
  
• Dr. Frank R. Burroughs Historic Home, Ritzville
  A lovingly and richly restored turn-of-the-century Victorian-style home.
  
  
• Whoop N'Holler, Roosevelt
  A cache of curios, antiques, and artifacts: one of the largest antique/classic auto collections in the state, plus memorabilia used by area pioneers.
  
  
• South Cle Elum Depot, South Cle Elum
  Dedicated to the interpretation and preservation of the history of the western extension and electrification of the Milwaukee Road--one of the most significant and cherished railroads ever to exist in the United States.
  This museum may not be open yet--check before trying to visit.
  
  
• Spokane Valley Heritage Museum, Spokane
  Collect, preserving and exhibiting the history and culture of the Spokane Valley.
  This museum may not be open yet--check before trying to visit.
  
  
• Northern Pacific RailwayMuseum, Toppenish
  Recreates the ambience of the 1930 Northern Pacific Railroad: the depot is restored to its early appearance, showcasing aspects of early railroad transportation; many artifacts help demonstrate the historic importance of railroad transportation.
  
  
• Fort Walla Walla Museum, Walla Walla
  Pioneer settlement composed of 15 original cabins, schools, railroad depot, livery stable, etc., plus 2 replicas; exhibit halls display artifacts from horse-era agriculture, and military exhibits from Fort Walla Walla; weekly "living history" performances.
  
  
• Museum of the Columbia, Wenatchee
  A look back at the rich history of early life along the Columbia River; also a Nez Perce Indian Portrait collection. (Same location as the Rocky Reach Visitor Center, listed farther below).
  
  
• Shafer Museum, Winthrop
  A turn-of-the-century rustic pioneer home, plus period schoolhouse; displays an early print shop, a stagecoach, antique farm equipment, old cars, an assay office, a doctor's office, mining equipment from the surrounding gold and silver mines, and a settlers cabin. Old photographs are displayed as well.
  
  
• Yakima Valley Museum, Yakima
  Exhibits on the Yakima Valley's natural history, American Indian culture, pioneer life, early city life, and fruit industry; has a varied collection of horse-drawn vehicles.
  
  

Museums Other Than History Museums in Eastern Washington State

• Armed Forces and Aerospace Museum, Airway Heights
  Military and aviation history of the Spokane area, representing all areas of military services serving in the Spokane region, including Ft. Wright, Felts Field, Geiger Field, Spokane Air Repair Depot, and Fairchild Air Force Base.
  This museum may be closed for re-location--check before trying to visit.
  
  
• Clymer Museum of Art, Ellensburg
  Showcases the career of the late Ellensburg artist John Ford Clymer, whose historically accurate illustrations captured early Western America.
  
  
• Maryhill Museum of Art, Goldendale
  A large and diverse collection of world-class art.
  
  
• Nutcracker Museum, Leavenworth
  Emphasis is on antique nutcrackers, but also displays nutcrackers of current makers.
  
  
• Charles R. Conner Museum, Pullman
  The largest public collection of birds and mammals in the Pacific Northwest.
  
  
• Museum of Anthropology, Pullman
  Displays designed to provide information about the field of anthropology and how it helps us understand human culture and history.
  
  
• WSU Museum of Art, Pullman
  (no information available)
  
  
• M. T. James Entomological Collection, Pullman
  Houses over 1.25 million specimens of insects and related arthropods, plus a library and photographic slides. The Collection's concern is the fauna of the Pacific Northwest, especially Washington State.
  
  
• Marion Ownby Herbarium, Pullman
  Nearly 350,000 specimens of plants and lichens, mainly from the Pacific Northwest.
  
  
• Stonerose Interpretive Center, Republic
  A rich fossil bed where both serious paleontologists and visitors can "prospect" for fossilized Eocene plant life--a remarkable sort of souvenir hunt.
  
  
• Three Rivers Children's Museum, Richland
  Hands-on and role-playing exhibits designed to stimulate a child's imagination; exhibits changed periodically.
  
  
• Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Spokane
  (no information available)
  
  
• World of Massage Museum, Spokane
  Exhibits, programs and research intended to bring better understanding and appreciation by the community of the history, art, science, and cultural environment of massage.
  
  
• American Hop Museum, Toppenish
  Historical equipment, photos, and artifacts showcasing the 400-year history of the obscure perennial vine bearing the botanical name humulus lupulus.
  
  
• Rocky Reach Visitor Center, Wenatchee
  The Rocky Reach Hydro Project: closeup views of salmon, steelhead, trout, and others migrating upstream; exhibits, observation points, self-guided tours, and changing art, craft and floral exhibits. (Same location as the Museum of the Columbia, listed farther above).
  
  
• Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, Wenatchee
  (no information available)
  
  

Museum-Related Resources

• Washington State Railroad Society
  
  
  

Timely Alerts

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Tourist and Planning Assistance

• Experience Washington - Washington State Department of Tourism All the help you would expect from the State itself.
  
  
• Washington AAA (regional division of the American Automobile Association) All the classic travel assistance the AAA is famed for: maps, tour guides, and more (many of the online services are even available to non-members).
  
  
• Washington Online Highways A great deal of useful travel information in one place.
  
  
• Go Northwest! Washington Travel information organized by region (they split eastern Washington State into northern and southern halves).
  
  
• Yahoo! Travel - Washington State A useful portal to diverse information (some commercial) about Washington State.
  
  

Other Things

• Washington Wine Commission Planning information for wine travel (eastern Washington State dominates the State's tremendous wine presence in the world); part of the Commission's larger web site.
  
  
• Washington State Volcanoes and Volcanics Eastern Washington today is very stable and "un-volcanic", but this site has information of all sorts of fascinating geological phenomena, such as the history of the Columbia River.