The Washington State History Museum is open for visitors Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM. All visitors ages 5 and above are required to wear masks while in the museum. Close
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Crossing Boundaries 2

Crossing Boundaries

May 29 - Dec 10 2021
This exhibit highlights historical narratives of transgender people in the West and considers how westward migration provided opportunities for self-expression and fulfillment. Traversing unfamiliar territory, these individuals crossed both physical boundaries and the perceptual boundaries of their earlier lives. Join us in learning more about the history of gender, identity, and changing cultural perceptions in the West and the connections between transgender history and the LGBTQ+ community today.
As Grandmother Taught

As Grandmother Taught

Jul 23 - Nov 28 2021
This exhibition from the NWMAC in Spokane celebrates three contemporary Columbia River Plateau women alongside historic objects and images from the NWMAC’s collection. The art of these cultures reflects traditional lifeways borne of a time-honored and interdependent relationship with the natural world. Women have been the primary makers of the functional forms necessary to everyday life.
University of Washington and Washington State Historical Society collaboration

Pandemic Perspectives

Aug 19 - Dec 10 2021
The WSHS and UW collaborated to provide a unique learning experience for students in the capstone course for the Public Health/Global Health major. This exhibition is the result of the student's work. By exploring poignant personal accounts of people in our community, you'll come away with a clearer, more diverse understanding of the reach and ramifications of this global crisis as it played out right here at home.
Handstitched Worlds 1

Handstitched Worlds

Sep 17 - Jan 24 2022
Looking across city blocks and quilt blocks, roadways and seams, one can see a visible kinship between quilt making and cartography. Both are built upon established systems that use color, pattern, and symbols to create whole compositions from a network of interlocked parts. Quilts and maps are also infused with history and memory—similarly living records of traditions, experiences, relationships, beliefs, and future aspirations.
A View From Above 2

A View From Above

Sep 17 - Jan 23 2022
See a selection of bird’s-eye view maps from the Historical Society's collections illustrating cities and towns from across Washington. Also called panoramic maps, they were drawn to give the viewer a sense of looking down at a city and its major features as if they were flying above it. Maps on view are from the late 1800s -early 1900s as well as more recently created maps inspired by the panoramic style. Also featuring historic surveying, mapmaking, and illustration tools.
Great Hall of Washington History 7

Great Hall of Washington History

Permanent Exhibition
Our largest exhibit is a walk through time, showcasing some of the state’s earliest history and a variety of artifacts from Native American civilizations and cultures.
Remembrance 1

REMEMBRANCE

Permanent Exhibition
This new long-term gallery at Washington State History Museum explores the intergenerational impacts and legacy of the incarceration of people of Japanese ancestry during World War II as a result of Executive Order 9066. Many of the letters, photographs, ephemera, and objects on view were contributed by people in our community who were incarcerated, or are the descendants of those who were incarcerated.
Washington: My Home

Washington: My Home

Permanent Exhibition
This permanent exhibit explores migration and immigration through the experiences of diverse individuals who, over time, have come to live in Washington.
Remembrance 29

REMEMBRANCE (Virtual)

Permanent Exhibition
Visit this page to view some of the many objects and stories featured in the Remembrance gallery at the Washington State History Museum.
Virtual K-12 Educator Workshop - POSTPONED

Virtual K-12 Educator Workshop

October 8, 3:00-6:00 PM and October 9, 9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Museum educators will present creative ways to incorporate STEAM into the classroom! Workshops and lesson plans for both primary and secondary teachers. Qualifies for 7.5 clock hours.
Crossing Boundaries 2

Challenging History

Oct 14, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Spend an evening with KNKX’s Ed Ronco and Vivian McCall in conversation with Peter Boag and Gwen Whiting, co-curators of the exhibition Crossing Boundaries: Portraits of a Transgender West. Participate remotely as they talk live in the exhibition gallery about the history of transgender people and how westward migration provided opportunities for fulfillment.
Scholarly Selections

Scholarly Selections

Oct 21, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
UWT professor Riki Thompson presents her original research about online dating for individuals who identify outside of binary gender norms. Her research illuminates the challenges and opportunities of online dating in relation to gender and sexuality.
360 Members-Only Gallery Preview

Family Saturday: Exploring 360

This event has been postponed. Check back soon for new date.
Join us for a facilitated family-friendly exploration of the new 360 gallery, including a special activity.
postponed

Family Saturday

Postponed, check back soon for new date.
Meet the Pacific Northwest African American Quilters as they share their fiber arts creations and the stories behind them. Then, try your hand at patterning squares that tell your own story!