Exhibits
Native People, Native Places
Three rare dug out canoes are the centerpieces of our Native People, Native Places exhibit. A fine collection of local baskets, stone and wood implements, art, and artifacts from the earliest Water Festival Canoe Races make this exhibit one you would not want to miss! Native peoples lived here for some 10,000 years. We celebrate their history - then and now. Interactive Map
Prehistory
The Dale Conklin Prehistory Exhibit features ancient remains of the Colombian Mammoth, and information about our last Ice Age. Glaciers once covered this part of the Pacific Northwest with ice over 3,000 feet thick. Learn how the glaciers shaped Island County, and how the mammoths may have become extinct!
(while you are here, pick up one of our GeoPark Driving Tour maps)
Four Seasons of Water
"Four Seasons of Water," is a beaded artistic tribute to water. The 15 foot, wrap around motorized canvas has over two million seed beads and took artist Russell Morton 13 years (18,000 hours) to create.
Early Settlement
Our permanent exhibit starts with early European exploration, Anglo-American colonization, and the communities and cultures that grew here and make up what we now know as Island County. Once the hub of the Salish Sea, this beautiful place still supports small farms, special wildlife habitat, and features a rich history and world-class landscapes.
Pioneer Families
Learn about the everyday lives of the early American settlers of Whidbey and Camano Island. Their tools, clothing, medical instruments, and the first car on Whidbey help you get a feel for what it was like to have left one's home for a new life in the Pacific Northwest.
Chinese Farmer’s Shack
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Whidbey Island was home to sizable community of Chinese immigrants. Most immigrants worked on local farms, and faced discrimination from the larger community of white business owners. Step into our Chinese Immigrant exhibit and learn more about this part of Island County’s history and heritage.
Communication on the Islands
The history of telephone service in Island County.
Fiber Arts Exhibit
A partnership exhibit with the Pacific Northwest Art School. This exhibit features work from local fiber artists as well as historic pieces from the Janet Enzmann Archive Collection. Be sure to check out our events page for an opportunity to meet some of the artists and try your hand at your own art.