Clark County Historical Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Vancouver Public Library
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Location | 1511 Main St., Vancouver, Washington |
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Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1909 |
Architect | Nichols, Dennis; Kaufman, William |
MPS | Carnegie Libraries of Washington TR |
NRHP reference No. | 82004204 |
Added to NRHP | August 3, 1982 |

The Clark County Historical Museum is a cool place to learn about history. It's located in Vancouver, Washington. The museum is inside an old building that used to be a library. This building was built way back in 1909. It was one of many libraries built with money from Andrew Carnegie, a famous businessman. The museum is run by the Clark County Historical Society. This group was started in 1917. The museum first opened its doors in this old library building on May 24, 1964.
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What You Can See at the Museum
The museum has different exhibits that change often. These exhibits show interesting things about the local area. You can also see a special exhibit about Native American crafts. The museum's main goal is to keep the history of Clark County safe. They also want to share it with everyone. This includes the history of the Pacific Northwest. The museum also creates educational programs. These programs help people of all ages learn about the past.
How the Museum Works
The Clark County Historical Museum is a non-profit organization. This means it's not trying to make money. Instead, it uses its funds to run the museum. It works closely with Clark County and the City of Vancouver. The museum gets money from different places. This includes membership dues from people who join the Historical Society. It also gets help from grants, companies, and donations.
Fun Events and Programs
The museum hosts many exciting events throughout the year. These events are great for families and friends.
Mr. Carnegie's Grand Tour
In 2009, the museum started a special program. It's called "Mr. Carnegie's Grand Tour of Washington." This is a free car tour. It explores old Carnegie libraries and other historic places in Washington state. It's a fun way to see different parts of the state.
Harvest Fun Day
Since 2004, the museum has hosted "Harvest Fun Day." This is a yearly community event. It happens on the fourth Saturday of September. You can make scarecrows and paint pumpkins. There are also pie-eating and corn-shucking contests. You can even see old farm equipment demonstrations. Live music makes the day even more fun. Since 2010, this event has been held at the 78th Street Heritage Farm.
Holiday Open House
The "Holiday Open House" is a free event. It happens every year on the first Saturday of December. Local artists show and sell their handmade items. It's a great chance to find unique gifts.
First Thursday Museum After Hours
The museum is open late on the first Thursday of each month. This happens from February through November. It's called "First Thursday Museum After Hours." You can visit from 5 to 9 p.m. At 7 p.m., there are guest speakers. They talk about many interesting topics.
School Partnerships
The museum also works with local schools. They create educational projects for students. For example, from 2009 to 2012, they used "Artifact Detectives" kits. These kits helped students in Clark County schools learn about history. They learned by exploring different artifacts.]