Yakima Valley Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1952 |
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| Location | 2105 Tieton Drive Yakima, Washington |
| Type | Local history |
The Yakima Valley Museum is a really interesting place in Yakima, Washington. It's a big museum, about 65,000 square feet, that teaches you all about the Yakima Valley. You can learn about its natural history, the culture of the American Indian people, and what life was like for early settlers. The museum also shows how the city grew and how the area became famous for its fruit farms.
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What You Can See: Museum Exhibits
The Yakima Valley Museum has many cool things to explore. You can see a fantastic collection of old vehicles that were pulled by horses. These include everything from a stagecoach, which was like an old bus, to a hearse, which carried people to their final resting place.
Justice William O. Douglas's Office
One special exhibit is a recreated office of William O. Douglas. He used to live in Yakima and later became a very important judge on the Supreme Court. He was also a big supporter of protecting nature and the environment.
Ancient Trees and Bright Lights
You can also see petrified trees. These are trees that turned into stone over millions of years! They are from a time called the Miocene epoch. Another fun exhibit is the Neon Garden. It's a collection of old, colorful neon signs that used to light up businesses. The museum often has new, special exhibits too, so there's always something different to see.
Fun for Kids: The Children's Underground
Inside the museum, there's a special place just for kids called the Children's Underground. It's a 2,500-square-foot area where you can learn through hands-on activities. It offers educational programs for children aged 5 to 15, making history come alive!
Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain
The museum also has a working replica of a soda fountain from the late 1930s. It's called the Museum Soda Fountain and looks just like an old-timey diner. Many of its parts were saved and fixed up from real soda fountains in Yakima. It's a great spot to imagine what it was like to get a drink back then.
Events at the Great Hall
Below the Neon Garden is a large space called the Great Hall. This is where the museum holds different programs and concerts throughout the year.
The H. M. Gilbert Homeplace
The museum also takes care of the H. M. Gilbert Homeplace, which is nearby. This house was built in 1898 and is a great example of a late Victorian farmhouse. It's now filled with furniture and items from that time, showing how people lived over a hundred years ago.
Yakima History Online: Yakima Memory
In July 2001, the Yakima Valley Library and the Yakima Valley Museum started a cool project called Yakima Memory. They worked together to turn about 9,000 old photographs into digital files. This means you can now see these historical pictures online from anywhere!
