Scholarly Selections: January The 1904 Wreck of the S.S. Clallam January 18, 2024, 6:00–7:30 PM Free Third Thursday 120 years ago this January, the 6-month-old steamship Clallam sank in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, resulting in the deaths of at least 56 people. The aftermath was one of the largest scandals in Washington State > Continue Reading
The Treaty of Medicine Creek February 10–July 8, 2024 From February 10 to July 8, 2024, the History Museum will display the original, hand-written Article III of the 1854 Medicine Creek Treaty that guaranteed fishing rights to Tribal Treaty signers. This historic document, on loan from the National Archives and Records Administration, remains a powerful > Continue Reading
History After Hours: News of the Day! With David P. Mikkelson co-founder of Snopes.com Friday, February 23, 7:00–9:00 PM $20 for WSHS members; $25 for non-members, pre-registration, or $30 at the door. Ages 21 and over, ID required Explore the exhibition News of the Day and how journalists shape our understanding of the past and > Continue Reading
Symposium: The Boldt Decision at 50 Saturday, March 30, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM Included with museum admission. FREE for WSHS members. Registration required. Option to purchase a boxed lunch. REGISTER On February 12, 1974, US District Court Judge George Boldt rendered what some consider one of the most significant court decisions issued during the twentieth century > Continue Reading
Join us at the Washington State History Museum to hear special guests Mick Flaaen and Michael Sullivan explore the Tacoma Home Movies project. Guests will view content from the project and hear from Flaaen and Sullivan as they converse about the origins of the project and the local history it documents. This evening of film, > Continue Reading
Please join us for the Washington State Annual History Awards, an evening celebrating the people advancing the field of history in Washington through writing, teaching, historical projects, and understanding cultural diversity. Enjoy a reception with appetizers, a no-host bar, and a book signing with keynote speaker David B. Williams. Following Williams’ presentation, hear from the > Continue Reading
Join us this spring for Family Saturdays! Explore how history connects us all during this hour-long story time program designed for children ages 4 to 10 and their friends and families. This month’s book: Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki tells the story of Japanese-American incarceration through the eyes of a young boy and his > Continue Reading
Join us for the 7th Annual South Sound Japanese American Day of Remembrance. Join this resource fair to commemorate the eviction of Tacoma’s Japanese Americans and place this event within a larger context. Educators will learn more about the various sites, events, organizations, and people in western Washington who are teaching the public about Japanese > Continue Reading
Join us for the first exhibition at our new Museum Store Community Gallery. The exhibition Matriarch: Portraits of Indigenous Women in the Pacific Northwest Fighting for our Collective Future by Roxann Murray will be on view from February 24 through May 20, 2024. This exhibition is free and open to all during museum hours; no > Continue Reading
Celebrate WSHS’s new exhibition Big River to learn more about the history of the Columbia River and its significance to communities across Washington State. Attendees will have the chance to learn more about the exhibition from guest curator Dr. Katrine Barber, who will offer a lecture and audience Q&A
