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Donate Contact About COLUMBIA Magazine Private Event Hosting Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube Visit History Museum Hours & Admission WA State History Museum App Directions & Parking Museum Amenities Museum Store COVID-19 Response Tacoma Museum District Facility Rentals Rates & Details Authorized Caterers Facility Rental FAQs Rental Inquiry Facility Photo Gallery Wedding Photo Gallery Field Trips Self-Guided Field Trips Gallery Activities for Field Trips History Lab Field Trips History Lab: Transportation Artifacts & Ephemera History Lab: Pre-Visit Know Before You Go Field Trip Costs & Scholarships Field Trip Reservations Scouts Exhibitions & Events Research Collections Search Collection Donations Collecting the COVID-19 Experience Image Services Image Use Policy Image Order Form Research Center Research Request Education Educators History Day WSHS History Day Awards Sample Projects Teacher Resources Student Resources Educator Workshops Search Our Collections Field Trips History Lab Field Trips History Boxes History Box Reservation Curriculum The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act Background Readings Chinese Exclusion Galleries Treaty Trail Treaty Trail: Lesson Plans and Media Treaty Trail: Background Readings Treaty Trail: Collections Women’s Suffrage Curriculum 4th Grade Lesson Plan: Why is the Right to Vote Important? 4th Grade Lesson Plan: How Can Ideas Spread and Lead to Change? 7th Grade Lesson Plan: Why is the Right to Vote Important? 7th Grade Lesson Plan: How Can Ideas Spread and Lead to Change? Interactive Timeline Lesson Plan (Middle and High School) Cultivating Washington Lewis & Clark in Columbia River Country Lewis & Clark: Lesson Plans & Media Lewis & Clark: Collections Lewis & Clark: Background Readings Youth & Families Family Saturdays Hands-On History Artmaking & Coloring Family Reads Booklist WA State History Museum App Seymour History Girl Scouts Adults Events Scholarly Selections Series with UWT COLUMBIA Magazine & Podcast WA State History Museum App History Booklist Search Our Collections Virtual & Online Virtual Tours, Online Exhibits, Online Programs WA State History Museum App WSHS on YouTube COLUMBIA Conversations Podcast COLUMBIA Magazine Archive Search Our Collections Across Washington Grants Diversity in Local History Application Program Guidelines Grant Recipients Go to the Heritage Portal Heritage Capital Projects Fundamentals Guidelines History Go to the Heritage Portal Go to the Heritage Portal Affiliate Organizations Resources for Museums Affiliate Program Workshops and Trainings Funding for Museums Heritage Census Monuments Project America250 Themes Committee Meetings Black Washington Black History in Washington Pacific Northwest History Conference WSHS Annual History Awards Statewide History Initiatives Suffrage Centennial Join & Support Membership Patron Business Society Evergreen League Donate Asahel Curtis Project Volunteer Museum Hours: Open Tuesday from 10:00am - 5:00pm Search Menu Exhibition JOURNEYS Quilts from the Contemporary QuiltArt Association and the Pacific Northwest African American Quilters Open Through June 23 Event Japanese American Day of Remembrance Thursday, May 16 MORE DETAILS Exhibition Usual and Accustomed Grounds: The Boldt Decision at 50 MORE DETAILS Page Asahel Curtis Project Help us make the Asahel Curtis Collection available in its entirety. Asahel Curtis Project JOURNEYS Japanese American Day of Remembrance Usual and Accustomed Grounds Asahel Curtis Project Explore Washington History Today The Washington State Historical Society partners with our communities to explore how history connects us all. The Washington State Historical Society is headquartered in Tacoma on the traditional lands of the Puyallup People who have stewarded this land throughout the generations. We pay respect to their elders past and present. Museum Location 1911 Pacific Avenue Tacoma, WA 98402 Directions / Parking / Transit HOURS & ADMISSION Join Us Upcoming Events Reclaiming Narratives – Home May 16, 6:00pm - 7:30pm Join facilitator Kellie Richardson for this series of free workshops that will allow our community to explore lost, hidden, and untold stories and experiences in an individual, familial, group, and societal context. ‘Matriarch’ Closing Reception May 16, 6:00pm - 8:00pm 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 admission is required to view the community gallery. 7th Annual Japanese American Day of Remembrance May 16, 3:30pm - 8:00pm 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. This will be followed by a live performance and a brief procession to Union Station to remember the Japanese American community that were forced to report to the Tacoma train station. View All Washington State History Museum Find out more about the History Museum Take a look at our upcoming exhibitions and events! Explore! Research Center and Statewide Resources More than a museum - WSHS supports research and heritage orgs across Washington Learn more about the Washington State Historical Society, our mission and vision, the Research Center, Heritage Capital Project program, heritage outreach, opportunities for philanthropy, and more. About WSHS Featured Collections Asahel Curtis Photographs view collection Main Street, Washington view collection Washington Apples view collection Washington’s Winter Pastimes view collection Collections Search Testimonials This museum was very informative and also interactive. The exhibit on immigration and the concentration camps for Americans of Japanese ancestry were very enlightening. There were sanitizers in a lot of areas. It took us 2 hours to go around the permanent and temporary exhibits. - Andrew E. (Google Review) A nice museum to learn about the history of Washington state. I particularly liked the Natural History section that described the geological history of this place. It was interesting to learn about facts like the dry falls etc. They also have a working rail network model on display that’s fun to watch. - Meenakshi B (Google Review) "Exhibits are put together very well. The section outlining the geological history of the area is accessible to all ages and interest levels. The train display upstairs has the most intricate detail and features. The exhibit on the Japanese in the US during WWII was very informative, as I had only ever heard limited pieces of the story beforehand. All the other exhibits have their own merits as well, too many to list here." - Leslie J (Google Review) "I highly recommend going to Washington State History Museum to fill your mind with knowledge from the past to the present! Thankful to have a priceless treasure in Tacoma, Washington!" - Zhalena M (Facebook Review) "This is a beautiful museum that is located in an area with stunning views of the bay and Mt Rainer. Lots of great local restaurants in walking distance makes for an easy day out." - Jim’s Opinion (Google Reviews) "Very well-rounded exhibits, and very inclusive as far as categories. The kids enjoyed it as well...." - Julia (Google Reviews) "Always a great experience no matter what exhibit is showing. Their staff are always coordinated and friendly as well." - Alexander (Google Review) 1911 Pacific Avenue Tacoma, WA 98402 P. 1-888-238-4373 Visit Exhibitions & Events Research Education Across Washington Join & Support Donate Contact About COLUMBIA Magazine Private Event Hosting The Washington State Historical Society is a non-profit 501(c)3 membership organization, open to any and all individuals, families, or firms. The Society is...