Closed for Renovation!
Can’t wait to see you when we reopen July 2024!
In the meantime, browse our website to find the many ways you can interact and learn about Vashon History.
Land Acknowledgement
The Vashon Heritage Museum stands on the ancestral lands of the sx̌ʷəbabš or Swift Water People, who inhabited Vashon-Maury Island for millennia. The Donation Land Claim Act encouraged large numbers of settlers to claim land, even before the Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854 extinguished Native claims to it. The sx̌ʷəbabš were imprisoned on Fox Island during the Puget Sound Treaty Wars by the territorial government and later relocated onto the Puyallup Reservation. We acknowledge the people of the Puyallup Tribe whose stewardship of and relationship with Vashon-Maury Island continues today. We commit to amplify the voices of indigenous people, making space for them to tell their own story, both past and present, in our exhibits and programs.
Our Museum
Originally built in 1907 by Norwegian immigrants, Vashon Heritage Museum served as a Lutheran church and a children's center before it became our home.
It has been lovingly preserved by the Vashon-Maury Island Heritage Association and now houses historical, cultural, and environmental images and artifacts documenting the history of Vashon Island.
The Vashon Heritage Museum is renovating its permanent exhibits. We are interested in collecting more stories about life on Vashon-Maury Island from our community.
Learn MoreYour gift will help keep the Museum open for generations to come. There are many ways you can donate to the museum so find out how you or your organization can support us and become part of Vashon's living history.
Make a donationThe museum will be renovating the permanent exhibit and wants your feedback.
Provide your feedbackSwift Water Sign Project - New Printing! Signs available for pick-up at the Museum Wednesday - Sunday 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. on a first come - first served basis.
Swift Water SignExhibits
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Heritage at the Hardware
Starting February 2024! The Vashon Heritage Museum and The Hardware Store Restaurant are partnering to create a delightful collection of Vashon's history with photos and…
Vashon Main Street Virtual Tour
Go on a virtual walk down the main street of Vashon and learn the history of the buildings and how they came to be what…
Permanent Collection
Exhibitions and collections are the heartbeats of a museum. They tell stories of the past that help us understand the present and engage fully in the future. The best museums do more than tell stories, however – they engage the visitor in experiencing stories. We have a vision of an updated Permanent Exhibit that informs civic-minded decisions and displays that are dynamic, interactive, and sustainable.
We are committed to sharing the stories of all the people who have called Vashon home and of the Island itself. The geological history of the Island provides the background for all the stories that follow. From the stories of the sx̌ʷəbabs Native People of Vashon Island and the Puyallup Tribe to the gentrification that characterizes the Island today, the Vashon Heritage Museum provides a place for these stories. The Museum seeks to further the understanding of our past in order to help inform decisions about the future of our community.
Past Exhibits
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Natural Wonder: An Island Shaped By Water
June 1, 2021 - December 31, 2023Natural Wonder: An Island Shaped By Water is an interactive and collaborative experience created in partnership with the Vashon Nature…
Vashon Pottery from the 1970s and 80s
May 6, 2022 - June 5, 2022The Vashon Heritage Museum is excited to present it's mini-exhibit Vashon Pottery of the 1970's and 80's, part of Akio…
IN AND OUT: Being LGBTQ on Vashon Island
June 7, 2019 - September 6, 2021IN AND OUT: Being LGBTQ on Vashon Island is an interactive, collaborative exhibit and series of programs and…
What our visitors are saying...
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I love to see how the Island can be seen from so many viewpoints in the changing exhibits, whether it be through the lens of the development of Island schools, or how Vashon was affected by WWII. Its always so interesting to see what has been preserved.
Tom U -
I love that Heritage Museum covers both the social and cultural history of the Island, but also its natural history too.
Maria M -
I was researching my family history, and the Museum’s archive was amazing. The volunteers were really helpful, and I managed to find out so much about where we came from – and what has happened to the property over time. Thank you for all your help.
Peter B -
I came with a group of elementary school students. They really had a blast. The museum sets a great balance in how information is presented, keeping both adults and kids engaged. They learned so much from the great (and very patient) docients.
John J -
My kids want to visit every museum now! Our docent was funny, engaging, and full of fun, quirky facts about Vashon.
Hannah H -
Cannot say enough about my Vashon Heritage Museum experience; informative, never dull, large enough to be interesting, yet small enough to be intimate – and it just give an amazing perspective on Island’s history.
Ruth L -
I’ve lived on the Island for nearly 15 years, and this is the first time I have been to the museum. It was wonderful, and full of fascinating information about Vashon and it’s broader place in Pacific Northwest history. I’ll be bringing visitors as often as I can now I’ve discovered it!
Teresa B
In the news
- 25 Oct
Time and Again: Church to Museum
Read moreVASHON MAURY ISLAND BEACHCOMBER The story of a sacred place. By Bruce Haulman and Terry Donnelly Click here to view full article. Vashon Lutheran Church
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4th and 5th Grade History Contest
Read moreThe Vashon Story History Contest aims to find out what some of Vashon’s most forward-thinking young people think about the island’s past and future. The
- 25 Nov
Al Bridges, Vashon-Born Fishing Rights Activist
Read moreBy Laurie Tucker and Rayna Holtz. This year we can celebrate Native American Heritage Month by honoring the 100th birthday of a Vashon-born fishing rights
- 25 Aug
Heritage Museum Receives Large, Prestigious Grant
Read moreThe Vashon Heritage Museum is excited to announce receiving a large, prestigious grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.