The museum offers a variety of educational opportunities for young and old alike. Learning activities are planned with fun in mind and can be tailored to suit large and small groups as requested. The information here is for parents and teachers, and anyone who wants to explore the history of Vashon-Maury Island.

Word 'Education' in large font.

Vashon Classroom, circa 1905

Family Days

The museum provides free family activities to our community by inviting the whole family every third Saturday of the month for special extended hours from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Age-appropriate activities for kids and toddlers include crafts, scavenger hunts, story time, and more, with themes changing monthly. No pre-registration is required.

A woman is sitting on a chair reading or speaking to a group of children sitting on a wooden floor in a museum or educational setting.
Flyer for Mammoth Moments Family Day event at Vashon Heritage Museum with images of an elephant, arts and crafts supplies, children at a craft table, children outdoors, and art supplies.
A young girl with curly hair and a light-colored outfit playing on a green surface, holding a toy with a pink handle and a small piece of fabric, in a room with large yellow and green objects in the background.
Text reading '1920s' in large, stylized font.

Norman Edson photograph of aerialists at Vashon High School, 1920s

Education Boxes

The museum is developing education project boxes to loan to schools. Currently work is underway on a “Pioneer” Box to include artifacts, costumes, lesson ideas, recipes, games, and much more. If you are a teacher with a specific request or someone with artifacts to contribute to a box please contact the museum.

Educational Tours and Field Trips

Group of people on a boat enjoying a ride on the water.

Aboard the Virginia V

A woman with long dark hair and a distressed expression, sitting indoors near a cabinet with items inside, wearing a red top.

Jenny Lewis on the Ghost Walk

During the museum’s open hours from 1:00 to 4:00 PM Wednesday through Sunday, docents are always available to help visitors navigate the museum and to answer their questions.

Specific museum tours can be arranged for school groups, summer camps, scouts, and adult groups. These tours can be on specific topics or, more generally, they can be guided explorations of the museum as a whole. Feedback has always been very positive so if you have something you would like to explore, please contact us.

Every August we charter the Virginia V, the last of the “Mosquito Fleet” passenger steamers, and offer an around-the-island daytrip for adults, with commentary by local experts, and a shorter cruise to Blake Island for children.

An elderly man and six children stand by a table with rocks and minerals, holding some samples. They are outdoors near a body of water, possibly on a boat or dock. The man and children are smiling and engaged in a geology or mineral collection activity.

Steve Bergman Teaching Kids About Rocks

Museum staff and volunteers periodically give talks on specific aspects of Vashon history at the Senior Center, on the radio, and in other venues. We also sponsor lectures and participate in a variety of educational activities, such as the recent event at Vashon’s cemetery where museum docents spoke in turn at gravesites of some of Vashon’s Japanese residents, telling their individual and collective stories. Last Halloween docents portrayed historic characters and participated in a main street “Ghost Walk.”

An elderly man wearing a gray coat, flat cap, and glasses, standing outdoors at night on gravel ground, gesturing with his right hand.

Jim Roy as Logger on Ghost Walk

So, Anything is Possible if You Get in Touch

Check our EVENTS page to keep up with upcoming learning opportunities
and fun events for children and adults.

Get In Touch