Category Archives: Museums

65-foot fishing vessel Shenandoah

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Today the family went to the Harbor History Museum at 4121 Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor. I hadn’t even realized that they had built it, but its been there for a couple of years now. It’s really a nice museum, well thought out with plenty for the kids to do and a nice variety of exhibits for everybody. I especially liked the Shenandoah, a local fishing vessel that was built in 1925. The ship is being publicly restored and will eventually be available for tours. Looking at it, I could just imagine all the stories that it could tell. http://www.gigharbormuseum.org/ShenandoahProj.html

Also of interest was the restored one room school house. There were about 30 desks, close together with the teacher’s desk in the front and the heating stove in the back.

More info on the museum can be found here.
http://www.harborhistorymuseum.org/

Morning Light at Union Station

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I was out and about unusually early this morning and just loved the light on Union Station at 1717 Pacific Avenue. The station was constructed in1911 by the architectural firm of Reed and Stem (who also designed Grand Central Station in New York City) and was originally used as a passenger station. In 1974 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was abandoned in 1984 and in 1990 – 1992 it was renovated for use as a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. The statue out front is called New Beginnings and was sculpted in 1984 by Larry Anderson.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_%28Tacoma,_Washington%29

http://www.unionstationrotunda.org/

And here is one more photo taken 5/2/14

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Foss Waterway Seaport

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Foss Waterway Seaport by Gexydaf

This evening I went to a function at the Foss Waterway Seaport at 705 Dock Street, Tacoma. The museum aims to be the Puget Sound’s premier maritime education and recreation center. It features exhibit space, a Discovery Wharf (children’s activity area), guest moorage (closed for repair) and meeting spaces.

http://www.fosswaterwayseaport.org/index.php?p=WELCOME

Kalakala, is it sinking?

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Kalakala by Gexydaf
Kalakala, a photo by Gexydaf on Flickr.

The newspaper yesterday talked about how the Kalakala was in danger of sinking because it is taking on water. I had just asked my husband last week if the vintage ferry boat was still at the port. We had gone to see it years ago and hadn’t heard much about it since.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/03/26/1600781/dreams-for-art-deco-ferryboat.html#storylink=misearch

I have no idea about the financial feasibility of restoring this ferry, which is in pretty bad shape, but I’ sure wish it could be brought back to its former glory. It was spectacular!

The website for the ferry has abundant information about it. http://www.kalakala.org/index2.html

I took a couple of shots from where it is docked and then went across the way to photograph it from across the Hylebos Waterway.

 

For a photo of the Kalakala when it was in Tacoma in the 1940s, see this webpage from the Tacoma Public Library.

http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.org/images/dt6n.asp?un=4&pg=1&krequest=Kalakala&stemming=On&phonic=&fuzzy=&maxfiles=5000

Camp 6 Logging Camp, another victim of the economy

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When we first moved to Tacoma over 20 years ago I remember visiting the Camp 6 Logging Exhibit in Point Defiance Park. Then, as in now, I love that this little slice of history had been preserved. Since that first time, I’ve gone back a couple of times a year, often seeing deer and once a fox. Once we took my young daughter on the Santa Train, which basically went into the forest a ways and then out again with, of course, Santa. It is an interesting, peaceful place. So it saddened me to learn that the exhibit might not reopen from its winter hiatus this year.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_logging_museum.html

The Camp 6 Logging Camp’s website states “Our mission is to preserve and present to the public a portion of Washington State’s history from the 1880’s through the 1940’s as it pertains to the “Steam Era of Logging”. With photographs, paintings, artifacts and equipment displays, Camp 6 takes the visitor back in time from when horse and ox teams hauled out the timber up through the last days that steam powered “Donkeys” and Railroads worked the woods. Visitors will see first hand what life in the logging camps and woods of Western Washington was like.”

Update 5/9/2011http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/05/09/1658977/point-defiance-parks-camp-6-closed.html  Looks like they are closing for good.  It’s a shame.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/05/09/1658977/point-defiance-parks-camp-6-closed.html

Chihuly Bridge of Glass

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Originally uploaded by Gexydaf

What a busy day and I still hadn’t found my new place! Driving out of the Tacoma Art Museum parking lot I noticed how lovely the bridge of glass looked glowing in the darkness. The Tacoma Dome can be seen to the right. So here is the Bridge of Glass along with a few photos I had taken earlier. We are lucky to have so much wonderful art in Tacoma. This pedestrian bridge connects the Glass Museum to the museum/university area in downtown Tacoma.

Here are some links for some additional information.

http://www.museumofglass.org/exhibitions/bridge-of-glass/

http://www.chihuly.com/special-projects-chihuly-bridge-of-glass.aspx

Pinball Museum

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Dear Husband proclaimed that he gets to pick an activity once in a while and the Seattle Pinball Museum was his choice. It is located at 508 Maynard Avenue in the International District and is open Thursdays (6-9), Fridays (2-11), Saturdays (12-11) and Sundays (12-8). The cost of admission is $7 and for that amount you can play any or all of the machines (unlimited play). The space itself is relatively small, but not crammed.  It is filled with over 20 pinball machines arranged by age from the 1936 Bally Bumper to the 2010 homemade Galactic Girl and above each machine there is an informational sign. The museum opened on September 4th and is part of Storefronts Seattle, a community-driven initiative to revitalize empty retail spaces in the Chinatown International District and Pioneer Square.

http://storefrontsseattle.wordpress.com/

More info on the museum can be found on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Seattle-Pinball-Museum/131237786915560

Update: We went past this museum in January 2014 and it was packed! (See the last photo with the blue doorframe). Their prices have gone up a bit, but it is still a lot of entertainment for the price)

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Let The Holidays Begin — The Orr House, Steilacoom

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 So many great potentials for today’s New Place of the Day…the Steilacoom Library (libraries are always good), the Bair Drug and Hardware Store (a restaurant) and the Orr House, which is part of the Steilacoom Historic Museum Association. The one I’m least likely to get back to anytime soon is the Orr House, so that is the New Place of the Day. Construction on the house began in 1857 and originally the first floor was a wagon shop. The house which is at 1811 Rainier Street and has lovely marine views. Best of all, it was decorated by volunteers for the holiday season. The volunteers were dressed in period attire and spent quality time sharing information about each of the rooms.

Each room, except two, had a mouse and a clock, though I didn’t manage to find them all.

http://www.steilacoomhistorical.org/NathanielOrrHome.html

Votes for Women, Celebrating 100 Years

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Originally uploaded by Gexydaf  

What a thrill to go to the Day of Jubilation at the historic Lord Mansion, which functions as the State Capital Museum and Outreach Center. The Day of Jubilation celebrated the 100th anniversary of women getting the vote in Washington State. The American Association of University Women Washington State hosted a the event, which was a pink tea. Many of the guests came in period custom and were in character.

AAUW-WA’s website is http://www.aauw-wa.org/

AAUW-WA is a fine organization devoted to advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research.

The website for the Lord Mansion is here
http://www.wshs.org/scmoc/building.aspx

A Daily Suicide, Washington State History Museum

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Originally uploaded by Gexydaf
 
The Washington State History Museum, located at 1911 Pacific Avenue was today’s new place of the day and it was a real treat to have a chance to look around. The photo is of Handcrafted Native American masks in the Epidemic Memorial exhibit. The sign adjacent to the mask is titled Daily Suicide and in part states “Forty-five is another magic age for the Indian. That’s the age of death from alcoholism…it’s a daily suicide”. It’s a very powerful exhibit.

http://www.washingtonhistory.org/wshm/default.aspx

Since the orginal blog, it has been announced that the State History Museum will be closing.  I hope not.  It will be a tremendous loss for the State of Washington.

http://www.wshs.org/performanceMeasures/CustomerComments.aspx