Fort Walla Walla Museum

At Fort Walla Walla Museum more than 45,000 artifacts and photographs as well as a Living History series and other events and programs tell the story of the many people who have inhabited the Walla Walla Valley.

When Lewis and Clark traveled through the valley in 1806, Indian Tribal People still camped freely along its many creeks. By 1818 fur traders had established a post, and in the 1840s wagon trains were stopping at the Whitman Mission. Soldiers established the first military Fort Walla Walla in 1856 followed by settlers who built houses, businesses and churches.

During a gold rush in the early 1860s, farmers, bankers, and businessmen prospered. The effects of the gold rush and a growing agricultural industry made Walla Walla the largest city in Washington Territory. Since then, the area has been the center of a region known for its agricultural products.

The Museum occupies 15 acres within Fort Walla Walla Park, part of the original 640-acre military reservation. It features a spacious Entrance Hall and Exhibit Galleries, four additional exhibit halls, and a pioneer village. The administration building houses two levels of climate-controlled storage and a research library. An early military cemetery lies adjacent to the museum grounds.

In addition, Fort Walla Walla Museum provides archaeology services to the region with professional staffing and a fully-equipped laboratory.

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