Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center - Wenatchee, Washington Cultural Museum that Spans Over 11,000 Years in History

The Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center located in Wenatchee, Washington is a 509 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that specializes in educating guests on life in the Valley of the Mid-Columbia dating all the way back to the Ice Age. The Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center operates under the auspices of the City of Wenatchee and is located in two historic downtown buildings.

The museum has a wide collection of permanent and visiting exhibits and displays. Some past visiting exhibits have included "My Mother's Hands'' is a unique exhibit that featured hand crafted pieces by various mothers and grandmothers who made North Central Washington their home. Many of the pieces dated back to the beginning of the 20th century with one particular piece being dated back to 1860. The exhibit was chosen to honor the creativity, resiliency and love that the mothers of North Central Washington had and continue to have for their children, families and communities.

The permanent exhibits are the very popular Ice Age Mystery, which explores the 11,000 year old Clovis culture. The exhibit focuses on one particular Clovis site that was discovered in 1987 in East Wenatchee. The display includes several of the finds from the Clovis find such as stone knives, scrapers, and bone tools.

The Farm Shop exhibit portrays a typical farmhouse that could be found in the Wenatchee Valley area in the late 1800's. Included in the farm house are several tools for leathering, blacksmithing, and wood carving. This is an interactive exhibit as visitors can create a rope on a vintage rope-making machine.

The Victorian House exhibit recreates a small family house that was common around the turn of the 20th century. Visitors step into the house and are taken into a world that reflected the culture and technology of that time. The kitchen features a hand-pump sink and a wood stove.

The Main Street exhibit shows how Wenatchee transformed from pioneer settlement to a thriving town during the beginning of the 1900's. The exhibit features a large mural that has photograph of Wenatchee Avenue as it appeared in 1911. Guests can visit the boardwalk, go to the general store, and even walk into the vault of the bank. One of the highlights of the entire museum is the vintage car collection featuring a 1907 Oldsmobile touring car, a 1907 International Auto buggy, and a 1910 Sears Horseless Carriage.

Also highlighted in one of the exciting exhibits is the Washington Apple Industry and how the Wenatchee Valley played a critical role in developing one of the state's most important exports. The exhibit includes a set up of the real equipment it took to take an apple from the fields all the way up until it was ready to be placed in the store. There are several photographs of workers sorting away at apples as well as the marketing materials used to promote Washington Apples.

The Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and students, and $2 for children 6-12. Children under 5 are free. The Museum is located at 127 South Mission Street, Wenatchee, WA 98801.