Collections & Resources

Our collection is home to roughly 500,000 items that we store, care for, and facilitate public access to at our Research Center in Port Townsend. Like most museums, only 1% or less of our collection can be displayed at one time, but each item has a story—that’s why they are held in public trust in a museum collection!

Our collection is vital to telling rich, immersive stories about our region’s arts and heritage. Scholars, students, genealogists, local governments, writers, and artists consult it often. Researchers from near and far rely on it for a variety of projects and we routinely consult it for our own exhibitions and programs.

We delight in connecting our community to this wealth of historical resources at our Research Center throughout the year. Much of our ever-growing collection can also be accessed online!

Research

In addition to caring for our collection, our knowledgeable staff and volunteers can help you with your research needs! We maintain a variety of resources to help researchers and welcome visitors at our Research Center by appointment or on a walk-in basis during our regular operating hours.
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Collections

Museum collections contain objects donated over many years, and more are being added all the time—maybe you even have something to contribute! Learn how to search our collection online, donate an object, and order scans for editorial, commercial, and personal use.
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Connect With Local Tribal Communities

It’s important to learn directly from tribal communities about the rich and diverse histories as well as contemporary identities of Native peoples in this region.
Check out our list of helpful links and resources to help you start learning about or consulting with tribes of the Olympic Peninsula and beyond.
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