Explore the White River Valley Museum

Prices and hours updated 3/2017

I’ve mentioned the White River Valley Museum in Auburn before. For today’s Museum Monday, I thought I’d tell you a bit more about what to expect from your visit.

The musuem is in downtown Auburn in front of the library and right by the big, new discovery playground at Les Gove Park.

It’s a one story museum, and you and your kids can easily navigate it in an hour, although older children may enjoy staying longer, and non-readers will probably be a bit faster.

What makes it a great musuem for kids is that it has a number of interactive exhibits. Kids can climb in and around a real caboose, sit on the bench in a replica one-room school house and more.

The volunteers dote on young visitors, and they will offer you a “ticket,” when you come in with a picture of a figure from Auburn history. As you explore the museum, your kids will have fun trying to spot the person on their ticket! You can also do a scavenger hunt or get headphones to hear the audio tour.

What is there to history in Auburn? Well, you can expect to see exhibits on logging, Native Americans, the contributions of Japanese farmers, and more. Washington is a young state, but we have a truly rich and diverse history, and because so much of it is “action-packed,” it’s tailor made for children.

Now, this museum isn’t quite as kid friendly as The Karshner Museum or The Children’s Museum. There are a number of exhibits they are encouraged to look at but not touch. Most preschoolers can understand this rule, but it could be an exhausting visit if you have a younger child who needs to touch Everything (I had one of those myself….in fact, we’re still working on this). You might consider bringing along a friend and letting the younger ones head straight to the playground (it ranked #1 on my list).

On your way out, pick up a piece of old-fashioned stick candy for just .20 cents! Finish it before you hit the merry go round or the slide, though!

The museum is free on 1st Thursdays (6-8PM) and 3rd Sundays, but it’s a bargain the rest of the week, too. Adults are 5.00 and children and seniors are just 2.00.

It’s open Wednesdays through Sundays from 12:00-4:00. For older children, there is a special overnight at the museum  on the 12th.