aberdeen museum of history

Photos and memorabilia of the history of Aberdeen and Hoquiam - once thriving towns built up around the fishing and lumber industries.

We had hoped to connect up with the tall ships in Aberdeen ("The Hawaiian Chieftain" and "The Lady Washington") but they had slipped out of port before we could get there! So we spent some time in Aberdeen exploring before heading after the ships. Aberdeen is a little depressed and it is always sad to see these lumber ports (like Coos Bay) a little down on their luck. We stopped at the Museum and were very happy to see that this was one item that still had a spark of the community alive and well. The museum is small but well set out with full size examples of shops, a bridge of a ship, dioramas of the logging business and several other items. The docents are terrific and very, very knowledgeable. There is also a film of a July 4th celebration when Aberdeen was at its height. No less that 26 nationalities represented that day - a reminder to all of us as to what makes the country the best in the world - people seeking freedom and wanting to better themselves.

There is a working model that was once used to teach loggers how to operate in the field. The dedicated volunteer worked in the lumber business and knew a lot about how it was done in the old days, and how it's done today. We were fascinated with his stories and spent a lot of time there.

We recently visited from Melbourne, Australia and had a lengthy chat with one of the owners abour Nirvana. He was awesome and had some great stories. On our self guided Nirvana tour we stopped at the museum and had a great time looking around at the great items in this museum. Keep up the great work. Mat Wust.

Lovely place to visit when in Aberdeen. Nice to go if your a kurt Cobain fan. I saw his memorial statue and the couch he slept on while staying at a friends house!

This museum is well run and full of timeless items and memories. It is a great tribute to the glory days gone by and from a better time in Grays Harbor. You could easily spend 1-2 hours to take everything in, or you can make it a quick 15-30 bathroom stop as well. It is worth the small detour to the beaches. Either way you will leave with an impressive new amount of knowledge about Aberdeen and Grays Harbor Washington.

I work at the genealogy library in the museum once a month. I love seeing the ongoing work they do bringing in new exhibits and updating old ones. Great place to host an event too.

On your visit you'll learn of the rich history of the area, how the logging industry made the Pacific Northwest. Relics of the logging era are richly displayed, and the fishing industry is represented with other historical items.

Inside an excellent museum is a room where the local Genealogical Society keeps their records. It is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. A great place to do research or get help on your research. And the museum is a wonderful place to stroll around before or after. The exhibits are refreshed frequently so a return visit is a new experience.

This is the perfect place to learn about the history of Aberdeen; the good and the bad. It is run by knowledgeable volunteers with a paid docent. Very well laid out - easy to see everything.

There was a fascinating history of the man who founded Aberdeen in the mid 19th century and so many exhibits -things like fire engines, and equipment connected with the lumber industry- an example of an p;d drug store and the rules for schoolchildren and teachers. In addition there was a small cinema showing a town celebration in the early 20th century. Best of all there was the Director/Curator who was a fountain of knowledge to supplemment the displays.

I really liked learning about the history of not only Aberdeen but the surrounding area; especially seeing the city in its hay day. The people at the museum were very informative and extremely friendly and helpful

We visited Aberdeen as we are Nirvana fans. Our first stop was the museum and we couldn't have been made more welcome. What a fantastic and informative staff member, we spent a lot of time there picking his brain on the history of Kurt and Kris growing up in Aberdeen. He gave us maps and info on the areas to visit which was fantastic after coming all the way to visit. Some interesting developments for the musuem and hope that in future all the plans pay off. If you visit be sure to leave a donation.