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Museum History

In 1961, a group of eleven local community members gathered together to discuss the creation of an organization that would be charged with the preservation of Kittitas Valley history. The community members were descendents of early pioneers of Kittitas County.

On September 20, 1961, the Kittitas County Historical Society was officially formed with the primary goal of establishing a space in which to display a small collection of historic items. They were soon able to set up this display in a single room at the Morris Sorenson Memorial County Hospital building, and hosted their first open house and tours on May 6, 1962.

In 1974, the Historical Society was informed that the space in the hospital building would no longer be available. The Historical Society began to negotiate a deal to purchase the Cadwell Building. Since the Historical Society did not have the funds at first to purchase nor relocate to the Cadwell Building, the museum agreed to house the Rollinger Brothers Collection (which had just been bequeathed to Kittitas County) in exchange for rent to pay towards the mortgage. The museum was able to quickly pay off the mortgage, allowing the museum to own the Cadwell Building and the apartments on the second floor. Kittitas County Commissioners transferred ownership over the collection to the Kittitas County Historical Society in May 2012, ending a loan of almost 40 years.

The Historical Society soon began growing even larger than before in the Cadwell Building. By purchasing neighboring buildings, the museum was able to expand even more, and offer more display space. In 1981, the Historical Society purchased the McCullough Addition, an extension of the west side of the original 1889 building. Additionally, in 1998, the museum underwent a major renovation that would accommodate the rising number of visitors, researchers, and volunteers through the addition of display, storage, and working spaces.

In 2008, the museum underwent its most recent renovation. The main entrance was moved from its previous location in the Damman Room to the Rollinger Room. This would provide better access for all visitors to the museum. The front desk was also relocated.

Today, the Kittitas County Historical Museum offers displays including an Antique Doll Collection, Native American Bag and Basket Collection, Antique Automobile display, items from early Kittitas County Businesses, Military History items, and much more!