Bainbridge History Museum

Bainbridge History Museum Preserving and sharing the diverse stories of BI to better understand our community and the world. Currently open Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-4pm

The Bainbridge History Museum works to preserve and share the diverse stories of Bainbridge Island to promote a greater understanding of our community and the world in which we live.

We are beyond grateful to announce that we will be able to make our History Huddles more accessible thanks to the genero...
09/04/2026

We are beyond grateful to announce that we will be able to make our History Huddles more accessible thanks to the generosity of Bainbridge Community Foundation and our community members!

Can you help us Identify BI? We need your help to put names to the many faces found in our collections! So, we'll be sha...
09/04/2026

Can you help us Identify BI? We need your help to put names to the many faces found in our collections! So, we'll be sharing photographs as part of our Identify BI project. Follow along and comment with any names of people (including married or maiden names if you know them) that you recognize. Thank you!

Can you help us identify this motorcyclist?
Here's what we know:
WHO: ??
WHAT: Rotary Auction
WHERE: Lower Parking Lot between Bainbridge High School and Commodore Middle School
WHEN: 1960s

Image courtesy of the Shelley Rollins Henderson Collection, Bainbridge History Museum

If you don't feel comfortable identifying photographs over social media, you can also email our Director of Exhibits & Engagement at [email protected] with any information that you know about the photograph posted here.

Old maps can tell us a lot about how Bainbridge Island has changed over time. This week, we’re taking a closer look at t...
09/03/2026

Old maps can tell us a lot about how Bainbridge Island has changed over time. This week, we’re taking a closer look at the Port Madison and Fay Bainbridge area and comparing the island of the past with the landscape we know today.

Do you remember what this area used to look like? Did you live nearby or have memories of this part of the island?

📍Metsker Map Company Plat Map, 1958-1960 (Courtesy of the Regina Spoor Collection, Bainbridge History Museum)

He's ready for his close-up! We’re honored to see longtime volunteer and 2024 History Hero Bill Covert featured in this ...
09/03/2026

He's ready for his close-up! We’re honored to see longtime volunteer and 2024 History Hero Bill Covert featured in this wonderful article about his more than 20 years with the Bainbridge History Museum. From leading tours to sharing Bainbridge’s stories with the community, Bill has helped bring our mission to life in countless ways. We’re grateful for his dedication to preserving and sharing the history of our island!

Check out the full article here: https://wsmag.net/ws-life/2026-09-01/the-bainbridge-island-history-buff-helping-bring-stories-to-life/

West Sound Magazine

✨Trivia Answer: The Yeomalt Cabin✨Originally built in 1935 by Bainbridge Island residents through Franklin D. Roosevelt’...
09/02/2026

✨Trivia Answer: The Yeomalt Cabin✨

Originally built in 1935 by Bainbridge Island residents through Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Yeomalt cabin was constructed using mostly local materials, including Douglas fir logs. In 1938, it became Camp Hopkins, serving generations of Bainbridge Island Scouts.

In 1987, the property was transferred to the Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District. After years in the elements, the deteriorating cabin needed saving and a dedicated group of volunteers known as Team Yeomalt helped lead its preservation and restoration. Their efforts helped place the cabin on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, and the cabin was restored using traditional materials and building techniques. Today, it continues to serve the community through youth programs, scouting, classes, performances, and educational programs.

Happy first day of school to all BISD students and teachers!🍎📚
09/01/2026

Happy first day of school to all BISD students and teachers!🍎📚

📚It’s Trivia Tuesday! 📚 Ready to put your Bainbridge Island history knowledge to the test? Take your best guess in the c...
09/01/2026

📚It’s Trivia Tuesday! 📚

Ready to put your Bainbridge Island history knowledge to the test? Take your best guess in the comments, and we’ll post the answer tomorrow!

With the new school year just around the corner, we’re taking a look back at school days on Bainbridge Island and the pe...
08/27/2026

With the new school year just around the corner, we’re taking a look back at school days on Bainbridge Island and the people who made them special. Pictured here is Mr. Winsor of Bainbridge High School. How many teachers do you remember from your school days?✏️

Photo taken in 1965, courtesy of the Arney Rodal Estate Collection, Bainbridge History Museum.

📚

On Women’s Equality Day, we remember Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie” Ordway, a Bainbridge Island educator who was also an advoca...
08/26/2026

On Women’s Equality Day, we remember Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie” Ordway, a Bainbridge Island educator who was also an advocate for women’s rights.

In 1871, Ordway worked alongside Susan B. Anthony during Anthony’s speaking tour through Washington Territory, advocating for women’s suffrage and greater opportunities for women. At a time when women could not yet vote, voices like Ordway’s helped push the conversation about women’s equality forward.

Ordway dedicated her life to expanding opportunities through education and advocacy. Her legacy lives on here on Bainbridge Island, where a school is named in her honor.

Today, Women’s Equality Day gives us an opportunity to remember women like Lizzie Ordway who spoke up, worked for change, and helped pave the way toward greater equality.

Photos Courtesy of Museum of History and Industry

✨Trivia Answer: The Douglas Fir✨Over a century ago, people came from near and far to work at the lumber mills in Port Bl...
08/26/2026

✨Trivia Answer: The Douglas Fir✨

Over a century ago, people came from near and far to work at the lumber mills in Port Blakely and Port Madison, where Douglas fir was one of the most valuable trees harvested. Its tall, straight trunks and strong, durable wood made it ideal for everything from building materials to shipbuilding.

By the late 1800s, the Port Blakely mill was sawing an incredible 200,000 board feet per day, making it the largest lumber mill on the West Coast. Lumber from Bainbridge Island even helped rebuild San Francisco after the devastating 1906 fire.

The lumber industry transformed Bainbridge Island’s landscape, and today, nearly all of the island’s old-growth forest is gone. Only a handful of old firs the loggers missed remain as reminders of the forests that once covered the island.

Address

215 Ericksen Avenue NE
Bainbridge Island, WA
98110

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+12068422773

Website

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