Island County Historical Society - Museum and Archives

Island County Historical Society - Museum and Archives The Island County Historical Society Museum and Janet Enzmann Archives and Research Library are located in Coupeville, WA on Whidbey Island.

We are a free museum open year-round and offer tours and access to our research facilities by appointment. The Janet Enzmann Archives and Research Library has an extensive collection of Island County, WA history. Materials entrusted to our care span hundreds of year and include photographs, newspapers, journals, maps and oral histories. Our team is currently working on improvements and updates to

our collections. Our team of volunteers and archivists strive to be good stewards of history and to provide the public with access to their history. This page has been created to keep you up to date on the happenings of the archives. We hope to provide interesting and insightful information on our archives and our history. We welcome students, scholars, and those interested in history to come and explore this amazing resource. Please call, email or message us to make an appointment. We also encourage questions, comments and requests. If you are interested in purchasing copies of any of the photographs or documents we post, please send us a private message or email.

Welcome back, Oak Harbor students! Don't you wish you were taking these to school? These buses were used in the late 192...
09/01/2026

Welcome back, Oak Harbor students! Don't you wish you were taking these to school? These buses were used in the late 1920s for Oak Harbor schools. The Island County Historical Society wishes you a wonderful, safe, and educational school year!

Image description: Several 1929 Oak Harbor school buses. These 1920s buses featured the classic narrow hood, round headlights, and bicycle-style wheels. The passenger framework is primarily wood with small, narrow cut-outs for airflow.

Did you know - the Coupeville Water Festival used to be held in August? The festival was discontinued during World War I...
08/29/2026

Did you know - the Coupeville Water Festival used to be held in August? The festival was discontinued during World War II, but in 1992, the Penn Cove Water Festival was revived. Indigenous paddlers from Washington and British Columbia race through Penn Cove in hand-carved canoes. Front Street in Coupeville is filled with Indigenous artists and musicians.

What began as a way to draw more people to Whidbey Island has become an annual cultural event hosted every May. For more information on the Penn Cove Water Festival, visit our Native People, Native Places exhibit. Don't forget to check out the racing canoes on display outside the museum!
Penn Cove Water Festival Association

Image description: A sepia-toned photograph featuring a long, 11-person canoe filled with 11 paddlers on Penn Cove. Onlookers watch from the shore and from boats in the water.
ICHS Janet Enzmann Archives, Penn Cove Water Festival Collection, 2017.042.046a

It's our final Porch Story of the summer today! Pamela Seamonster is here to share some Indigenous stories! Grab some ic...
08/26/2026

It's our final Porch Story of the summer today! Pamela Seamonster is here to share some Indigenous stories! Grab some ice cream and enjoy one last day on the porch!

Porch Stories are held June through August, Wednesdays at 2PM on the museum's front porch.

On this day, August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Act. This established the Nation...
08/25/2026

On this day, August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Act. This established the National Park Service as an agency under the Department of the Interior.

Did you know? We have our own National Park on Whidbey Island! Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve was established on November 10, 1978 - the first historic reserve in the country.

Image description: Roberta Smith, an owner of a key segment of Ebey's Prairie, signs documents relating to the establishment of Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve. Marion Smith and Reed Jarvis, of the National Park Service, watch her.
ICHS Janet Enzmann Archives, 2017.001.004

08/25/2026

A look back on our museum steps project courtesy of the Daughters of the Pioneers of Washington Chapter #6 Whidbey Island! Stop by the museum to see them in person!

Join us for our final porch story of the summer! This Wednesday, Pamela Seamonster shares some Coast Salish Storytelling...
08/24/2026

Join us for our final porch story of the summer! This Wednesday, Pamela Seamonster shares some Coast Salish Storytelling with us! Join us on the museum's front porch at 2 PM on Wednesday, August 26!

Historic Whidbey's Grand Opening at the Haller House is today, here is a cabinet card portrait photograph of Colonel Gra...
08/22/2026

Historic Whidbey's Grand Opening at the Haller House is today, here is a cabinet card portrait photograph of Colonel Granville Haller. This photograph was taken at the Buchtel & Stolte Studio in Portland, Oregon.

We are closing today at 2:30 PM to join in the celebration! See you there!

Image description: A sepia-toned portrait photograph of Colonel Granville Haller. He has a full beard and is wearing a suit.
ICHS Janet Enzmann Archives, 2013.204.001

To support Historic Whidbey and its Grand Opening at 3 PM, ICHS will close at 2:30 PM today, Saturday, August 22. We wil...
08/22/2026

To support Historic Whidbey and its Grand Opening at 3 PM, ICHS will close at 2:30 PM today, Saturday, August 22. We will return to normal operating hours tomorrow!

It's almost time for our annual fall fundraiser! This year's theme is Community is the Best Medicine, honoring the Bisho...
08/20/2026

It's almost time for our annual fall fundraiser!
This year's theme is Community is the Best Medicine, honoring the Bishop Family. You can purchase tickets online or in person at the museum's front desk.
https://www.islandhistory.org/2026-auction

Only TWO weeks remain in our summer porch stories series! Porch stories are on Wednesdays from 2-3 PM on the museum's fr...
08/17/2026

Only TWO weeks remain in our summer porch stories series!
Porch stories are on Wednesdays from 2-3 PM on the museum's front porch. We hope to see you there!

Address

908 NW Alexander Street PO BOX 305
Coupeville, WA
98239

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+13606783310

Website

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