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

Kittitas County Historical Museum

Name: Kittitas County Historical Museum
Address: 114 E 3rd Avenue, Ellensburg, WA, 98926, US
Telephone: +15099253778
Price range: $

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Ellensburg, WA
Kittitas County Historical Museum

Collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of Kittitas County, Washington (USA), since 1961.

The Kittitas County Historical Museum is a non-profit 501(c)3 museum dedicated to collecting and preserving materials which may help establish, illustrate, and educate about the history of Kittitas County. More information about the museum can be found on its website at http://www.kchm.org

06/19/2026

Looks like we're not the only ones excited about local history—tomorrow's Historic Downtown Ellensburg Walking Tour is officially full!

We'll be hitting the sidewalks to explore the stories, buildings, and people that helped shape our community, and we're looking forward to a great morning.

Didn't get a spot this time? Don't worry! We still have two more free walking tours scheduled this summer:

👣 July 18
👣 August 15

These tours tend to fill quickly, so we encourage you to reserve your spot early and join us for a walk through Ellensburg's past.

Sign up here:
https://buytickets.at/kittitascountyhistoricalsocietyinc

We can't wait to explore downtown with you!

06/19/2026

This week, items from the Ida Nason Aronica exhibit at Ida Nason Aronica Elementary School were carefully removed and returned to the Kittitas County Historical Museum for their annual review and care.

Since 2022, the exhibit has helped share the history, culture, and traditions of the K’tɨ́taas and Pshwánapam people alongside the story and legacy of Ida Nason Aronica. Featuring family photographs, personal history, and items from the Ida Nason Aronica collection, the display connects students and visitors with living cultural traditions, community knowledge, and the people who continue to carry these stories forward today.

Each summer, the collection returns to the Museum, where staff work alongside members of the Nason Aronica family to assess and care for the collection, update exhibit information, and consider new opportunities for interpretation. Some returned items may be incorporated into the Museum's own displays, while other pieces—whether currently on exhibit or held in collections storage—may be selected for the school's exhibit. Through this ongoing collaboration, the exhibit continues to evolve, allowing new stories, traditions, and perspectives to be shared each year. The refreshed exhibit will return to Ida Nason Aronica Elementary School in August.

While visiting the school, we also took a moment to admire 𝐶𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠 (2024), the mosaic installation by artist Dyanne Williams Mosaics. Inspired by beadwork and designs found within the Ida Nason Aronica collection, the artwork reflects how cultural traditions and artistic influences continue to inspire new generations.

We are grateful to the Nason Aronica family, Ida Nason Aronica Elementary School, and the Ellensburg School District for their continued partnership in sharing these stories, traditions, and cultural connections with students and the broader community.

Together, we help ensure that Ida's legacy—and the history, culture, and traditions of the K’tɨ́taas and Pshwánapam people—continue to be shared, celebrated, and carried forward for years to come.

06/19/2026

✨ One month from today, the doors open for The Stories We Share — A Community Fundraiser for the Museum.

And if the past few weeks are any indication, it's going to be a memorable night.

The auction catalog is growing. Dessert Dash commitments are coming together. New donations continue to arrive. Conversations are already starting about who is bidding on what. And with more than two-thirds of the room already spoken for, tickets are disappearing faster than we expected.

This is the point where a fundraiser starts becoming an event.

The kind of evening where you reconnect with people you haven't seen in awhile, meet new friends across the table, discover something in the auction you absolutely have to have, laugh a little louder than planned, and leave knowing you helped support something that matters.

That's what 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑊𝑒 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒 is all about.

So if you've been thinking about joining us, consider this your invitation and your gentle warning: don't wait too long.

Because once these seats are gone, they're gone. And if you miss this year's event, you'll have to wait until July 17, 2027 for the next one.

📅 Saturday, July 18, 2026
🕔 5–9 PM
📍 The Ridge Encore • Downtown Ellensburg

🎟 Tickets & information: kchm.org/fundraiser

06/19/2026

Today is International Picnic Day, and this June 1891 photograph offers a glimpse of a summer gathering in Kittitas County 135 years ago this month.

At some point during the afternoon, photographer Corydon Addison (C. A.) Bushnell convinced the group to pause long enough for a photograph. Fortunately for us, they agreed.

Rather than assembling for a formal portrait, the picnickers remain gathered around their blankets, dishes, and meal beneath the trees. Nearly everyone has turned toward Bushnell's camera, some directly and others from the corner of an eye, as if wondering how long this interruption to the picnic might take.

We don't know who these people were or where they gathered. What survives is a scene that still feels familiar: a summer afternoon outdoors, time spent with family and friends, and the simple pleasure of sharing a meal together.

Photographs often preserve important people and major events. Images like this remind us that history is also made up of ordinary moments. For one day in June 1891, a picnic became a photograph—and 135 years later, we're still invited to join the gathering.

Happy International Picnic Day!

📸 𝐾𝐶𝐻𝑀 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝐼𝑡𝑒𝑚 1998:012:239.

06/17/2026

🔥 On This Day — June 17, 1979

Many longtime Ellensburg residents still remember the Olympia Block Fire. Others remember the businesses that occupied the building in its later years, including Goofy's and the Hayloft Tavern.

But the Olympia Block's story stretched back much further.

Originally built by E. P. Cadwell following the Great Ellensburgh Fire of 1889, the building stood at one of downtown's most prominent corners for nearly 90 years. Known first as the Cadwell Block and later as the Olympia Block, it housed generations of storefront businesses on the first floor and attorneys, doctors, dentists, offices, and even a business college upstairs.

The building evolved alongside Ellensburg itself. It changed ownership, was remodeled and expanded, survived a major fire in 1943, and remained a familiar part of downtown life for another generation.

Then, in the early morning hours of June 17, 1979, fire broke out beneath the Hayloft Tavern. Firefighters battled the blaze for more than six hours as flames swept through the historic building. Investigators later concluded the fire had been intentionally set.

This time, the Olympia Block would not return.

For many residents, the loss of the Olympia Block remains one of downtown Ellensburg's most memorable fires—a building that had stood since the rebuilding after the Great Fire of 1889 and carried nearly a century of local stories within its walls.

📸 Photos: The Olympia Block in the aftermath of the June 17, 1979 fire. Cleanup operations underway following the blaze. KCHM Collection Items 2006:030:013 and 2006:030:014.

06/15/2026

✨ We’re hiring! ✨

The Kittitas County Historical Museum is looking for a 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 to join our small but mighty team.

This full-time position is a little bit of everything that keeps a community museum moving: welcoming visitors, supporting programs and events, helping with exhibits, assisting with research requests, caring for collections, and keeping things running behind the scenes.

We’re looking for someone who is curious, organized, dependable, welcoming, and excited about local history and community service.

𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭
📍 Kittitas County Historical Museum, Ellensburg
💵 $18.50/hour
🕘 40 paid hours/week, including paid on-duty meal period
📅 Tuesday–Saturday primary schedule
🏥 Employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage after successful completion of the probationary period
📌 Retirement eligibility after two years

Applications will be reviewed on a 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐬, and we hope to welcome someone as soon as possible, ideally 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏. Early applications are encouraged!

Learn more and apply at KCHM.org

Help us find the right person to join the story. Please share!

06/15/2026

🔥 On June 15, 1951, one of downtown Ellensburg’s most dramatic fires permanently changed the building many know today as The Tav.

The 𝐸𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑔 𝐷𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑑 described the blaze as “Ellensburg’s most spectacular fire in several years.” Shortly before 9 p.m., smoke was spotted rising from the old Rehmke Building on West Fourth Avenue. Within minutes, flames had burst through the roof and were shooting high into the night sky.

Hundreds gathered downtown as flames rose 40 to 50 feet above the building. Sparks and burning brands swept across Fourth Avenue, while orange-tinged smoke rolled across the street and blotted out the bright moon overhead. Firefighters battled the blaze from ladders and neighboring rooftops as many feared the fire would spread through the surrounding business district.

It did not.

The surrounding block was saved.

The Rehmke Building’s second floor was not.

Three families living in upstairs apartments escaped safely, though much of their personal property was lost. When the flames were finally out, the second story was reduced to a charred framework. The brick walls held, but the upper floor was later removed and never rebuilt.

Built after the Great Fire of 1889 by brothers Henry and William Rehmke, the building stood two stories tall for more than sixty years. Over the decades it housed the Rehmke jewelry store and photographic studio, apartments, The Tavern, and a variety of other downtown businesses before the fire permanently altered its appearance.

Seventy-five years later, the loss is still visible in the building itself—in the window sills high above the storefront, along the neighboring O.B. Castle Building, and in the shape of a familiar downtown landmark that once looked very different.

📸 Images include front-page coverage from the 𝐸𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑔 𝐷𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑑, June 16, 1951; a 1908 view of downtown Ellensburg showing the Rehmke Building before the fire (KCHM Collection Item 1999:049:001, cropped); and an undated circa-1900 view of the building in its original two-story form (KCHM Collection).

06/15/2026

🪶✨ 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 — 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟐𝟐!

The table will be gathering again soon. Join us on 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟐𝟐, 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟔–𝟖 𝐏𝐌 at the 𝐊𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 for an evening of beadwork, creativity, and community.

Hosted in partnership with the Ellensburg School District 𝐈𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐢́𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 & 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦, the Beading Beauties — Monthly Beadwork Circle welcomes all skill levels. Bring a project you're working on, share ideas and techniques, or simply enjoy time creating alongside others.

🧵 Bring your own supplies
☕ Refreshments provided
📅 Meets every 4th Monday (𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡 𝐴𝑢𝑔𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠)
📍 114 E 3rd Ave, Ellensburg

We look forward to seeing everyone back around the table.

06/14/2026

🚶‍♀️🏛️ Only ONE spot remains on this Saturday’s guided walking tour through historic downtown Ellensburg.

From hidden architectural details and surviving fire scars to longtime businesses, lost buildings, and the stories tucked quietly between downtown storefronts, these tours explore the layers of history many people walk past every day without realizing it.

No two tours are ever exactly alike. Questions, conversations, and the places themselves often guide where the stories go next — which is part of what makes them so much fun. 😉

Upcoming guided walking tours are also scheduled for:
📅 July 18
📅 August 15

Whether you are longtime local, new to the area, or simply curious about the stories behind the buildings around you, consider this your sign to join us.

🎟 Registration:
https://buytickets.at/kittitascountyhistoricalsocietyinc

More information:
https://kchm.org/guided-walking-tours/

Address

114 E 3rd Avenue
Ellensburg, WA
98926

Opening Hours

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

Telephone

+15099253778

Website

http://www.kchm.org/

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