On one of our random wanderings around the waterfront in Gig Harbor we came across the Harbor History Museum. I’m not generally a big lover of museums, but we were here and it was a large building. (and there was a big boat in the back for Jason!) On Saturdays (which I think is what day it was..) they charge admission, but Sundays in September are free! What luck! so we bailed and went back the NEXT day to check it out. (yes, we’re that cheap)
The museum starts with the discovery of Gig Harbor… named thus because it was the perfect size for a captain’s gig to enter the harbor safely. You then learn about the early settlers and what life was like for them and the Native Americans that inhabited the land first. There are woven baskets and historical fishing and logging gear. There’s a lot more history to Gig Harbor than I ever thought!
Outside behind the main museum building is a cute little one room schoolhouse. I’m not sure if that’s where it was originally or if it was relocated. My favorite part was the movie reel they were playing in the background interviewing some of the original attendees of the school. They all seemed to recall the experience fondly and thought they had a better education because of it!
The last part to the museum was the large wooden fishing boat they have set up outside under a permanent cover. The boat’s name is Shenandoah. It was interesting to compare the wood structure of the fishing boat with what we saw of our boat during her repairs.
Of course the boat had an engine! Those are my favorite!!!
Besides just outright liking engines in general, I also love to photograph them. They’re fun to break down into shapes and colors. This one was old and had a nice rusty texture to it as well.
Overall this museum was surprisingly nice and interesting! If you’re local, it would be a fun thing to go see on a rainy day. I’m a little sad that the Shenandoah isn’t going to go back into the water ever. (that’s what boats are FOR!) At least she will still be around for people to enjoy.