The Yakima Valley Museum conserves our stories to inspire our community, learn from our past, celebrate our present and guide our future. Through the collection, preservation, and exhibition of historic artifacts and stories, as well as related public programming, the museum provides guests with historical perspectives that may influence decisions about the future of the Valley.

Founded in 1950, this 65,0002 ft museum is fully accredited by the Alliance of American Museums. It is one of only three museums in Eastern Washington to be so accredited It is one of the largest cultural history museums in the State. The museum also owns and operates the Sundquist Research Library & Archives and collaborates with the Yakima Valley Libraries to operate Yakima Memories, a searchable online archive containing thousands of papers and photographs documenting the rich history of this region.

Exhibits include the award-winning Land of Joy and Sorrow; Japanese Pioneers of the Yakima Valley, an exhibit devoted to the life and accomplishments of the longest serving Supreme Court Justice, William O. Douglas, Native American prehistoric stone weapons and tools, baskets, beaded bags, beaded clothing, beaded horse accessories, jewelry, saddles, and about 5,000 projectile points. Also on display, are 40 horse-drawn vehicles, including an original Yakima Fire Department steam pumper, as well as a 1916 Dodge touring car originally purchased in Yakima, and a 1903 Oldsmobile—the first car sold in Yakima. The museum also displays an extensive collection of art from artists in the Yakima Valley. A Miocene forest exhibit features 15-million-year-old trees, unearthed from a ridge in the Yakima Valley and reconstructed inside the museum.