As you enjoy all that your Bellingham condo has to offer, be sure to visit the city's many museums as well. Bellingham is a city located in Whatcom County, Washington. People come to the area to enjoy activities such as fishing, skiing, hiking and horseback riding. Since it offers so many fun activities, Bellingham is a popular vacation spot.
Whatcom Museum
Located in Bellingham's cultural district is the Whatcom Museum. The museum has art, nature, history and family-oriented exhibitions.
The museum's art collection focuses on Pacific Northwest artwork from the mid-19th century to the present. One of the art exhibits features 90 pieces that were created by 63 women artists. The purpose of the exhibition is to celebrate women's contributions to the Pacific Northwest art scene.
The nature collection includes photographs and wall mounts of Pacific Northwest birds. Specifically, the museum has an exhibit that features more than 500 examples of salt water and preying birds. The history collection has a large ethnology section and a photo archive. The First Nations-Northwest Coast and Inuit exhibit is a part of the ethnology collection. It displays Native American artifacts such as baskets, canoes, blankets, hats and tools. It also includes a video showing a Lummi basket weaver in action.
The family-oriented exhibitions are designed to engage children while they learn about science, history and nature. One projects red, green and blue theater lights onto a wall. Children can stand and move in front of the lights and change the light's color, shape and pattern.
Senior, military, student and children discounts are available. A visit to this museum would be a nice day trip from your Bellingham condo.
Bellingham International Maritime Museum
The Bellingham International Maritime Museum seeks to preserve, record and celebrate the maritime pursuits of the Pacific Northwest. Specifically, the museum focuses on Bellingham, Whatcom County, Pugent Sound and the nautical trans-border heritage of the Washington State, Alaska and British Columbia naval units.
This museum has an exhibit dedicated to the Pacific American Fisheries. This fishery was one of the largest salmon canning operations in the world. It had locations in Puget Sound and Alaska. The exhibit details how this operation contributed to the region and to the salmon industry. Another exhibit focuses on Bellingham ships and shipyards. During the Second World War, Bellingham shipyards were the largest privately-owned shipyards in the country. It played a large role the US Navy's involvement in WWII and the Korean War. The exhibit details how the Bellingham shipyard helped develop Navy ship standards, and it includes actual ships from that time period.
The museum is open every Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Bellingham Railway Museum
The Bellingham Railway Museum is another cultural offering found in the city. Located in the city's downtown Parkade facility, the museum focuses on Bellingham's railroad history and industry. One of the exhibits on display is the "Centennial" exhibit. This exhibit includes photographs, artifacts and schedules used in 1883 in both Whatcom and Skagit Counties. The museum also has the Train Simulator exhibit, which allows visitors to simulate driving a train. The exhibit is in 3D.
The museum is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Children and family discounts are available. Children two and under are free.
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