Your passport to Harbor history this summer
By John C. Hughes
ROERT GRAY, master of the 83.5-foot Columbia, was sailing south from a winter layover on Vancouver Island. Though his mission was to collect valuable sea otter pelts for Boston merchants, Gray was also searching for an elusive “mighty” river when he and his crew spotted “the appearance of a good harbour.” It was May 7, 1792.
The current was strong and the weather “squally,” but Gray was “determin’d not to give it up.” As they navigated a passage between the sand bars, “vast many canoes” came alongside. The arrival of a giant boat with the figurehead of a voluptuous woman on its prow must have seemed as startling as a spaceship.
In the parlance of the era, white men had just “discovered” Grays Harbor, never mind that indigenous people had been here for thousands of years — “forever,” as the coastal tribes say.
Four days later, on the morning after Captain Gray’s 37th birthday, the Columbia sailed into the great river of the West, naming it for his ship. This landmark moment in American history played a key role in our country’s claim to ownership of the Pacific Northwest. Gray’s harbor, a century later, would become the lumber capital of the world.
Now, in the 250th year of American Independence, the Harbor’s museums, historic sites and natural attractions are offering an “Official Passport” to adventure and education.
From McCleary to the muddy banks of the Wishkah River, the wellspring of “Grunge,” Grays Harbor oozes history. If, by Labor Day, your passport boasts stamps from all of Grays Harbor’s museums, with side trips to a landmark lighthouse and a remarkable bird sanctuary, it will have been a summer to remember. (In addition, at press time the museum directors were dreaming up swag for those who collect enough stamps. For more details, ask at any of the passport stops, which are listed on page 35.)
History lovers will be especially eager to learn that as part of the nationwide America 250 celebration, participating museums are offering free admission on the second Sunday of each month through December!
That means no admission will be charged on Sundays, June 14, July 12, Aug. 9, Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 8 and Dec. 13 at The Music Project’s Unplugged, the Chehalis Valley Historical Museum, Coastal Interpretive Center, International Mermaid Museum, Lake Quinault Museum, McCleary Museum and Event Center, Museum of North Beach, Polson Museum and the Running Anvil Carriage Museum.
But that’s not all! In addition, Saturday, Aug. 8 will be “Museum Day” around the Harbor, with free or reduced admission at many passport participants.
For this virtual tour, let’s go east to west, then north and south, to hit some of the top roadside attractions.
Although you can purchase your $3 passport at any of the stops, why not acquire your first stamp at the McCleary Museum? Open weekends, it spotlights the colorful history
of one of the Northwest’s original company-owned timber towns.
Next stop is Montesano, where the Chehalis Valley Historical Museum, housed in a classic pioneer church, features historic logging artifacts, settler journals, and Northwest artist Bob McCausland’s remarkable watercolors depicting the history of the storied Schafer Brothers Logging Co.
On to Aberdeen: The former Goldberg furniture store has been transformed into the summer’s hottest ticket – “Unplugged” at The Music Project. This immersive journey through grunge music focuses on Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic of Nirvana. That two disillusioned teenagers from gritty old Aberdeen went on to found one of the legendary bands in the history of rock ‘n’ roll has parallels to what happened in post-war Liverpool a generation earlier when John Lennon met Paul McCartney.
The raw power of Nirvana’s music, which captured the zeitgeist of Generation X, still resonates with fans of all ages. With practically no advertising, The Music Project attracted 5,000 visitors last year; 52 percent were from outside the U.S.
“We’re the museum for people who don’t do museums,” said Lee Bacon, who founded the project with his wife Dani. “This is where you rip the plastic off the story.”
Refugees from Puget Sound, the couple came of age with the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. Kurt and Krist were absorbing all those musical influences, plus the punk-rock rebellion of the Ramones and Sex Pistols. In Montesano, the kids who assembled another great Grunge band, the Melvins, were listening too.
The Music Project brings it all back home to Grunge ground-zero with a huge screen playing high-resolution videos of concert footage. It’s like being in a 1990 mosh pit.
From there, the pace changes. Thoughtfully curated artifact installations document Kurt’s life story and the evolution of the band. You can choose your own speed as you weave your way through the exhibits.
Like MOPOP, Paul Allen’s landmark Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, The Music Project is a cross-generational experience. It’s common to see kids arriving with their parents, Dani Bacon notes. And it always makes her smile.
The Music Project’s major coming attraction for 2026 is a 50-seat “immersion theater” set to open July 1.
Adjacent to Unplugged, in a space once occupied by Adamore’s, formerly Aberdeen’s leading shoe store, “The Green Room” is a souvenir wing that feels as if you’re being allowed backstage. An array of officially licensed, high-quality T-shirts, vinyl records, books and other memorabilia is on sale.
The ultimate experiential opportunity for grunge fans is a tour of Kurt’s time-capsule childhood home, the genesis of the Bacons’ larger vision when they purchased the house in 2018. Reservations are required, and well in advance.
Continuing to head west, Hoquiam’s award-winning Polson Museum, documents the glory days of the Harbor’s forest-products industry, including a painstakingly restored vintage locomotive in an adjacent building. That alone is worth the trip. The timber baron’s mansion features a trove of coastal Indian baskets, panoramic historic photos, and a model train exhibit, complete with miniature sawmill and dockside lumber schooners. The museum’s book nook specializes in Grays Harbor history.
Hoquiam also boasts the 7th Street Theatre, a National Historic Site annually offering 16 weekends of memorable movies. Before the two-month summer hiatus, you can see “Back to the Future” on June 5 or 6. Nothing compares to seeing a great movie in a painstakingly restored, 950-seat theater from the golden age of cinema.
Two miles west, as the seagull flies, the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge alongside Bowerman Field Airport draws birdwatchers from around the world. The annual Shorebird Festival occurs each May when shorebird migration peaks, but there are birds to see year-round. The Sandpiper Trail, a 1.3-mile round trip on a stroller-friendly boardwalk, is a perfect family outing. The refuge proves that unintended consequences aren’t always negative. The airport was constructed as a fighter-plane base to protect the coast during World War II. Decades later, fill dirt and natural accretion created prime habitat for migrating shorebirds.
Wherever the compass points, you’ll find more to see and do around Grays Harbor.
Forty-three miles north of Hoquiam, the Lake Quinault Lodge, an architectural jewel overlooking a glacial lake sacred to the Quinault Nation, is celebrating its centennial. With a postcard-perfect lawn sloping to the lake and a lobby that captivated President Roosevelt when he visited in 1937, the lodge is a memorable stopover just for lunch or dinner.
Across the road, the Lake Quinault Museum documents the exploits of rain forest settlers. It’s open, free of charge, noon to 5 p.m. daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
If you’re planning a day at Ocean Shores, make sure to stop in at the Coastal Interpretive Center. The family-friendly center helps tell the ancient stories of the Pacific Coast’s vibrant ecosystems and explores the natural wonders of Washington’s Pacific Coast, including the rich maritime history.
For more fascinating daytrips, head to the Harbor’s south beaches.
Halfway between Aberdeen and Westport, the International Mermaid Museum celebrates mermaid mythology and real-life ocean ecology, with an award-winning winery as a diversion for grown-ups.
Next stop could be the 120-year-old Grays Harbor Lighthouse — an aerobic 135 steps to the top, with the caveat that you must be at least 5 years old and 40 inches tall to make the climb.
The Westport Maritime Museum and Westport Aquarium are within an easy walk of each other. The charter boat basin, viewing tower and scenic paved trail along the dunes from the Lighthouse to surfers’ cove at the jetty (two miles roundtrip) are free bonus attractions. (See story about scenic area hikes on page 5.)
These are just a few of the highlights, take a look at the passport, complete with a picture and descriptions to determine where you might travel this summer. One thing’s for sure, wherever you are on the Harbor on America’s 250th birthday — from the banks of the Chehalis at Aberdeen to the ocean beaches — there’ll be spectacular fireworks.
John C. Hughes was chief historian for the Office of the Secretary of State for 17 years after retiring as editor and publisher of The Daily World in 2008.
Passport Grays Harbor Museums & Sites
East County
McCleary Museum
426 S. Third Street, McCleary
12-4 Saturday-Sunday
(360) 964-0561
mcclearymuseum.org
Chehalis Valley Historical Museum
Heritage Exhibit at City Hall
202 W. Main St., Elma
8-4:30 Monday-Friday
Chehalis Valley Historical Museum
703 W. Pioneer Ave. Montesano
12-4 Saturday-Sunday
cvhsmuseum.org
Running Anvil Carriage Museum
445 Black Creek Road, Montesano
“Open most days or call”
(360)-249-3645
www.facebook.com/carriagemuseum
Aberdeen & Hoquiam
History 98520
200 W. Market St., Aberdeen
1-4 Thursday-Saturday; 1-8 on first Fridays
(360) 533-1976
history98520.org
Grays Harbor Historical Seaport
500 N. Custer St., Aberdeen
(360) 589-8212
Hours: Check website
historicalseaport.org
Unplugged at the Music Project
121 W. Wishkah St., Aberdeen
11-5 Thursday-Sunday
(360) 747-7648
themusicproject.org
The Polson Museum
1611 Riverside Ave., Hoquiam
11-4 Wednesday-Saturday
(360) 533-5862
polsonmuseum.org
7th Street Theatre
313 7th St., Hoquiam
January to June; September to December
(360) 537-7400
7thstreettheatre.com
Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge
Bowerman Basin, Hoquiam
Directions and event info:
wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/bowerman-basin
www.shorebirdfestival.com
North Beach
Coastal Interpretive Center
1033 Catala Ave. SE, Ocean Shores
10-4 daily, Memorial Day to Labor Day
and weekends during winter
(360) 289-4617
www.interpretivecenter.org
Museum of the North Beach
4622 SR 109, Moclips
11-4 weekends, plus 11-4 Fridays during summer
(360) 276-4441
olympicpeninsula.org/things-to-do/museums/museum-of-the-north-beach
www.facebook.com/MoclipsWashington
Quinault Tribal Museum
807 5th Ave. Suite 1, Taholah
8-4:30 Monday-Thursday
(360) 276-8215, ext. 245
quinaultindiannation.com/173/Things-To-Do
Lake Quinault
Lake Quinault Museum
354 South Shore Road, Quinault
12-5 daily Memorial Day-Labor Day
(360) 288-2361 or (360) 288-2317
www.lakequinaultmuseum.org
Lake Quinault Lodge
345 South Shore Rd, Quinault
Open year round for lodging, meals, refreshments
(360)-288-2910 or (888) 896-3818
www.olympicnationalparks.com/lake-quinault-lodge
South Beach
International Mermaid Museum
1 S. Arbor Road, Aberdeen
11-6 daily
(360) 310-4882
www.mermaidmuseum.org
Grays Harbor Lighthouse
120 Ocean Ave., Westport
Hours: Check website
www.wsbhs.org/lighthouse
Westport Maritime Museum
2201 Westhaven Drive, Westport
11-3 Thursday-Sunday
(360) 268-0078
www.wsbhs.org
Westport Aquarium
321 E. Harbor St., Westport
Weekends during fall, winter and spring; four days a week during summer
(360) 268-7070
westportaquarium.weebly.com
ROERT GRAY, master of the 83.5-foot Columbia, was sailing south from a winter layover on Vancouver Island. Though his mission was to collect valuable sea otter pelts for Boston merchants, Gray was also searching for an elusive “mighty” river when he and his crew spotted “the appearance of a good harbour.” It was May 7, 1792.
The current was strong and the weather “squally,” but Gray was “determin’d not to give it up.” As they navigated a passage between the sand bars, “vast many canoes” came alongside. The arrival of a giant boat with the figurehead of a voluptuous woman on its prow must have seemed as startling as a spaceship.
In the parlance of the era, white men had just “discovered” Grays Harbor, never mind that indigenous people had been here for thousands of years — “forever,” as the coastal tribes say.
Four days later, on the morning after Captain Gray’s 37th birthday, the Columbia sailed into the great river of the West, naming it for his ship. This landmark moment in American history played a key role in our country’s claim to ownership of the Pacific Northwest. Gray’s harbor, a century later, would become the lumber capital of the world.
Now, in the 250th year of American Independence, the Harbor’s museums, historic sites and natural attractions are offering an “Official Passport” to adventure and education.
From McCleary to the muddy banks of the Wishkah River, the wellspring of “Grunge,” Grays Harbor oozes history. If, by Labor Day, your passport boasts stamps from all of Grays Harbor’s museums, with side trips to a landmark lighthouse and a remarkable bird sanctuary, it will have been a summer to remember. (In addition, at press time the museum directors were dreaming up swag for those who collect enough stamps. For more details, ask at any of the passport stops, which are listed on page 35.)
History lovers will be especially eager to learn that as part of the nationwide America 250 celebration, participating museums are offering free admission on the second Sunday of each month through December!
That means no admission will be charged on Sundays, June 14, July 12, Aug. 9, Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 8 and Dec. 13 at The Music Project’s Unplugged, the Chehalis Valley Historical Museum, Coastal Interpretive Center, International Mermaid Museum, Lake Quinault Museum, McCleary Museum and Event Center, Museum of North Beach, Polson Museum and the Running Anvil Carriage Museum.
But that’s not all! In addition, Saturday, Aug. 8 will be “Museum Day” around the Harbor, with free or reduced admission at many passport participants.
For this virtual tour, let’s go east to west, then north and south, to hit some of the top roadside attractions.
Although you can purchase your $3 passport at any of the stops, why not acquire your first stamp at the McCleary Museum? Open weekends, it spotlights the colorful history
of one of the Northwest’s original company-owned timber towns.
Next stop is Montesano, where the Chehalis Valley Historical Museum, housed in a classic pioneer church, features historic logging artifacts, settler journals, and Northwest artist Bob McCausland’s remarkable watercolors depicting the history of the storied Schafer Brothers Logging Co.
On to Aberdeen: The former Goldberg furniture store has been transformed into the summer’s hottest ticket – “Unplugged” at The Music Project. This immersive journey through grunge music focuses on Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic of Nirvana. That two disillusioned teenagers from gritty old Aberdeen went on to found one of the legendary bands in the history of rock ‘n’ roll has parallels to what happened in post-war Liverpool a generation earlier when John Lennon met Paul McCartney.
The raw power of Nirvana’s music, which captured the zeitgeist of Generation X, still resonates with fans of all ages. With practically no advertising, The Music Project attracted 5,000 visitors last year; 52 percent were from outside the U.S.
“We’re the museum for people who don’t do museums,” said Lee Bacon, who founded the project with his wife Dani. “This is where you rip the plastic off the story.”
Refugees from Puget Sound, the couple came of age with the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. Kurt and Krist were absorbing all those musical influences, plus the punk-rock rebellion of the Ramones and Sex Pistols. In Montesano, the kids who assembled another great Grunge band, the Melvins, were listening too.
The Music Project brings it all back home to Grunge ground-zero with a huge screen playing high-resolution videos of concert footage. It’s like being in a 1990 mosh pit.
From there, the pace changes. Thoughtfully curated artifact installations document Kurt’s life story and the evolution of the band. You can choose your own speed as you weave your way through the exhibits.
Like MOPOP, Paul Allen’s landmark Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, The Music Project is a cross-generational experience. It’s common to see kids arriving with their parents, Dani Bacon notes. And it always makes her smile.
The Music Project’s major coming attraction for 2026 is a 50-seat “immersion theater” set to open July 1.
Adjacent to Unplugged, in a space once occupied by Adamore’s, formerly Aberdeen’s leading shoe store, “The Green Room” is a souvenir wing that feels as if you’re being allowed backstage. An array of officially licensed, high-quality T-shirts, vinyl records, books and other memorabilia is on sale.
The ultimate experiential opportunity for grunge fans is a tour of Kurt’s time-capsule childhood home, the genesis of the Bacons’ larger vision when they purchased the house in 2018. Reservations are required, and well in advance.
Continuing to head west, Hoquiam’s award-winning Polson Museum, documents the glory days of the Harbor’s forest-products industry, including a painstakingly restored vintage locomotive in an adjacent building. That alone is worth the trip. The timber baron’s mansion features a trove of coastal Indian baskets, panoramic historic photos, and a model train exhibit, complete with miniature sawmill and dockside lumber schooners. The museum’s book nook specializes in Grays Harbor history.
Hoquiam also boasts the 7th Street Theatre, a National Historic Site annually offering 16 weekends of memorable movies. Before the two-month summer hiatus, you can see “Back to the Future” on June 5 or 6. Nothing compares to seeing a great movie in a painstakingly restored, 950-seat theater from the golden age of cinema.
Two miles west, as the seagull flies, the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge alongside Bowerman Field Airport draws birdwatchers from around the world. The annual Shorebird Festival occurs each May when shorebird migration peaks, but there are birds to see year-round. The Sandpiper Trail, a 1.3-mile round trip on a stroller-friendly boardwalk, is a perfect family outing. The refuge proves that unintended consequences aren’t always negative. The airport was constructed as a fighter-plane base to protect the coast during World War II. Decades later, fill dirt and natural accretion created prime habitat for migrating shorebirds.
Wherever the compass points, you’ll find more to see and do around Grays Harbor.
Forty-three miles north of Hoquiam, the Lake Quinault Lodge, an architectural jewel overlooking a glacial lake sacred to the Quinault Nation, is celebrating its centennial. With a postcard-perfect lawn sloping to the lake and a lobby that captivated President Roosevelt when he visited in 1937, the lodge is a memorable stopover just for lunch or dinner.
Across the road, the Lake Quinault Museum documents the exploits of rain forest settlers. It’s open, free of charge, noon to 5 p.m. daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
If you’re planning a day at Ocean Shores, make sure to stop in at the Coastal Interpretive Center. The family-friendly center helps tell the ancient stories of the Pacific Coast’s vibrant ecosystems and explores the natural wonders of Washington’s Pacific Coast, including the rich maritime history.
For more fascinating daytrips, head to the Harbor’s south beaches.
Halfway between Aberdeen and Westport, the International Mermaid Museum celebrates mermaid mythology and real-life ocean ecology, with an award-winning winery as a diversion for grown-ups.
Next stop could be the 120-year-old Grays Harbor Lighthouse — an aerobic 135 steps to the top, with the caveat that you must be at least 5 years old and 40 inches tall to make the climb.
The Westport Maritime Museum and Westport Aquarium are within an easy walk of each other. The charter boat basin, viewing tower and scenic paved trail along the dunes from the Lighthouse to surfers’ cove at the jetty (two miles roundtrip) are free bonus attractions. (See story about scenic area hikes on page 5.)
These are just a few of the highlights, take a look at the passport, complete with a picture and descriptions to determine where you might travel this summer. One thing’s for sure, wherever you are on the Harbor on America’s 250th birthday — from the banks of the Chehalis at Aberdeen to the ocean beaches — there’ll be spectacular fireworks.
John C. Hughes was chief historian for the Office of the Secretary of State for 17 years after retiring as editor and publisher of The Daily World in 2008.
Passport Grays Harbor Museums & Sites
East County
McCleary Museum
426 S. Third Street, McCleary
12-4 Saturday-Sunday
(360) 964-0561
mcclearymuseum.org
Chehalis Valley Historical Museum
Heritage Exhibit at City Hall
202 W. Main St., Elma
8-4:30 Monday-Friday
Chehalis Valley Historical Museum
703 W. Pioneer Ave. Montesano
12-4 Saturday-Sunday
cvhsmuseum.org
Running Anvil Carriage Museum
445 Black Creek Road, Montesano
“Open most days or call”
(360)-249-3645
www.facebook.com/carriagemuseum
Aberdeen & Hoquiam
History 98520
200 W. Market St., Aberdeen
1-4 Thursday-Saturday; 1-8 on first Fridays
(360) 533-1976
history98520.org
Grays Harbor Historical Seaport
500 N. Custer St., Aberdeen
(360) 589-8212
Hours: Check website
historicalseaport.org
Unplugged at the Music Project
121 W. Wishkah St., Aberdeen
11-5 Thursday-Sunday
(360) 747-7648
themusicproject.org
The Polson Museum
1611 Riverside Ave., Hoquiam
11-4 Wednesday-Saturday
(360) 533-5862
polsonmuseum.org
7th Street Theatre
313 7th St., Hoquiam
January to June; September to December
(360) 537-7400
7thstreettheatre.com
Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge
Bowerman Basin, Hoquiam
Directions and event info:
wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/bowerman-basin
www.shorebirdfestival.com
North Beach
Coastal Interpretive Center
1033 Catala Ave. SE, Ocean Shores
10-4 daily, Memorial Day to Labor Day
and weekends during winter
(360) 289-4617
www.interpretivecenter.org
Museum of the North Beach
4622 SR 109, Moclips
11-4 weekends, plus 11-4 Fridays during summer
(360) 276-4441
olympicpeninsula.org/things-to-do/museums/museum-of-the-north-beach
www.facebook.com/MoclipsWashington
Quinault Tribal Museum
807 5th Ave. Suite 1, Taholah
8-4:30 Monday-Thursday
(360) 276-8215, ext. 245
quinaultindiannation.com/173/Things-To-Do
Lake Quinault
Lake Quinault Museum
354 South Shore Road, Quinault
12-5 daily Memorial Day-Labor Day
(360) 288-2361 or (360) 288-2317
www.lakequinaultmuseum.org
Lake Quinault Lodge
345 South Shore Rd, Quinault
Open year round for lodging, meals, refreshments
(360)-288-2910 or (888) 896-3818
www.olympicnationalparks.com/lake-quinault-lodge
South Beach
International Mermaid Museum
1 S. Arbor Road, Aberdeen
11-6 daily
(360) 310-4882
www.mermaidmuseum.org
Grays Harbor Lighthouse
120 Ocean Ave., Westport
Hours: Check website
www.wsbhs.org/lighthouse
Westport Maritime Museum
2201 Westhaven Drive, Westport
11-3 Thursday-Sunday
(360) 268-0078
www.wsbhs.org
Westport Aquarium
321 E. Harbor St., Westport
Weekends during fall, winter and spring; four days a week during summer
(360) 268-7070
westportaquarium.weebly.com
