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[This article is part of The Highline Journal’s America at 250: Northwest Stories.]
As part of our American heritage series, today we introduce readers to the Des Moines Historical Society and the Highline Heritage Museum. Both have upcoming events worth noting, and both feature exhibits reflecting the uniqueness of our region.
Des Moines Historical Society
The Des Moines Historical Society museum, located in downtown Des Moines, is regularly open from 1 to 4 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month, including May 2, and every Saturday between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Two additional upcoming events are listed on the society’s website:
- May 6: Annual meeting featuring speaker Ed Brown, historian with the Virginia V Foundation, presenting a free lecture on the Mosquito Fleet. (This date has been updated from a previously published version.)
- July 19: A cruise event, the first since 1989, featuring a speaker from SR3 (SeaLife Response, Rehab, and Research). As of April 25, only 49 tickets remained.
Details about these events are available on the DMHS web site.
The museum itself is housed in a 100-year-old building originally constructed for the International Order of Odd Fellows. Over time, it has also served as a town jail, school, town hall, and fire station.
Exhibits include a permanent maritime display, funded in part by the hotel/motel tax through 4Culture, along with artifacts illustrating daily life in the region over the past 150 years.
Highline Heritage Museum
The Highline Heritage Museum is located at the corner of Ambaum Boulevard and Southwest 152nd Street.
On Saturday, May 9, the museum will host “Let’s Explore Washington,” a children’s event running from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The program introduces children ages 3 through 12 to Washington state through games and hands-on activities.
The museum features a range of exhibits focused on the region, including displays on the airport, the Highline School District, the D. B. Cooper case, and more.
One of its most unique artifacts is the skeleton of a Megalonyx, a prehistoric ground sloth that lived approximately 12,000 years ago. The remains were uncovered in 1961 during construction of the airport’s second runway.
For more information on upcoming events and exhibits, visit the Highline Heritage Museum website.
We invite readers to be part of this series!
America at 250: Northwest Stories
Have you visited a Pacific Northwest site that deepened your understanding of our nation’s past? Do you have a personal story connected to a local landmark? Do you have recommendations?
As we approach America’s 250th birthday, we hope to tell the story of our country through the voices of our community — one place at a time.
Send your story to idea to us at info@TheHighlineJournal.com
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