Whatcom Museum of History and Art

A downtown Bellingham museum spread across three connected buildings, showing art, regional history, and Pacific Northwest natural history.

250 Flora St and 121 & 201 Prospect St, Bellingham, WA 98225 · Bellingham, WA

About Whatcom Museum of History and Art

The Whatcom Museum occupies three buildings in Bellingham's Arts District: Old City Hall, the Lightcatcher, and Old Fire Station No. 1, which houses the Photo Archives. Exhibitions cover art, Northwest history, and the region's natural world, with permanent displays such as the John M. Edson Hall of Birds and People of the Sea and Cedar. Visitors can also find rotating shows, a family-oriented Family Interactive Gallery for children, and free admission on the first Friday of each month. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

#art
#history
#natural history
#Pacific Northwest
#family-friendly

What's around here?

The closest stops to Whatcom Museum of History and Art, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Museums
SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention
Under $25
Hands-on museum in downtown Bellingham exploring electricity, radio, and the inventions built on them, with artifacts dating from about 1580 into the 1950s.
Right next doorMore like this
Tours
Local Gem
San Juan Airlines
$50+
Scheduled and charter flights linking Bellingham, Anacortes and Seattle to the San Juan Islands, plus scenic air tours.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Steps awaySwitch it up: Tours
Sports & Outdoors
Sehome Hill Arboretum
Check prices
Wooded city park on Sehome Hill beside Western Washington University, with about six miles of trails and a hilltop observation tower.
1.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors
Sports & Outdoors
Whatcom Falls Park
Check prices
A large Bellingham park centered on waterfalls along Whatcom Creek, with trails, playgrounds and picnic areas.
2.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors
Museums
Historic
Craigdarroch Castle
Under $25
Victorian-era mansion of coal baron Robert Dunsmuir in Victoria, a National Historic Site restored to show 1890s life over four floors and 87 stairs.
46 mi awayMore like this
Museums
Family Favorite
Science World
$25–$50
Interactive science museum in Vancouver's iconic geodesic dome, with hands-on exhibits and an Omnimax theatre.
46 mi awayMore like this