I stopped by around 1:30 PM on a Saturday thinking I would do a quick walkthrough and be out and…read morethat plan lasted maybe six minutes. This is not a huge museum which helped. It never got tiring or repetitive and the layout made it easy to take in without the feeling you get when every display starts blending into the next one. I kept finding little things that made me slow down and actually read instead of doing the polite museum skim where you nod at a plaque and keep walking. What stood out most was how connected it felt to Auburn. It did not come across like random displays filling space just because a building needed exhibits. It felt rooted here. That matters more than people think. By the time I left, I felt like I understood the area better than I did when I walked in, and that is really the whole job. my daughter would have absolutely been the kid reading one fact out loud and then asking eleven follow-up questions on the way to the car, so maybe I should have brought her and committed to the full experience. For a smaller local museum, this surprised me in the best way. Go when you have an hour and want something interesting without turning it into an all day thing

This is a small, well-run historical museum with a growing, well-deserved reputation that has led…read moreto it's increased prominence on both a regional and national level.

My husband loves bonsai trees and while I think they look nice, I don't really know much about…read morethem. When I saw that we would be in the area of the Pacific Bonsai Museum on our most recent travels, I was super excited to put it on our itinerary. Unfortunately, while I was researching, I noticed that although this is an outdoor museum, they have a " service dogs welcome but no pets" policy. It was disappointed because we travel with our small dog so I decided to take it off our list of stops. When my husband noticed he was visibly saddened and I knew I had to do my best to see if we could make it work. I messaged the museum here on Yelp and explained my situation to them. They responded immediately, and said that although that is their policy, because my dog is small, well behaved, always on a leash and has no behavioral issues, staff would likely not approach me to ask me to leave or show my credentials. I truly appreciate their fast response and understanding. They have amazing customer service here. Our visit to the museum was lovely. Our dog enjoyed the shady walk along the path to get there and sat patiently while we looked around. The museum is not only gorgeous, but laid out by region, so it's almost like walking through the world showcase at EPCOT but better because there were no crowds and the environment was incredibly peaceful. It was so interesting to see all the bonsais displayed and to learn about them. Masterfully designed and curated and incredibly tranquil, it was definitely one of the highlights of our stops in the area. I encourage you to stop by and to donate to this amazing museum if you have the opportunity.

The Bonsai Museum is a hidden gem. We had a few hours to kill before picking up dinner and heading…read moreover to my cousins house. Since she and her family live in Fife, I ordered and scheduled pickup for 2:30 pm in Federal Way. We weren't what to do in the meantime and so I looked up botanical parks. The bonsai Museum and the Rododendron botanical Park came up. We noticed they were across from each other and so we headed over to the parks. It's a nice drive over there as everything is so green and lush. Once we parked, we noticed that we needed to walk a bit to get to the exhibits. Once we got to the exhibits, the Rododendron botanical park was on the left side with $12 entrance fee and on the right side was the bonsai Museum with free entry. On the outside, they do have restrooms available before heading into the bonsai museum We didn't know what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised with all the bonsai displays they had by the different artists from different countries, and there were a lot. It took us about 30 minutes to get through the entire exhibit. We would've stayed longer to read all the information, but we were running short on time and we still wanted to visit the botanical park across the way. I highly recommend the Pacific Bonsai Museum if you're in the Federal Way area especially because it's free.

This mansion museum was a great way to spend a slow afternoon in Puyallup…read more It is currently a $15 fee for adults to do a self tour of the home. You are welcome to take photos, and please, take your time! There is plenty to read either on the pamphlet given to you at the entrance, or on the walls beside all the beautiful furniture, paintings, and artifacts. It's hard not to imagine yourself at the turn of the century, living in wealth in this fancy home, like the Meekers did. Ezra and Eliza Meeker were a fascinating couple who did so much with their lives, even into their last years. Traveling the Oregon Trail, hitting success with a hop business, Ezra being the mayor twice, Eliza founding the town's public library and strongly supporting the suffrage movement. I also can't help but to respect Eliza even more for her strength in character even though she was of small stature (4'8")! Especially for those who live in the area, I highly recommend you learn about this historic Puyallup family with a visit to the Meeker Mansion Museum!

I happened to be in the area and saw a sign for the Meeker Mansion, so I decided to check it out…read more Diane was very sweet and gracious and gave me a brief history of Ezra & Eliza Meeker. "Ezra was an American pioneer who traveled the Oregon Trail migrated from Iowa to the Pacific Coast. Once known as the Hop King of the World." A lot of good history of Puyallup. I didn't have time for the tour, but I appreciated seeing the mansion and getting a glimpse of this city's history. Next time, I'll have to do the tour. Thank you again, Diane, for being so nice and friendly!

As you enter the Karshner Museum and Center for Culture & Arts your eyes will immediately be drawn…read moredown the hallway to a very large wooden welcoming figure. These figures are seen along the Pacific Northwest coastal region welcoming people to villages or homes. The figure is supposed to represent a shaman or some say even Dr. Karshner and it has it's arms stretched out welcoming you. The best thing about this exhibit is you get to put your hands in the hands of the welcoming figure and if you are sad, it will help make you happy. This is a great way to start your visit to the museum. The Karshner Museum is almost ninety years old and was founded in 1930 by Dr. Warner Karshner and his wife as a memorial to their son who died at an early age from Polio. Today, the Karshner is a teaching museum which is actually owned and operated by the Puyallup School District. It contains over ten thousand artifacts which include many from Native American/First Nation People as well as from Dr. Karshner's travels around the world. On the day I went, the Museum was closed and they were setting up exhibits. I explained that I had a friend visiting from Korea and she wanted to see this museum and the staff were kind enough to allow us to explore everything. I really appreciated that the staff were so cooperative and friendly and were also excited to explain some of the exhibits to us. You can see that they truly do love their work and appreciate being able to share stories about some of the pieces. If you have kids, the Pioneer Room is an entire room set up like a classroom with lots of hands on activity for little hands. They even have a stagecoach that the kids can climb on and explore. The room has so many things to see that it will definitely entertain kids for a long time. There are even some work sheets available on the door of this room so kids can also get involved in showing what they have learned. Some of the worksheets which will aid your kids in exploring this room. They can find the basket full of games that pioneer children played, try on clothing, explore goods from the trading post, discover what it was like to go to school in 1855 and lots of other activities. Currently, there is an exhibit entitled Who Are We? - Washington's Kaleidoscope which will be on display until January 2018. This exhibit is great because it tells the story of Washingtonians who have been faced with and have overcome obstacles or hardships and have left a positive impact on our great state. This exhibit is also contains people from different ethnicities which is always a good thing to see. The most beautiful objects in this museum are not the Chihuly glass on display, but the beautiful carved and painted Shamish Nation Panels which were gifted to the museum. There are four panels in total including one of a killer whale and calf, eagle with salmon, native run salmon and raven, wolf & moon (which is my favorite). If you are in the area please stop by the museum and check out all of the displays. It is a very eclectic collection and there is something here for everyone. Make sure to ask questions if you have any because the staff have so much knowledge. Thank you for a great visit and an awesome learning experience.

From the owner: Karshner Center is a sophisticated, hands-on learning museum owned and operated by the Puyallup…read moreSchool District. We host field trips and culture and arts festivals. We are open to the public free of charge 2 pm to 4 pm when the Puyallup School District is in session.

Kent Historical Museum is located in the historic Bereiter house. Beautiful grounds, lovely old…read morehome. We held a birthday party for my mom there, and had the use of the whole house. Nice to be able to wander through the home and enjoy the museum displays. A nice sized living room and dining room to visit in, set up a dinner or buffet. This would be a great place for a wedding or a birthday or anniversary celebration. Steven, our museum host, made us feel welcome.

I stopped in with our 11 month old and 4 year old yesterday. The grounds are beautiful and the…read morehouse is amazing. This historical displays set up inside are well presented and interesting. My kids loved it in there (which surprised me.) We only had 20 minutes so missed seeing the upstairs, but we will be back, for sure!!

What a fantastic way to spend a few hours and learn about the history of this sport . Not only was…read moreour guide very informative, he let us ( well mostly me) wander around looking and poking around everywhere. Not only can you see restored hydros but also see just how they go about the entire process from repairing hulls to engine rebuilding. It's definitely a great experience for anyone interested

This place is an absolute gem and any racing hobbyist would love this place. You can't miss this…read moreplace because there's a big hydroplane outside. Once you walk in though you aren't very sure because nobody is around. Then suddenly a guy shows up , he's glad to take whatever you pay him, and suddenly he's just giving you a tour! He basically tells you everything and goes through the history of each hydroplane there. He's literally like a walking encyclopedia and is more than happy to answer your questions. There's other workers there working on hydroplanes and they're more than welcoming and wanting you to see what they're doing. You can feel the passion and love . Its not a big musuem. Its basically a bunch of hydroplanes cramped in a storage building. I'd say it takes about an hour. I learned so much that I never knew and I'm a huge fan of hydroplanes now!

Fife History Museum is a small museum, but it's a great place to spend an afternoon. It's packed…read morewith tons of history and interesting artifacts. They have historical military uniforms and memorabilia from Fife's service-members throughout history. They have an entire collection of beautiful, ornate miniature paper umbrellas folded by Japanese-Americans in the nearby internment camps during WWII using discarded cigarette wrappers. They have recreated schoolrooms, historic school yearbooks, and rotating exhibitions - right now it's one about the history of the QWERTY keyboard. It's a really cool spot that really took me by surprise. And the staff is really knowledgeable and helpful.

From the owner: Step back in time and learn about what life in Fife was like at the turn of the century and into…read morethe 50's. Who lived in this valley for thousands of years? Who came around the turn of the century, and why did they come here? The Fife History Museum is a must see as you travel on I-5 through Tacoma.