Issaquah History Museums
The Issaquah History Museums discovers, preserves, and shares the history of Issaquah and the surrounding area. We are a vital part of keeping our community sustainable! To help share the story of our community, the Issaquah History Museums operate both the Issaquah Depot Museum and the Gilman Town Hall Museum. Through exhibits, guided tours, history hikes, and programs, we help residents and visitors explore Issaquah's development over time and the lives of its residents. We believe that knowledge of the past helps inform future development and creates community through shared identity. Hundreds of artifacts and photos are accessible on our website at www.issaquahhistory.org. Founded in 1972 as the Issaquah Historical Society, the organization was volunteer-run for the first 27 years of its existence. During that time, the organization restored the Issaquah Depot (now on the National Register of Historic Places), renovated the historic Gilman Town Hall, and accepted hundreds of photos and artifacts into the collection. The first paid staff was hired in the early 1990's and the organization is now run through a collaboration of a small staff and an army of dedicated volunteers. Our newest venture, the Issaquah Valley Trolley, connects the past to the present by bringing new life to Issaquah's rails. While technically, IVT is Issaquah's first trolley, the rails of Issaquah have played a large role in the town's development by connecting it to Seattle to deliver the plentiful coal found nearby. Today, the rails again come alive as riders listen to conductors tell stories of the past, illustrated by the passing scenes of historic downtown Issaquah. IVT currently traverses between the Depot and Darigold but will soon reach the Gilman Village shopping area, creating a corridor between the old and the new, between Gilman and historic downtown Issaquah.
