Washington State History Research Center, Tacoma

The Washington State History Research Center is housed in a neoclassical building completed in 1911, originally used as the Washington State Historical Society’s museum and headquarters before the main museum opened near Union Station in 1996. Designed by George W. Bullard & Co., it has a formal Greek Revival character, with columns, porticos, and detailed moulding. The building also carries the legacy of the Ferry Museum, an early regional art and ethnography institution that once shared the space.

Behind its historic façade, the centre functions as a major archive and preservation facility. It holds more than 90,000 artifacts, along with around half a million historic images, including photographs, documents, clothing, tools, furniture, maps, and manuscripts. A specialised climate-controlled cold vault protects fragile nitrate negatives and glass-plate photographs, materials that require careful long-term storage.

Access is more controlled than at a standard museum. Visitors usually need an advance appointment, and entry is managed through locked doors and staff approval. Researchers may be asked to show government photo ID and follow handling and duplication rules, especially when working with rare manuscripts, maps, or photographic material.