Company Profile
Yakima Valley Museum
Company Overview
The Yakima Valley Museum is fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is located in Yakima, in south-central Washington, in the shadow of the Cascade mountains, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Adams. A diverse group of over 250,000 people live in the Yakima Valley in eleven small communities including the City of Yakima which has the bulk of the population. Yakima has a vibrant arts community, a full symphony orchestra, and the historic 1500-seat Capitol Theatre. It is also home to the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, Heritage University on the Yakama Reservation, Yakima Valley College, and Perry Technical Institute. The Yakima Valley is one of the richest agricultural regions in the country, providing a high percentage of the nation’s apples, pears, cherries, hops, and mint, and it is home to many of Washington’s 900 wineries. The Cascade Mountains provide superb recreational opportunities for hiking, mountain climbing, fishing and skiing. The museum also owns a wilderness property on the Olympic Peninsular ideal for camping and fishing.
The museum is financially strong and the physical building is in excellent condition. It is situated on the edge of a large city park in Yakima. It has a sophisticated behind-the-scenes infrastructure, including a fully-equipped commercial kitchen, banquet room, complete banquet equipment, handicap accessible bathrooms, elevators, state-of-the-art security, high-end projection equipment, 32 square foot LED marquee sign, and collection storage with movable stacks. It also houses a large regional archive and library along with an art collection. In all, the facility consists of 65,000 sq feet on two floors.
Current exhibits contain hands-on exhibit techniques to continue to draw youth, and include the story of the apple industry from its origins to the ultra-sophisticated industry it is today. The exhibit includes numerous modern interactive techniques and incorporates text in both Spanish and English. The museum’s newest exhibit, ‘Let’s Take the Sporting Route,’ documents the history of mountaineering in the Cascades. Couture II is a collection of international award-winning gowns by a local designer. The Neon Garden is a collection of more than a dozen working neon signs from the area. The Land of Joy and Sorrow is an exhibit about the Japanese experience in the Yakima Valley. An Apple Label exhibit features a searchable database that contains all 8,000 labels in the collection—one of the largest collections in the country. A significant exhibit of Yakama Nation artifacts showcases part of our extensive Native American collection.
Finally, the museum is also a major repository of the personal belongings of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, including a permanent exhibit of the contents of his supreme court office. In 2022, the museum held its first William O. Douglas Award Banquet to honor his legacy by recognizing a person who has carried on the values he espoused. The Honorable Sally Jewell, former Secretary of the Interior, was the first recipient. Building on this success, the museum anticipates several major new projects based on the legacy of Justice Douglas.
Company History
The museum was founded in 1952 and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN: 91-0828572). Today, the museum provides residents and visitors with high-quality, engaging, accurate, and educational exhibits and programs on central Washington’s cultural and natural history.
Benefits
The salary package includes free, off-site housing in the museum’s historic Gilbert House. There is no housing stipend in lieu of this. Relocation expenses to Yakima will also be reimbursed.