Bainbridge Island Historical Museum

This is a small museum that is extremely well laid-​out, well thought out, and utterly fascinating. As others have said, the quality of the exhibits is amazing. The history of Japanese Americans on BI is well documented here, and presented in a way that is easy to understand, and well-​illustrated, in text, video and incredible photographs. The museum building itself is historical and the docents are very knowledgeable. Although it is stuffed to the gills, it never feels stifling or crowded. Very well worth a lingering visit.

Bainbridge Island History Museum is located in a renovated 1908 Bainbridge Island schoolhouse. There is parking onsite for the museum. The museum is conveniently located near downtown Winslow. This quaint, small museum, is busting full at the seams with award wining exhibits. I was surprised by the quality of the exhibits, and the amount of information contained within such a small space. It was better than some larger museums I have been too.
You will find inside exhibits about the Japanese American residents that were interned. The video is worth taking time to watch. They also have a moving display of Ansel Adams photos of the Manzanar interment in California that the majority of Japanese American’s from Bainbridge were taken too. I also learned about the Port Blakely lumber mill, which at the time was the largest mill in the world. They also have information about the Filipino island community, and the Native Americans that used the island seasonally.
The museum also has an amazing research library that is open to the public. I was visiting the island with my friend whose family grew up on the island. The staff were incredibly friendly, and helped her find historical photographs and records in their collection regarding her family.
For only an adult admission of $ 4, this place is definitely worth a stop. This is not your typical small town history museum. They also have great information on places to visit on the island. The local volunteers in the museum gave us some excellent recommendations.

I enjoyeded this little museum very much. The staff members are friendly and helpful. I visited the museum on a Friday morning. The front desk I gentleman gave me a brief overciew while walking with me and pointing at artifacts.
At the end of my visit, I learned much more about the island. Pleasant,

Warning: despite what the signs say, this is not a gallery of Ansel Adams’ work.
However it is worth a visit if you enjoy history. The museum was small and a little cramped but the exhibits were well organized and designed. The history of Japanese Americans on the island was comprehensive and interesting. We enjoyed the video on Japanese internment camps during WWII; it was personal and engaging.
We were led in by advertisements on the street. These had Ansel Adams images on them, leading us to believe we would be seeing his photography of these historical events on display and were disappointed (after paying the $ 4 entrance fee) to find only books of his work, not an actual exhibition. It looked like they were just using his name to promote their museum, which worked on is but we felt mislead.

Really fun, informative, imaginative. Any visit should begin with the museum, tucked half block north of Winslow Wy at SR 305

Take the time to stop. Adrian Rowe was working the desk and wow what a docent. I will be back and will bring the kids.

Very interesting exhibitions. Wonderful small museum. The Manzanar exhibition on the WWII interment of Japanese Americans features wonderful portraits by Ansel Adams. Also enjoyed the Orca exhibit.

The staff was very friendly and nice. I enjoyed the video of Japanese internment during WWII. The museum is tiny. Probably due to the size limitation, the collection is so jammed and it was a bit hard to read everything, But it’s a nice spot to know the history of Bainbridge island.

Whether you are visiting Bainbridge Island or you live here, the BI Historical Museum is one of the things that makes this place so special. It’s a great little museum that tells the stories of the island’s inhabitants, industries and past and does it in a way that engaging and fun. The static displays inform on both local milestones and how our island history plays into the larger historical picture, and if you have the time the staff can take you deeper into a number of subjects. Great place to spend a half hour or an afternoon. It’s just a short walk from the ferry as well!

Although small in space, this gem is packed with a lot of information and is organized quite nicely. It was a treat to visit today and really provided an excellent overview of the history of the inhabitants of the island. I appreciate the care that went into including the stories of all the different people that made Bainbridge Island what it is today. I went with a group of 40 and they were able to accommodate us in three separate groups (per-​planned arrangement). Docents are volunteers so if you have a large group it is best to make arrangements ahead of time.

A great little museum!!! There’s a wonderful display of the Japanese from Bainbridge Island who they were incarcerated in the Manzanar Internment Camp during WW 2 along with photos by Ansel Adams. Really a moving display.
The rest of the museum contains a lot of history about the island and is worth spending a couple of hours.
Take the ferry from Seattle for a good day trip.
And now the museum is open every day from 10am to 4pm.

Great way to learn about the island in a short time. Very friendly and informative staff.

All you need to know about Bainbridge Island in ten minutes or more.
Key Takeaways:
Collection: Comprehensive. Covers Bainbridge’s journey from logging island and mill towns through the Japanese internment, to today. Very well put together with many unique and relevant artifacts.
Staff: Excellent. We walked in on our way back from the Grand Forest to the ferry and let them know we had time for a ten minute tour. The staff member walked us through the exhibits quickly and eloquently capturing all of the highlights.
Be sure to make this a stop on your trip to Bainbridge Island.