Collections

“To gather and preserve all manner of objects…” reads the articles of incorporation of the Eastern Washington State Historical Society. Collecting and preserving cultural material that portrays the diverse experience of life in the Inland Northwest, past and present, remains at the heart of the museum’s mission. As the historical society for Eastern Washington, the museum is a repository for a vast array of artifacts, art, photographs, and texts numbering over a million objects and growing.

MAC collections are comprised of four major categories which include Art, Regional History, American Indian, and Archives. Collection managers and curators acquire objects guided by the museum’s established mission of stewardship and focus. Pieces from the collection are periodically exhibited or may supplement traveling exhibitions to provide a local perspective on the subject matter.