Our Future

Bainbridge History Museum’s vision and plans for expansion and renewal are taking shape, with a target completion date in 2028.

About The Museum

The Bainbridge History Museum began its journey in the 1930s, growing from informal collections stored in the homes of community members. Today, it occupies a 3,400-square-foot space that features its largest artifact: a 1908 one-room schoolhouse.

Our Challenges

Limited Exhibit Space

Only a fraction of the museum’s collection and Island stories can be displayed at one time. This severely restricts our ability to fully share Bainbridge Island’s colorful history with the public.

Limited Collections Space

Overcrowding limits capacity to accept new objects, photos and documents, and to preserve our collections as we would wish.

Conflicting Use of Space

Public programming, research library users, school groups, and staff and volunteer activities compete for use of a single shared room which diminishes our means to effectively achieve our mission.

Increased Community Needs

As our community grows and visitorship increases, we need to prepare to meet growing interest in our history and share the unique stories of Bainbridge Island.

Our Vision

As an institution dedicated to the preservation and sharing of history, Bainbridge History Museum is a vessel for revealing the past, fostering a deep sense of identity and creating a living repository where islanders and visitors alike can learn how our community has evolved.

Double the Exhibit Space

An expanded facility extending from the 1908 schoolhouse will allow for more flexible exhibit space, enabling the museum to rotate objects frequently and share substantially more of the museum’s collection with the public.

With two new exhibit halls the expansion will support more galleries which will enable us to offer a wider variety of meaningful and informative exhibits

New Space to Increase our Mission Impact

For the first time there will be a dedicated research library for the use of the public. There will also be a dedicated conference room, and a special facility for community programming resulting in frequent educational and fun experiences for children, students and the public. Additional space will also allow room for staff and volunteers to perform their functions without inhibiting the public’s use of the museum.

Strengthen the Museum as a Community Resource

At our museum, we envision a vibrant future where every story of our island is cherished and preserved for generations to come. We are dedicated to connecting people with the stories of their heritage by collecting, preserving, and sharing the diverse narratives that shape our community. Our proposed expansion is an essential step to making that vision a reality.