Living History, Rooted in Place

Suquamish Museum

Suquamish, WA

Past, Present and Future

This museum plays a crucial role in preserving the heritage and artifacts of the Suquamish people within an interactive setting that expresses the living history of the tribe in a sustainably-designed environment.

Living on the Land

Nestled among towering cedar, hemlock and Douglas fir trees, the museum conceptually elicits a ‘nurse log’ in the forest – a place of regeneration and living culture. Evoking the longhouse character of historic “Old Man House” village, its two primary building volumes of repository and community are combined under a monumental shed. An ethnobotanic garden and craft workspace support traditional lifeways like woodcarving and weaving. 

Place of Clear Saltwater

The museum is a rooted component in the tribe’s cultural district that also includes the House of Awakened Culture on the waterfront, the historic winter home of Chief Seattle, a Suquamish Veterans Memorial, a Community Dock and Old Man House State Park.