- Take a stroll in Downtown Yakima and gaze upon the many installations of artwork around the area: the Larson Building lights up at night, Hotel Maison has an art gallery of local paintings, Windows Alive displays artwork in windows along Yakima Avenue storefronts, sculptures on 2nd Avenue and Yakima Avenue are on display on both sides of street, Millennium Plaza features lots of unique sculptures and Kana Winery features lots of local artist paintings.
- The Downtown Yakima Historical Walking Tours are a great opportunity to hear about the history of the area! They start at Front Street North Town Coffee House.
- Check out the Ye Olde Letterpress Museum, a working 1900’s letterpress printing shop, offering the opportunity to learn the ancient art of setting movable type and using a hand operated printing press. Visitors get to set a line or two, print their work on a card and come out with a great museum experience. The museum’s collection includes 15 presses from the 1850s to the 1940s and more than 400 different type cases.
- Visit the Tree Top Store and Visitor Center and learn the history of Tree Top apple juice in Selah.
- See one of longest concrete bridges in North America! The Fred G. Redmon Memorial Bridge is a twin-arch bridge and was dedicated in 1971. Together, the two arches form the highest bridge in the State of Washington.
- Picnic at Fort Simcoe and check out the historic buildings. The park is primarily an interpretive effort, telling the story of mid-19th century army life and providing insights into the lives of local Native American culture. Fort Simcoe hosts many events, including military re-enactors and living history specialists, traditional tribal dancers, flag raising ceremonies, military displays and antique car shows.
- Attend the Old Steel Car Show at the Central WA Agriculture Museum. This great family event has games, free kid train rides, a scavenger hunt and much more!
- Watch artists paint a Mural in a Day in Toppenish on the first Saturday in June.
- Visit the Historic Teapot Dome in Zillah. Government scandal was behind the 1922 construction of this 15-foot handled-and-spouted gas station.
- Take a tour of the Capitol Theatre! E-mail or call Karen at (509) 853-8000 and schedule a tour today!
- Watch local artists perform their trade at the Chalet Mall Fine Art Fair in early July.
- The Yakima Valley Museum has a Children’s Storytime every Wednesday at 10 am. Admission is free for children and their families, and then you can view the museum exhibits afterward!
- The Yakima Valley Museum also offers free admission during Folklife Festival in July!
- Check out a sculpture honoring Astronaut Bonnie Dunbar along the Centennial Pathway in Sunnyside.
- Take a step back in history by visiting Union Gap during Old Town Days. Celebrate history by attending a reading of the Gettysburg address, a live Civil War re-enactment, and old time kids sack race and much, much more!
- View the impressive Jerry Taylor Veterans Plaza at 9th Street and Edison Avenue in Sunnyside.
- Check out the Merci Train Boxcar, one of 49 French railroad boxcars that was a “thank-you” gift to the United States in 1949, on display at Sarg Hubbard Park on the Yakima Greenway.
- Visit the Sunnyside Historical Museum, located in Downtown Sunnyside. The museum houses and displays artifacts and documents with a focus on daily life in Sunnyside during its early years.
- Visit the Larson Gallery and see one of their beautiful art exhibitions, or attend one of their Opening Reception events.
- Tour the Central Washington Ag Museum, located within Fullbright Park in Union Gap. Home to the largest collection of antique tools and farm equipment in the Pacific Northwest, this sprawling museum features 15 acres of displays that showcase the Yakima Valley’s agricultural heritage.
- Explore the beauty of the Yakima Light Project. Housed in the Seasons Performance Hall, this art exhibition is a unique and interesting asset to Yakima’s art community.
- Mighty Tieton has lots of free events, including an open house in April, 10x10x10 Exhibition that runs from mid-August through October, and the Dia de Los Muertos Exhibition at the end of October.
Yakima Valley Hand-Crafted Stories 