Island County Historical Museum
Type: Museums
Owner: Island County Historical Society
Phone: 360-378-3110
Designation*: N/A
Built: N/A
Location: 908 NW Alexander St., Coupeville
Map and directions (Courtesy Google Maps)
Hours: Oct. to April: Friday to Monday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m; May to Sept: daily (except Tuesday) 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission: Children under 5, FREE; Senior/Student/Military, $2.50; Adult, $3; Family, $6

*DOE=Designated eligible; NR=National Register of Historic Places; NHL=National Historic Landmark; WHR=Washington Heritage Register; City=Local city; County=Local county; N/A=Not applicable

Comments from site users
9/17/2007 5 out of 5
High-quality

Early Spanish explorers of northern Puget Sound believed that the first long stretch of land to the north and south was part of the mainland. But in 1792, Joseph Whidbey, master of HMS Discovery under the command of Capt. George Vancouver, found a narrow strait at the northern end of the island that now bears his name, proving that it was surrounded by water and showing that the mainland was further east. The Island County Historical Museum celebrates this discovery, and the museum traces the history of the island from the times of native peoples to the present.

The museum is located in Coupeville, a village on the eastern shore near the midpoint of the island. Surrounded by the Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve, the town sits at Penn Cove, famed locally for its shellfish. Thomas Coupe, a sea captain, took up a claim in 1852 in Penn's Cove, and founded the town, making it one of Washington State’s oldest communities. Coupe was the only man ever to sail a full-rigged ship through the strait discovered by Whidbey, called Deception Pass. The museum includes several exhibits on the area’s maritime history, and sponsors tours of local historic sites.