Preserving our history so we can learn from it.
The Background
What if the stories of Edmonds—its people, its industries, its everyday moments—simply faded away? That’s exactly what a group of dedicated community members set out to prevent when they founded the Edmonds Historical Society in 1973. Their mission was simple but urgent: save our local history before it disappears.
The City of Edmonds gave that mission a home in the historic Carnegie Library, where generations of residents have come to explore exhibits and connect with the past. But behind the scenes, something remarkable was happening. As the community contributed photos, letters, artifacts, and memories, the collection grew quickly. So quickly, in fact, that it outgrew the museum itself, moving from a high school storage room to a warehouse in Mukilteo.
Today, that collection has grown to more than 30,000 items, and it’s still expanding every week.
In 2025, the Society made an important decision: bring Edmonds’ history back home. The collection has now moved to a new space in Harbor Square, right here in Edmonds. This isn’t just a storage upgrade, it’s a transformation. With proper climate control and room to grow, the collection can finally be preserved the way it deserves. Even better, its proximity to the museum means exhibits can change more often, bringing fresh stories to visitors again and again.
But the biggest change is how the community can experience it.
What was once simply storage is now the Edmonds Historical Society’s Collections and Research Center—a place where history comes alive in new ways. Students can explore real artifacts connected to what they’re learning in class. Local historians and researchers can dive deep into original documents. Museum members can even get hands-on with the stories that shaped our town.
This is your history, and now there’s a place designed for you to engage with it directly. Whether you’re researching your neighborhood, helping a student with a project, or just curious about the people and events that built Edmonds, the Collections and Research Center is open to you. Schedule a visit through our calendar or reach out to learn more, and come discover the stories waiting to be uncovered.
