Family-Friendly Programming at the Heart of Issaquah's Historic Core

A field trip participant enjoys the stereo viewer

On any given weekend in downtown Issaquah, the city is bustling with young families. Businesses and nonprofits alike are enjoying an engaged and diverse community. In particular, we are seeing more and more young people answer the call to volunteer as museum docents or assist in managing our collection. Approximately 50% of our volunteers are in their teens and twenties, which informs all aspects of our programming.

As part of our mission, we are dedicated to ensuring that we offer family-friendly programming and our venues are exciting and engaging for all who are young at heart. Here are some recent examples:

• We participated in Issaquah School District school cultural nights this spring, sharing artifacts and providing fun activities for well over 100 families.

• The Historic Train Depot is featured in the City’s IssaQuest Geo Tour. The family-friendly tour uses Geocaching as a way to educate the community about the Issaquah Climate Action Plan, including the history of Issaquah’s industrial past.

Scavenger hunt!

• The Train Depot Museum offers several fun, hands-on activities, including a scavenger hunt (in 6 languages--Russian version in photo); a tour of the yellow caboose, the opportunity to look through a historic stereoscope, and more.

• We opened our doors back up to school-aged kids, including Schoolhouse Rec and the Kent SD’s Canyon Ridge Middle School. We also provide discounts for Title I schools (schools with higher-than-average low-income or poverty rates).

• IHM is featured in the newly-published Junior Ranger Guide, a youth-focused program (modeled after the National Park Service’s program) that educates families on environmental stewardship throughout greater Issaquah.

Did you know? We offer free admission so the museum is accessible to all. We are able to keep it that through the financial support from 4Culture and donations made at the door.

An after-school program visits the Depot

And this is just the beginning! Looking ahead, you will see the following unfolding in the coming months:

• A refresh of the popular Issaquah School District field trip program as part of a larger commitment to partnering with the district. 

• Development of a Junior Docent program where young people can be mentored by seasoned docents.

• Upgrading some of our popular offerings such as the Army Car, the model train, and the telegraph in the Stationmaster’s office

We look forward to seeing you at the Depot!