Washington National Guard Museum & History Center

05/25/2026

Today (and every day) we honor those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We remember.

05/20/2026

Museum & History Center staff took part in Camp Murray Clean Up Day today. This annual event allows the opportunity to tackle projects including grounds tidying and beautification. We’re grateful to our neighbors at Joint Services Support- Washington for pitching in to assist us with a variety of outdoor tasks to ensure the museum looks its best!

05/18/2026

ON THIS DAY: In 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted, causing cataclysmic damage and loss of life. To this day, it remains the most destructive volcanic eruption in U.S. History. Washington National Guard aviation crews, who were in Yakima conducting annual training at the same time, jumped into action for rescue and recovery efforts. Subsequent crews of Guardsmen aided in cleanup efforts in communities affected by this natural disaster. President Jimmy Carter would later remark that these actions were, "perhaps the National Guard's finest peacetime response."

As this bumper sticker on display in the museum notes, "your National Guard was there." You can view this and the rest of our Mount St. Helens display during opening hours.

05/13/2026

Last week, our Curator and Command Historian had the pleasure of hosting the 141st Military History Detachment at the museum for their annual training. The team arrived eager to help in any way they could — and they certainly delivered.

During their visit, they received information on the history of the building and museum, along with a crash course in collections care, handling, and processing. Throughout the week, they tackled a wide range of projects, including triaging boxes of unprocessed collections, helping set up the artifacts workroom, conducting a full weapons inventory, and assisting with collections storage reorganization, to name just a few.

Their hard work and dedication were a tremendous help and directly supported our mission of preserving the Guard’s important history.

05/01/2026

Be sure to stop in over Drill Weekend and visit us! We'll be open:
- Saturday 02 May, 9:00-15:00
- Sunday 03 May, 9:00-15:00
We look forward to welcoming you!

03/30/2026

Did you miss the opening of our special exhibition last week? Not to worry! "Hell's Overflow: The Washington National Guard on the Mexican Border 1916-1917," will remain up for the following few months. It's available to view in our conference room any time the museum is open. We look forward to your visit!

03/23/2026

Here is a look behind the scenes as we set up for our upcoming event. Please join us here at the Museum (Building 2, Camp Murray) on Thursday 26 March from 15:30-17:30 as our Command Historian, Dr. Jim Perrin, discusses the Washington National Guard's deployment to the Mexican Border in 1916-1917.

This special event and exhibition is generously hosted by NGAW.

03/13/2026

During March's drill, Museum & History Center staff attended the 898 Brigade Engineer Battalion's inactivation ceremony at Camp Murray. After the event, the Curator took possession of the battalion's guidons and colors in accordance with Army and National Guard Bureau regulations. The guidons will be safely kept at the museum and preserved for the future as a testament to 898's proud history.

Photos courtsey of the Washington National Guard Museum & History Center.

03/06/2026

From the Curator's Desk...
Lately, I have been working on a special project to rehouse a collection of artifacts, photographs, and documents from the 116th Observation Squadron, the predecessor to our current 141st Air Refueling Wing. The Wing graciously loaned the museum this collection for a recent display and allowed me to aid in its continued preservation through the rehousing project. It was wonderful to work with these items and learn about the Wing’s rich history in more detail. Look for an upcoming in-depth post about the history of one of these artifacts!

Photo courtesy of the Washington National Guard Museum & History Center.

02/27/2026

Grateful to NGAW for supporting this event with refreshments! Be sure to come to the Museum & History Center on 26 March for this special exhibit and talk exploring the Washington National Guard’s service on the Mexican border in 1916. We will cover a bit of everything, from large scale mobilizations and readiness to border security and baseball. There may even be some music for those Tin Pan Alley fans!

We are so excited for Dr. Jim Perrin (our upstairs neighbor in Building 2) to present this talk and special exhibit! Join us on Thursday, March 26 in the Washington National Guard Museum & History Center as the Historian for the Washington Military presents Hell's Overflow: The Washington National Guard on the Mexican Border 1916-1917. Refreshments will be provided by NGAW.