The Future of Renton History Museum

The Renton History Museum has been a proud partner of the Renton Historical Society, the Newcastle Historical Society, Renton School District, Renton Technical College, Renton Municipal Arts Commission, Allied Arts of Renton, Humanities Washington, Washington Museum Association, South King County Cultural Coalition, Brain Injury Alliance of Washington, and many others. Now the Museum is changing its organizational structure for a stronger future as a division of the City of Renton Parks & Recreation Department. The result will be an opportunity for deeper engagement with partners around greater Renton, as we offer more of the community-focused programming that people have come to enjoy and expect. Here’s what the future looks like:

• The museum will continue its changing and permanent exhibits; traveling exhibits from Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit Service, the Kauffman Museum, and others; public programming; and research services in historic Fire Station No. 1.
• Museum staff are available to help with genealogical research, student and teacher projects, research into historic houses and commercial buildings, and other Renton-focused topics.
• The museum’s oral history team continues to collect Renton’s precious stories, with 16 interviews conducted in 2024 alone.
• We will build a museum collection of historic objects, photos, and archival materials, to preserve the history of our city.
• Museum staff will still publish a quarterly newsletter with original research on local topics.
• In fall 2025 the building will close until mid-2026 for a major renovation. The result will be a fresh face on the historic building, just in time for the nation’s 250th anniversary year.
• During the closure, services will switch to online only.
• Have questions about the future? Reach out to us at rentonhistorymuseum@rentonwa.gov or by phone at 425-430-6440. In the meantime, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram for regular updates.