Maryhill Museum of Art mansion on its lawn above the Columbia River Gorge

Maryhill Museum of Art

Photo: Maryhill Museum of Art via Google Maps

Maryhill Museum of Art fills a Beaux Arts mansion on a bluff above the eastern Columbia River Gorge, far from any city. When it opened in 1940, Time Magazine called it “the world’s most isolated art museum,” and the museum still quotes the line with pride. Getting there along State Route 14 is part of the trip, and the views from the grounds are a reason to linger once you arrive.

Inside, the collection is wonderfully eclectic: more than 80 works by Auguste Rodin, French couture in miniature, royal belongings of Queen Marie of Romania, Orthodox icons, Indigenous art, Art Nouveau glass and a gallery of chess sets from around the world. The year 2026 marks the centennial of the museum’s 1926 dedication, which makes this a fitting season to visit.

What You’ll See

  • Auguste Rodin. Maryhill holds more than 80 works by the French sculptor, gathered with the help of dancer Loïe Fuller’s connections in Paris.
  • Théâtre de la Mode. Post World War II French haute couture shown on one third life size mannequins. The original 1945 exhibition at the Louvre’s Museum of Decorative Arts drew 100,000 visitors before touring Europe and the United States. Maryhill has nine rebuilt sets and rotates three onto view each year.
  • Marie, Queen of Romania. During her 1926 visit for the dedication, the queen gave the museum more than 100 objects, and a permanent gallery tells her story.
  • International chess sets. The museum’s first director began collecting chess sets in 1957, and the collection now has its own gallery.
  • The grounds. The William and Catherine Dickson Sculpture Park, a Native Plant Garden and the Lewis and Clark Overlook surround the mansion. The museum is an official site on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

The Story Behind It

Samuel Hill, a Quaker raised lawyer and businessman, bought 5,300 acres along the Columbia River in 1907, hoping to start a Quaker farming community. Work on his hilltop mansion began in 1914 but stopped in 1917, slowed by the remote location and irrigation challenges. Loïe Fuller, a modern dance pioneer living in Paris, persuaded him to turn the unfinished house into an art museum.

Queen Marie of Romania, a friend of Hill’s, dedicated the still unfinished museum in 1926 before a crowd of more than 2,000 people. After Hill’s death, San Francisco art patron Alma de Bretteville Spreckels saw the project through, and the museum opened to the public on Sam Hill’s birthday, May 13, 1940. Spreckels also championed bringing the Théâtre de la Mode mannequins to Maryhill.

Tips for Your Visit

  • Save time for Sam Hill’s full size Stonehenge replica, about four miles from the museum. He dedicated it in 1918 as a memorial to local soldiers who died in World War I. The historic Maryhill Loops Road is also a short distance away.
  • Loïe’s, the museum café, serves on select days during the season and has seating with views of the Gorge. Outside food is not allowed inside the museum.
  • Pets are welcome on the outdoor grounds if you clean up after them, but only service dogs may go inside.
  • Download the museum map from the website before you go, or pick up a printed copy at the admissions desk.

Maryhill is open seasonally, from spring into fall, and closed through the winter; check the website before you go.

Plan Your Visit

Address: 35 Maryhill Museum Dr, Goldendale, WA 98620
Phone: 509.773.3733
Website: maryhillmuseum.org
Hours and admission: Check the museum website for current days, hours, and admission before you visit.
Directions: View on Google Maps

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