Antique Underwood and Remington typewriters on display at the McCleary Museum

McCleary Museum

Photo: Karen Brutzman via Google Maps

The McCleary Museum keeps the story of this small East Grays Harbor timber town inside a handsome former church on South Third Street. Run by the McCleary Historical Society and powered entirely by volunteers, it now operates as the McCleary Museum and Event Center, a local history museum, research library and community gathering place in one.

It is a small museum with a lot of personality. Exhibits move from the saws and tools that built the local timber industry to the town’s famous Bear Festival and its wilder Prohibition era tales, all set inside a 1920s building that is worth seeing on its own. Genealogists get a dedicated research library, too.

What You’ll See

  • Timber and Tools. Several sections are devoted to logging heritage, with massive saws, vintage tools and heavy equipment from the industry that built the area.
  • The Bear Festival. Artifacts and history from McCleary’s best known community celebration.
  • Moonshine in McCleary. The wild stories of the town during Prohibition.
  • Simpson Door Company and vintage photos. Artifacts from the town’s door plant, plus a large collection of vintage photography.
  • Everyday life. Displays on healthcare in East Grays Harbor, fashion through the decades, old school technology, and how McCleary supported the country in wartime and what locals did for fun.

The Story Behind It

The building began with a congregation. In 1922, local church members were meeting in the basement of the Community Hall. Their new church was built to honor Ada McCleary, wife of town founder Henry McCleary. Olympia architects Wohleb and Wohleb designed it, contractor Fred Soller led construction, and it opened as a community church in April 1926. Look for the stained glass reproduction of William Holman Hunt’s painting “Light of the World.”

The historical society was incorporated on March 1, 1976, as the Eastern Grays Harbor Historical Society. In 2019 it acquired the former Methodist church as its new home, and with its board and volunteers working alongside local partners, the museum reopened there in May 2021.

Tips for Your Visit

  • The museum keeps limited, volunteer staffed hours and also opens by appointment, so call ahead before making a special trip.
  • Tracing family roots? The Research Library and Archives is set up for families and historians researching the area, and the society hosts a genealogy conference.
  • The museum is part of the Grays Harbor Museum Passports program, which links several museums around the county if you want to make a day of it.

Plan Your Visit

Address: 426 S 3rd St, McCleary, WA 98557
Phone: 360.964.0561
Website: mcclearymuseum.org
Hours and admission: Check the museum website for current days, hours, and admission before you visit.
Directions: View on Google Maps