Edmonds Historical Museum — Attraction in Edmonds

Not sure who is in charge of the staffing of the gift shop, whether it be the city of Edmonds itself or the museum board or what, but they need to do a complete reevaluation of who they are hiring. I've lived in the Edmonds area for over 30 years and have never been treated in any setting as poorly as I was by the geriatric people working here. I had family in town and decided to bring my 10 year old niece here since she has an interest in historical buildings. She does have down Syndrome but is a very polite, calm, and well behaved child. From the moment we walked in the upstairs area, we were treated as if we weren't welcome. There were 3 people working there, 2 older women (likely in their 70s), both shorter and with white hair; and an older, tall bald man. Both women made a point to ignore my niece when she tried politely asking them questions about some of the items in the gift shop area, and only answered when I asked the same questions, but did so in an incredibly rude manner. Then, while looking at a small glass model of the Edmonds Ferry that was for sale, the man walked up to my niece and literally ripped the model out of her hands while he got in her face and loudly scolded her saying "you're not allowed to touch that!" Then took the model from the sales shelf and placed it behind the register counter. Upon seeing this, I obviously freaked out and yelled at the man, asking why anyone would treat a child like that. He said nothing and just stood there behind the register, arms crossed, continuing to stare angrily at my niece. The two women, as my niece began to tear up, then demanded we leave if we weren't going to buy anything. I am absolutely disgusted with the behavior of these so called "adults." To have the audacity to treat a disabled child like that is unfathomable and I cannot imagine why anyone like that would ever be working or volunteering in any form of customer service. I have since attempted to contact the museum board about this incident multiple times by phone and email but have been unsuccessful and not heard back from them. This happened back in 2019 but I am just now learning about the review system on Google maps so I figured I would attempt to warn others about the horrible "people" who work here. Given that it has been awhile, it is possible, and my hope that the people who I had that inexcusable experience with are no longer here, but I do not plan on returning to find out. I wish I had at least taken a picture of them so I could better identify who they were, but I was far too angry at the time to think about that. Shame on the people who run this museum to allow such disgusting behavior by...

The good and the bad: I stopped by a month ago on a day the museum was supposed to be open (I did return later and have a further experience to share). So I popped my head into the log cabin visitor center, holding my 2 year old. I was 'greeted' by a woman behind a desk who acted annoyed at my presence. When I asked when the museum would be open she had no answer. There were 3 other more helpful people sitting in chairs who asked the woman if she was volunteering later that week - she begrudgingly admitted she was. All in all I felt the visitor center does not want visitors. When I returned to the museum on a day they were open I brought my 2 year old. The women upstairs were much nicer and welcoming. Their gift shop has cute things - however the museum aspect upstairs was a bit disappointing, basically all chairs. Yes you read that right...chairs. I was sad thinking the downstairs would be the same - but the downstairs BLEW MY MIND. It has a jail cell, several city dioramas, victorian parlor, doll house, switch boards...it was seriously cool - even my 2 year old found it entertaining, especially the jail cell! There is an elevator in the museum for a stroller as well... There was a man downstairs that eyeballed us, but didn't acknowledge us and spent almost our entire visit on his phone which was a bit weird. All in all the basement of the museum is awesome - but I think some of their volunteers need some customer...

The Edmonds Historical Museum is a cozy treasure in downtown Edmonds, Washington, housed in the 1910 Carnegie Library — a building that once doubled as the city hall and jail. Since opening its doors in 1973, this volunteer-run spot has been a love letter to the area’s past, with over 32,000 artifacts, photos, and documents that tell the story of Edmonds and South Snohomish County. The lower floor brings history to life with a Victorian parlor, an old jail cell, and a miniature train set that kids adore, while the upper floor hosts rotating exhibits—like a music-themed display or Native American art—that keep things fresh. It’s a place where you can feel the heartbeat of a logging town turned charming coastal gem, with the Puget Sound just a stroll away. Admission is free, though donations are welcomed, and it’s perfect for a quick, nostalgic dive into...