Maryhill Museum of Art — Attraction in Goldendale

I hadn't been to the Maryhill Museum since I was about 8 years old and I don't remember much about it, but it must've made an impression on me. For years I've wanted to go back and see and experience what I did 50+ years ago. It was as if it was a mythical place that I kept hearing about. It kept making its way into my subconscious, whether it be through advertising, an overheard conversation, or my own hazy memory as a child. Now we've all had our disappointments courtesy of memories that built something up and couldn't possibly live up to the billing. Into my mind kept creeping, this was going to be another one of those...things. But my cousin and I had been mulling this adventure over and really wanted to do this. Too many other opportunities had fallen by the wayside. Finally, our schedules synched up and the oppression of pandemic restrictions were lifted enough so that this could be done. But how could a hazy childhood memory live up to the hype? A location, that might as well have been on another planet, but still within driving distance, how could it really contain the perceived magic my childhood promised? I don't know how, but that compound out in the middle of nowhere, more than fulfilled the promises of my 50 year old memory. I had read the reviews of previous visitors, each one giving their raving accolades. With my experience, that usually meant I was in for a crushing disappointment. That's just me though. And that was certainly not the case, this time. My quest to the museum began the night before. I live in Bremerton, Washington, about 250 miles away. I drove to my cousin's house in Vancouver, Washington and spent the night there, where we would take off from in the morning. The weatherman was promising a beautiful weekend, but it's Washington state. We've heard the lies and excuses why things didn't go as meteorologically planned before. However, upon waking the next morning, the Spring sunshine arrived as promised and travelled with us for the entire trek. The drive through mountain passes, arid fields and miniature versions of small towns, took about 2 leisurely hours. When we arrived, we both commented to each other that it didn't looked very big for a museum. But I think that can be attributed to the fact that it's the ONLY structure around for miles, so there is nothing to compare it to for perspective. Most museums are surrounded by other buildings. So, as you can probably tell, this museum impressed me completely. From the donated artwork and gifts from Romanian royalty to Sam Hill, to the collection of chess sets, the works by sculptor August Rodin, native american artifacts, modern artists, there is something for everyone. The reviews I read estimated that it would take about 2 hours to tour the premises but I took about 3 hours and I'm sure I didn't see it all. But I saw enough. It left me something to discover on my next visit. We headed back, stopping for a quick round of golf at Beacon Rock Golf Course. When we got back, we were exhausted. Pleasantly exhausted. Definitely worth the trip... I'm going to try and post some pictures but technology and I aren't always on speaking terms so we'll see. I took over 200 photos at the museum, if that's any indication of how impressive...

I gave a 5 star but almost gave a 4 star because of 3 reasons. 1. The Theatre de la Mode felt like it had been relegated to a basement. The sets felt tired and dusty. Last time I saw this exhibit, it was really promoted, clean, and had the original witch set. It was exciting. As this is my favorite exhibit, I was saddened to see how it is being pushed into a dark corner and almost neglected. 2. The persons behind the counter are lackluster and dull. When you work in a place like this, you should exude excitement and draw people in. The people that were there the day we were, September 23, 2023, were more interested in their purses and lunches which were on display right at the back counter. Tgey were clearly bored. So different from the Interpretive center by Stevenson where the counter worker was enthusiastic and happy. 3. The gift shop items were old, boring, and outdated. If you want to run a successful gift shop, have items that are moderately priced and relevant to the exhibits. Other than those three issues,this is a must see for everyone. We were there for over 2.5 hours and still probably did not see everything! There is a book (thankfully one sold in the giftshop) titled 'Maryhill:Museum of Art' that is invaluable in explaining many of the permanent exhibits and how they relate to each other. Now that I have read it, I will go back with a more complete understanding of the key players and exhibits. AND I will go back. It's too informative and spectacular to only see...

I've been to a few museums over the course of my life, but this is definitely one of my favorites. Definitely small, but the collections they have are of pure quality. Great selection of sculptures, paintings, other visual art, and even interactive exhibits such as a wall where you can draw your own painting and place it with those of other patrons'. I found a lot of lovely pictures to admire and had an excellent time walking around and trying to soak everything in. The exterior of the museum is also beautiful, with an even lovelier view outside.

Service here was top-notch. Every single employee I came across here was friendly and helpful. Willing to talk, or leave you alone, depending on which you want. The security guard saw me circling around a couple of times, and had a short conversation with me to recommend what he thought was the best part of the museum, the ornate chess set collection, and I'm happy he told me about it.

The Maryhill Museum of Art was an excellent deal. Prices for admission are surprisingly cheap! They also have a small gift shop that barely looked like a store, but at least had some knick-knacks and other art-related things that you can buy at reasonable prices. I was happy to provide them with a donation and I hope people will keep doing so for them to keep running, as it's an excellent and...