Come whay may, we will play
Play and exploration are regularly encouraged in children. As an adult, do you actively channel your inner child?
Come What May, We Will Play emboldens visitors of all ages to investigate their interests while learning about the benefits of play and how Bonner County residents have enjoyed play from our earliest history to today. Play in nature, imaginative play, and social play are supported by studies to improve an individual's interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, as well as connection to one's home, nature, and community.
Covid reminded communities all around the world about the importance of connection to one's community and light-hearted play through life has been proven to ease the weight of hardship. Through natural curiosity and exploration of play, generations of the past have survived and even thrived through great difficulties. We hope you will enjoy the artifacts and stories that illuminate how previous generations created and experienced play, and find inspiration to ignite your inner child, as well.
Come What May, We Will Play emboldens visitors of all ages to investigate their interests while learning about the benefits of play and how Bonner County residents have enjoyed play from our earliest history to today. Play in nature, imaginative play, and social play are supported by studies to improve an individual's interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, as well as connection to one's home, nature, and community.
Covid reminded communities all around the world about the importance of connection to one's community and light-hearted play through life has been proven to ease the weight of hardship. Through natural curiosity and exploration of play, generations of the past have survived and even thrived through great difficulties. We hope you will enjoy the artifacts and stories that illuminate how previous generations created and experienced play, and find inspiration to ignite your inner child, as well.
Past temporary Exhibits include:
STORIED FUTURES: THE ELSASSER HOMESTEAD
Evans Brothers Coffee- 2023
Sandpoint Library- 2024
Evans Brothers Coffee- 2023
Sandpoint Library- 2024
Storied Futures is a recognition of the inherent value in learning about, preserving, and being inspired by the generations of people who built the community in which we live. It’s looking for ways to acknowledge their historic past – the stories encompassed within the traces they’ve left behind – and using what we discover to create a more thoughtful future.
the women who shaped bonner county
2019-2023
Often, when we think about the early days of Bonner County, images of men come to mind: men who ran the first ferries, built railroads, carved farms out of stump land, sawed lumber, and maintained law and order. But who were the women who labored, laughed, loved, lost, and muddled through right alongside them?
The Women Who Shaped Bonner County celebrates the lives of some the extraordinary women who came to the rough-and-tumble Inland Northwest and planted farms, built businesses, raised families, and often quietly defied convention to improve life in North Idaho. Not only did these women influence the immediate region, but some also participated in important changes taking place throughout the nation. Without each one of their contributions, Bonner County would be a different place today.
Through their curiosity, courage and ingenuity these women had a strong influence on education, politics, civic leadership, arts, culture, and business.
The Women Who Shaped Bonner County celebrates the lives of some the extraordinary women who came to the rough-and-tumble Inland Northwest and planted farms, built businesses, raised families, and often quietly defied convention to improve life in North Idaho. Not only did these women influence the immediate region, but some also participated in important changes taking place throughout the nation. Without each one of their contributions, Bonner County would be a different place today.
Through their curiosity, courage and ingenuity these women had a strong influence on education, politics, civic leadership, arts, culture, and business.
wunderkammer
At the museum we are constantly amazed at the curious objects, photos and stories we run into. We are baffled that someone could have used an object so silly or amazed at the daring act that someone participated in or simply stopped in our tracks at how historically unusual something is. Wunderkrammer presented a selection objects, stories and photos that we have discovered while we were down the curious rabbit hole within the museum.
Once upon a time in bonner county
Every object you will encounter in this exhibit holds a unique place in a story and has its own personal history. This item may have been treasured by someone, or might have been a part of a historical moment in Bonner County; resulting it in spending the rest of its years here at the Museum. Our vast collection houses curious and fascinating objects. This exhibit places these objects a new story, and asks you to imagine these everyday objects in a new light. Our hope that the time you spend in this exhibit will transport you to a magical place where everyone and everything lives Happily Ever After!
darkside of bonner county
History is full of great achievements, but it also has a dark side, and Bonner County's history is no exception. Step away from the serenity of small-town life in idyllic North Idaho and explore the area's history of gruesome accidents, theft, soiled doves, counterfeiting rings, bootleggers, mysteries, fugitives, and so much more. Through objects, newspaper articles, crime-scene photographs, and firsthand accounts of evil acts, The Dark Side of Bonner County will tell the tale of murder, mystery and mayhem in North Idaho. Behind every crime is a trail of evidence, remnants of foul deeds, waiting to be found and pieced together to convict the guilty. Is it the chill in the air that's making you shiver, or is it something else?
tales from the wardrobe
The 1920s saw Bonner County’s population continue to grow. The logging, timber and railroad industries remained the mainstays of the local economy, and farming and ranching remained strong. World War I had shaken the entire nation, and in its wake, virtually nothing felt the same, least of all fashion. The rise of youth culture, Prohibition, women’s suffrage, and changing social standards all had their impact of 1920s fashion. Sandpoint’s First Avenue bustled with commerce as ready-to-wear clothing became widely available and increasingly affordable for the first time.
In the 1930s, however, the Roaring Twenties were hushed by the hard times of the Great Depression. The mighty Humbird Lumber Company closed its doors, along with many other businesses, leaving many unemployed. Wardrobes shrank along with the economy. Yet photographs and stories from the 1930s show Bonner County residents with the strength and spirit to survive, even to thrive.
In the 1930s, however, the Roaring Twenties were hushed by the hard times of the Great Depression. The mighty Humbird Lumber Company closed its doors, along with many other businesses, leaving many unemployed. Wardrobes shrank along with the economy. Yet photographs and stories from the 1930s show Bonner County residents with the strength and spirit to survive, even to thrive.
the doctor is in
Throughout the ages, people have experimented with how to best to care for the sick and injured, a most basic of human tasks, trying anything and everything to cure illness, heal broken bones and ward off disease and injury. Here in Bonner County, traditional indigenous methods of treatments were often combined with Western methods in the early years, before company doctors employed by the railroads and sawmills took over caring for citizens. Sandpoint, as the largest town in the county, saw many doctors and dentists over the years, but some made lasting marks, caring for many generations and ensuring the health of the community. The Doctor is In will explore the development of health care in Bonner County from the 1880s to the present. Surgical instruments, medical equipment, patient and physician narratives, photographs, and memorabilia make up a fascinating collection. To your health!