Wow, this tour is AMAZING. It starts with a 15 minute video at the visitor center which explains…read morethe background of the geopolitical climate that prompted the construction of the reactor. It is the first large-scale nuclear reactor ever built, taking uranium and converting it into plutonium-239 (used in the Trinity test in New Mexico and the Fat Man bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan). Then there is a 45 minute bus ride to the B reactor itself (try to avail yourself of the restrooms at the visitor center, but there's a tour bus bathroom and port-a-potties at the reactor itself). The bus ride flew by as the docent talked about the area and his own experience as an engineer. Very engrossing. As you enter, there's another short presentation by a docent explaining the physics behind the reactor, and then you're set loose. There are also small docent-led presentations at specified times too if you want to get more into the nitty-gritty of the design and operation of the reactor. I wish I had more time at the reactor, maybe 15 more minutes, since there was so much to see and read. The exhibits were so well done!

Definitely worth a visit, though most of the buildings that once were on the site at the height of…read moreHanford's operations are no longer there. Everything went on schedule as described. The bus is a comfy coach and the 45 minute ride to the actual Reactor B is enlivened by the tour guide's info about the history and geology of the area, as well as providing background on the construction and challenges of putting together the entire site so quickly. Free bottled water is provided at the site, and there's a good mix of short talks by guides (about 15 minutes or so each) and time to walk around, read info on exhibits, and take photos. Visitor Center is clean, with chairs inside for waiting as well as benches outside. Because we'd driven almost 3 hours to the site, we took advantage of a shady bench to have our lunch. The timing of the 11:45am tour means you'll want to get something to eat before setting off, because you won't return to the Visitor Center for about 4 hours (and there is no food to purchase at the Center, and no food allowed inside the Reactor B building). There is, however, a place to eat next door to the Visitor Center (The Dive) where I can at least confirm that the beer and onion rings are excellent. We got lucky and had a relatively cool (80 degrees) day. Bathrooms at the actual park site (the reactor) are limited to portable toilets, but again, all the info presented from registration to the actual tour were clear, informative, and well done.

What a cute local museum. Stop here on a road trip and we really enjoyed it. Was not big but was…read morewell done. Had a fun kids area in addition to a scavenger hunt with a small prize.

Incredible! My dad…read morewas from Yakima, so I wanted to visit. I have no idea how I'd research things, but I did try - I did numerous web searches and there wasn't much I could find. We were in Yakima last week and we stopped by the museum. We were greeted by a nice man, who we bought tickets from. I told him my story and he said we should speak to John. Luckily, he was in and we went into the archives office and he showed us all kinds of things! He found my grandfather's store, then he told us that it was torn down, but he told us about other businesses in the area! He showed us pictures dating back over 100 years! He then found my dad's old house. We took down the address - this is something I'd like to see! He gave us a lot of great information - what an amazing man! He showed us some artwork in another room, then sent us on our tour of the museum. We had a wonderful docent give us a tour. She took us room to room, answered our questions and made the entire experience world class! In the middle of our tour, John came by and showed us another photo he had pulled up! Now that's amazing! We finished our tour. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and we learned a lot about Yakima. Oh yeah, we also learned that we were staying in Union Gap, not Yakima. After the museum, we went to where the store was, then we went to see where my dad great up. What a perfect day and it was all due to the excellent staff at the Yakima Valley Museum and Historical Association! You have to visit this museum!

Very cool place with lots of friendly volunteers. Lots to see. It is kind of fun just trying to…read morefigure out what some stuff was and how it might work. Some equipment more than 100 years old. We visited as part of a Civil War reenactment which was also very cool. This is an asset to the community and well worth an afternoon.

Lots of really cool old farming equipment. My favorite part were the old school bells you could…read morering. Thanks for having us!

For a free museum (donations welcome), it's positively delightful. There's 2 different indigenous…read moredisplays that don't allow photography, which is understandable but everything else is available to be photographed. A lot of really great local relics and historical write-ups about everything shown. The business display was closed but you can still see inside, would be a neat area to look around once it is done. As it was mentioned when I entered, it's a lot bigger than it looks from the outside which was entirely true. I'm not from the area and had no difficulties finding it or anywhere to park, even with the farmer's market going on nearby. I won't dock a star for it, but I really felt bad for the guy at the front desk getting chewed out by what I assume was the manager. I overheard most of it from the adjacent room, entirely unprofessional to do that within earshot of visitors but also her entire demeanor and dialog could have been 100 times nicer for what she was actually telling him. It honestly sounded like a parent harshly scolding their child.

What a amazing blast into history. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The ideas that they…read morehave displayed are a wonderful event of our history. I will be coming back.

The staff were knowledgeable and so welcoming. Ann and…read moreNatalia were so helpful The displays in the museum and items in the store by local artisans were great

Interesting museum, a cross between history in different periods and art…read more First nice thing: no cost--can't argue with that when everything costs x4 with the posse. I found the local history very interesting. The rest of our group found items or displays that captured some interest as well. The gift store was nice since we haven't been to any gift stores yet on the trip. Great stop! Air conditioned and interesting with no entry cost!

This was an unexpectedly fantastic find down in the lower valley! Not because we didn't expect it…read moreto be a nice exhibit, but because it's much more in depth than expected! Walking in, you find yourself in the gift shop with plenty of different options from trinkets to jewelry and clothing to books (about the area and from local authors) with just about everything in between. To your right is the main exhibit area. It was something like $10 per adult and well worth it. The exhibits start with a couple that highlight the terrain and the animals that live in the northwest. Good info for adults and lots for kids to look at! Our guide gave us some wonderful information on how each animal fit into the lives of the people groups from the area. From there we saw some great examples of living arrangements from partially underground dwellings (wigwams I think) to huge longhouses and tepees. All were quite impressive. Tools, pottery and jewelry were also on display. My favorite part of the tour however was the historical section where our guide spoke about the treaties and history of the people groups. Prior to this trip, I didn't know about the 14 tribes and bands that formed the Yakama nation. Like a lot of stories, some of the things done are much different than would likely play out today, but ignoring he history won't change it and learning about it helps everyone understand it better. They have some of the only pictures of the treaty being signed as well as some of the original copies of the actual treaty. It's very impressive! The place can take 20 minutes to walk through or a number of hours, depending on your interest in the subject matter. End of the day, this is a very impressive collection that showcases some of the early events that helped shape the valley. Everyone in the area owes it to themselves to check it out.

Very interesting displays and explanations of the history of the local people. Takes about 30-45…read more minutes to read and study the displays. The QR codes are helpful. It is always good to learn the "other side of the story" - even if difficult to digest. Worth the side trip!

I'm sure part of it is nostalgia, but this museum is great. There is so much history surrounding…read moreGrant County and Ephrata and the people who volunteer at the museum are incredibly knowledgeable. The best time to go is during Sage n' Sun weekend because they have people dress up and act like the first settlers to this area. There's a pretend gun fight and all sorts of fun stuff. Mick Qualls is usually set up in the Newspaper building and he can tell you anything you want to know. Mabel Thompson used to teach in Grant County and at over 100 years old she still sits in the school answering questions visitors to the museum during Sage n' sun. You also get to wear a sticker saying how long you've lived in Ephrata which is fun. It's a great experience and every child and adult living in the area should go.

A trolley ride through town is a must do. Yakima Valley Trolleys takes you on a short ride that is…read moreabout 9 blocks and back. It costs $8 a ticket. The conductors are super friendly and energetic and informative. I learned a lot about this town. We got to see the the trolley barn with the old trolleys and got to see how the industrial machines worked on belt and gear systems. A super cool experience.

Great experience for kids and adults alike. Fun and informative! Looking forward to visiting again!read more

The Thorp Mill is an old flour mill originally built in 1883 that has been beautifully restored…read more It is striking see the before and after pictures of the building online. The before picture makes me wonder if they had to completely rebuild the walls because the building looks like it's about to topple over. After walking through the place, I can confirm that not all the walls have been rebuilt. The walls around the milling equipment look like they are a hundred years old and would be very drafty in the winter. The milling equipment is in remarkable condition for being 100 years old. I'm sure none of it works now but it's easy to see how it might have worked and the full milling process. One interesting fact is that the grain has to run through the mill 13 times before it is ground down enough to be flour. That would be a tremendous amount of energy and machining to create one bag of flour. In order to create the mill, they diverted the Yakima River water into manmade pools before it flowed through the mill, powering the machines. These pools froze over in the winter, creating another product that could be shipped East: ice. They chopped the ice into large blocks then stored them in sawdust to be sold at a later time. It was an early example of a seasonal business: flour in the summer and ice in the winter.