Museum set to open soon

The Museum of North Idaho opens on Tuesday with three new exhibits for this season. The two seasonal exhibits are “New Land, New Life: Immigrants Shaped Our Region” and “Keeping History Alive.”

The first exhibit provides a look into the lives of people in major immigrant groups which settled the area. The second exhibit showcases a sampling of the museum’s recent artifact donations. These exhibits will run from April 2 through Oct. 31. A new permanent exhibit, “Explorers and Fur Trade,” created by the Friends of Spokane House, looks at trade and explorers prior to white settlement.

The Museum will offer free admission from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 12, as part of Art Walk. Pamla Silk from the Sons of Norway will be demonstrating how to make Norwegian woven hearts, a traditional Christmas ornament.

Located adjacent to Coeur d’Alene City Park at 115 Northwest Blvd., the museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 2 through Oct. 31. A free one-hour parking pass can be requested at the museum desk.

Permanent exhibits at the museum include “McEuen Park,” which explores the transformation of the area located at the base of Tubbs Hill from a highly industrialized area to recreational uses; “The Mullan Road” commemorating Idaho’s first road constructed over the Fourth of July Pass; “The Scandinavians Settled Here” looks at the Nordic influences in the region; “Schitsu’umsh, The People Who Were Discovered Here” gives a glimpse into the life of the Coeur d’Alene Indians through beadwork, tools, maps, stories and life lessons; “When the Mountains Roared” features stories and graphics about the 1910 fire that destroyed millions of acres in Idaho and Montana. The original signal bells and steering wheel from the steamboat “Flyer” are exhibited along with photos and artifacts from steamboats which cruised Lake Coeur d’Alene. In the theater room, watch a 20-minute presentation, “Portraits of Coeur d’Alene.” Discover the people and history that make our area what it is today.

Admission is $4 for adults, $1 for children ages 6-16 and children younger than 6 are free. There is a family rate of $10 for two adults and children younger than 16. Members are admitted free. The museum store is stocked with a wide selection of regional history books and gifts, and there is no fee to visit the store. Contact the museum for special openings and for information on group tours. Regularly scheduled historic walking tours with Robert Singletary will begin in June when the weather improves, but special tours of four or more can be scheduled through the museum.

The Museum of North Idaho serves as the regional repository for historical materials of Kootenai, Benewah and Shoshone counties. A research library houses archival materials, books and more than 35,000 photographs and is available by appointment. For information call 208-664-3448, email [email protected] or visit www.museumni.org.