Spend a day at the museum
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 4 months AGO
Moses Lake pastor and photographer Walter Klockers stands among his macro photos, currently on exhibit at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center. Klockers’ insect-festooned shirt was a gift from his wife Jeannie, he said, who tolerates but does not share his passion for creepy-crawly creatures.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | June 22, 2023 1:00 AM
COLUMBIA BASIN — We often think of museums as something you find in big cities, but there are lots of them just a short drive away here in the Basin. Here are some places to enjoy art or learn about the area.
Note: Many museums are staffed by volunteers and funded by donations, which means that hours and days of operation can change without warning. Visitors are advised to call ahead.
Grant County Historical Society Museum
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday May-September
742 Basin St NW, Ephrata
509-754-3334
Moses Lake Museum & Art Center
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday year-round
401 S. Balsam St., Moses Lake
509-764-3830
The Old Hotel
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday year-round
33 E. Larch St., Othello
509-488-5936
www.facebook.com/theoldhotelothello
Quincy Valley Historical Society & Museum
1-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday May-November
415 F St. SW, Quincy
509-787-4685
Ritzville Railroad Depot Museum
12-4 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday Memorial Day weekend-Labor Day
201 W. Railroad Ave., Ritzville
509-660-0708
Burroughs Home Museum
12-4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday-Saturday Memorial Day weekend-Labor Day
408 W. Main Ave., Ritzville
509-660-1089
Wanapum Heritage Center
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday-Friday; 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday year-round
At Priest Rapids Dam, 29082 Highway 243, Mattawa
509-766-3461
Colville Tribal Museum & Gift Shop
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday May 31-Sept. 30
512 Mead Way, Coulee Dam
509-633-0751
www.colvilletribes.com/colville-tribal-museum
Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center
9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily; dam tours May 27-Oct. 31
Highway 155, Coulee Dam
509-633-9265
Big Bend Historical Society Museum
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, April-October
505 NW Cole Ave., Wilbur
509-647-5566 or 509-639-2346
Gehrke Windmill Garden
24 hours year-round
North Dam Park, Grand Coulee
Dry Falls Visitor Center
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Monday, open year-round
35661 Highway 17, Coulee City
509-632-5214
Mansfield Museum
1-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday May 31-Sept. 30
121 Main St., Mansfield
509-888-5357
www.facebook.com/MansfieldWAMuseum
Historic Hartline School
10-4 p.m. Thursday-Saturday March-December
92 Chelan St., Hartline
509-639-2566
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
‘Excellent adventure’
Veterans Day show includes time travel, fun and music
QUINCY — Veterans Operation Creation’s Veterans Day show Wednesday will span the decades with silliness and music. “We’re calling it ‘Emma and Mikky’s Excellent USO Adventure,’” said director Cassi Nelson. “They don’t understand (what) a USO show (is), so they’re going back in time and kidnapping acts from previous USO shows to come give a show in Quincy.” If that plot line sounds vaguely familiar, it should. It’s a takeoff on the movie “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” with Emma Galloway and Mikky Greely as the time-traveling duo and VOC founder Daniel Chism as their irascible guide. The pair will travel through the decades gathering stars like Dolly Parton, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley to entertain the audience.
Home prices up in most Basin markets
MOSES LAKE — Home prices increased in most, but not all, markets of the Columbia Basin this year, according to data from the real estate website Redfin. The median home price in Moses Lake in September was $364,821, according to Redfin’s data, up 5.4% from September 2025. Ephrata’s median price wasn’t far off, at $368,824, but that represented a 12.5% increase over the same time period. Quincy’s median price topped the list of local cities at $405,235, a 10.1% year-over-year increase. Othello, in contrast, dropped by 17.1% year-over-year, to $298,226.
BASIN EVENTS Nov. 6-14
COLUMBIA BASIN — Now that everyone has adjusted from the Daylight Saving Time changeover, it’s time to get out of the house and off to something fun. Here are a few destinations to check out. Nov. 6 Members Exhibition Gallery opening for show of artworks by museum members. Opening reception 4-7 p.m. at Moses Lake Museum & Art Center, 401 S. Balsam St. Info: www.moseslakemuseum.com.