This regal art museum in a tiny Washington town is about to celebrate its 85th anniversary
Tucked away just north of the Washington-Oregon border is the small, unincorporated community of Maryhill.
According to census data, fewer than 40 people live in the Washington town. Despite its size, it has the nation’s first WWI memorial, a distinguished art museum and an award-winning winery.
The tiny town has been small since its creation, though founder Samuel Hill originally had hopes of a Northwest utopia. He built much of the town with this in mind, prioritizing art and culture, as well as function.
Hill built the building that would become the Maryhill Museum of Art, and the nearby Stonehenge Memorial in the 1910s. The museum was originally a European-style mansion, and Hill converted it to a museum after realizing his ideal utopia would be harder to create than he anticipated.
Hill had many connections in European social circles and in the art world, according to the Maryhill Museum of Art, so he knew filling an art museum would be possible. These connections paid off, and he acquired dozens of pieces from notable artists, including Auguste Rodin. The transition to an art museum began in 1917, but did not open until after Hill’s death in 1931.
First opened to the public in 1940 on Hill’s birthday, May 13, the Maryhill Museum of Art has been in operation since, with numerous permanent exhibits highlighting Hill’s connections, as well as consistent temporary exhibits.
Open from spring to fall, the museum marks its 85th season this year. Here’s what to know.
Maryhill Museum of Art updates
Opening for their 2025 season on Saturday, March 15, the Maryhill Museum of Art’s 85th year will include numerous featured exhibitions as well as upgrades to permanent exhibits.
According to a press release from the museum, this year’s exhibitions feature a “wide range of artistic and cultural expression,” all while overlooking the Columbia River in the chateau-style building.
The museum’s overview of the upcoming exhibits includes:
“Capturing Light: 350 Years of European and American Painting” - Includes works from the 17th to 21st centuries highlighting painters that consciously use the way light appears in their work to set the mood.
“Robert Douglas Hunter: Still Lifes” - Features works by the 20th-century painter Robert Douglas Hunter, who was influenced by 19th-century classical painting traditions.
“The 1946 Lelong Dance Dress” - Complements the permanent gallery “Théâtre de la Mode,” with a 1946 collection attributed to couturier Lucien Lelong’s senior designer, Christian Dior. The “Théâtre de la Mode” display’s designs have been rotated as well.
“Romanian Folk Pottery” includes traditional pottery from the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity destination, Horezu, as well as pottery the 1926 Queen Marie of Romania gifted the museum.
The museum’s M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust Education Center will feature rotating exhibitions, a mix of community shows and contemporary artists, according to the press release. Some of these exhibitions include:
Pacific Northwest Plein Air in the Columbia River Gorge: Long-running painting event including around 40 artists.
Elise Wagner: Encaustic (hot wax) artist based in Portland featuring Yakama wa’paas basketry artists.
Damien Gilley: Muralist and graphic artist based in Portland.
Annual Teachers as Artists Show: Work from the Washington and Oregon Art Educator Associations.
Renovations to the Indigenous Peoples of North America Gallery and the Four Founders Gallery will be revealed this season as well.
“The 2025 exhibitions and updates showcase the breadth of our collection and the rich cultural histories they represent,” states the museum’s executive director Amy Behrens in the press release. “The diversity of our exhibitions offers a unique opportunity for our visitors to explore the past through the eyes of the artists, while reflecting on the timeless traditions that continue to shape our world today.”
Visit Maryhill’s art museum
Whether you visit regularly or have never been before, there will be something new for all to see at the Maryhill Museum of Art beginning this weekend.
The museum will be open daily from March 15 through November 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This includes access to the museum, as well as the garden and grounds, including the sculpture park.
Museum members can get in for free. Admission for non-members in $23 for adults, $21 for seniors age 65 and older and veterans, $16 for college students with ID, $10 for youth ages 7 to 18, and free for kids six and under.
On opening night, an exhibition preview event will be held for members only. Registration is required to attend.
Just three miles away is the Stonehenge Memorial, the nation’s first WWI memorial, which is open to visit for free from dawn to dusk year-round.
This story was originally published March 15, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "This regal art museum in a tiny Washington town is about to celebrate its 85th anniversary."