Kirkman House Museum Reopens March 21 for 2026

WALLA WALLA - Kirkman House Museum invites the public to step back in time as it reopens for its 2026 season on Saturday, March 21. Visitors can tour one of Walla Walla's most storied Victorian mansions and explore a curated special exhibit tracing the evolution of aprons from utility to fashion.

Located just three blocks from Main Street in downtown Walla Walla, the museum will be open weekends this spring from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Admission fees apply. Children under seven. NARM cardholders and U.S. military veterans enjoy free entry.

Built in 1880 by a British immigrant couple who made their fortune supplying meat to Idaho miners, Kirkman House is Walla Walla's most distinguished historic mansion. Furnished with original family heirlooms and period pieces, it offers visitors a vivid window into Victorian daily life.

After sheltering the Kirkman family for four decades, the home was converted first into a college dormitory and later into apartments. A fate averted when local preservationists purchased the property in 1977 and, with broad community support, restored it to its former grandeur.

"From Utility to Fashion: Aprons, 1870 to 1970" is on display through May 10. This special exhibit focuses on the humble apron. Aprons have existed since the dawn of recorded history, yet historians have paid surprisingly little attention to this hardworking garment.

Worn until years of service have left them in tatters, few aprons have survived intact from the first century of Walla Walla's history. The few that have survived reflect the history of a city that grew from an isolated frontier outpost to a prosperous commercial center.

The aprons on display range from the oldest, made from homespun cotton, to modern examples in silk, signifying the wealth and refinement of their wearers.