OLD CITY HALL, home to Whatcom Museum since 1941, is a beloved city landmark. With its Victorian cupolas and central clock tower a stately community presence for more than a century, the history of the building and its inhabitants (including prisoners!) remains central to the Whatcom Museum’s mission. While our fine art exhibitions have moved to the climate-controlled galleries of the Lightcatcher, Old City Hall is open with one historical exhibition, and remains the site for many of our most popular programs. General visitor hours are Thursday - Sunday 12 - 5 PM.  One admission gets you into Old City Hall and The Lightcatcher!

THE SYRE EDUCATION CENTER is home to a classroom space and permanent historical exhibits for group tours and school field trips including "Northwest Coast First Nations", "Pioneer Life," "Logging," and "Birds of the Pacific Northwest." Built in 1926 as the City of Bellingham’s fire hall and adjacent to the 1892 Old City Hall Building, the Whatcom Museum’s widely recognized Photo Archives are also located on the second floor of the Syre Education Center; the archives are open to the public for research.