Where history, heirlooms and heartfelt stories bring Walla Walla’s past to life.

This Fall’s Exhibit

Handiwork: A Legacy of Making is the museum’s final exhibition of the 2026 season. The exhibit showcases quilts, coverlets, and lace generously donated to the museum—objects that reflect both the extraordinary craftsmanship of individual makers and the lives of the families who preserved them. Visitors will also see the spinning wheels, looms, bobbins, and sewing machines that made such work possible.

The exhibition is part of Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026, a nationwide initiative of Craft in America commemorating the nation's Semiquincentennial.  Across the region, museums are joining the celebration with exhibitions highlighting the creativity and artistry that have shaped American communities for generations.

Click here to learn more about Kirkman House’s participation in this project.

The Kirkman Family

William and Isabella Kirkman's journey from England and Ireland, through gold rushes and cattle ventures, led them to build their refined 1880 brick Italianate-style home in Walla Walla. With their surviving children—William Jr., Fanny Ann, Myrtle Belle, and Leslie Gilmore—the family made the mansion a center of both grandeur and everyday life.

Plan your visit

Wander through authentically restored Victorian rooms, explore exhibits that chart local history, and share in community events that bring the past to vibrant life.