Museum History

The Making of the Wood River Museum of History and Culture

February 2014: The Community Library Association in Ketchum, Idaho assumed operation of the museum known formerly as the Ski and Heritage Museum.

The Ketchum / Sun Valley Historical Society worked closely with the Library’s Board of Trustees and administration to transact this change in an effort to strengthen the museum’s presence in the community. The City of Ketchum—from the mayor to council members to Parks and Recreation staff—joined the effort, while the community enthusiastically supported it. This collaborative project presented rich opportunities for the Wood River Valley to share its culturally historical traditions with local residents and visitors alike.

The newly renamed Regional History Museum operated in an historic building in Forest Service Park for over nine years, with such exhibits as Skiers in Flight: The History of Ski Jumping in Sun Valley, Looking Baaa-ck: The History of Sheep Ranching in the Wood River Valley, Ernest Hemingway: At Home in Idaho, Rugged Glamour: A History of Early Sun Valley Promotions, and more.

2022-2023: The Community Library Association took a deep dive into researching, planning, and creating all-new, Wood River Museum of History and Culture. The museum houses interactive exhibits in a new space at the corner of Walnut and Fourth Street in Ketchum.

June 1, 2023: The Regional History Museum in Forest Service Park closed permanently.

July 6, 2023: Doors open to the new Wood River Museum of History and Culture.

July 26, 2023: Grand Opening of the new Wood River Museum of History and Culture.

Today, the Wood River Museum is home to all-new, rotating exhibits, including Shoshone-Bannock Homelands, How in the World Did You Get to Sun Valley?, Portrait of a Mountain, Cabinet of Wonders, and A Writer in New Country: Hemingway in 1939.

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Current Exhibits

All of the exhibits at the Wood River Museum include interactive elements, where visitors are encouraged to write, type, talk, and remember – because we all are part of history! More here.

Past Exhibits

2014-2022: Inspired exhibits began rotating and covered topics such as ski history, Ernest Hemingway in Idaho, the history of sheep ranching, ice skating in Sun Valley, and the documentation of cultural change. See more here.

Library Foyer Exhibits

The Center for Regional History curates special exhibits in the foyer of The Community Library. See more here.

Collections

The Wood River Museum is a collecting museum and showcases exhibits for the public about central Idaho. The Museum’s collection and programming is designed to promote a greater sense of place.

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How, When, and Where to Find Us

Wood River Museum of History and Culture
Open July 6, 2023
580 Fourth Street East, Suite 130, Ketchum, Idaho 83340 
Entry to the Museum is FREE.

The Jeanne Rodger Lane Center for Regional History
415 Spruce Avenue N. Ketchum, Idaho 83340

CONTACT
208-726-8118 | Email us here.