Wallace museums make a pass

WALLACE — With summer in full swing, it’s the perfect time to check out the local history the towns sprinkled through the Silver Valley have to offer.

The three nonprofit museums in the historic Wallace community, which include the Wallace District Mining Museum, the Barnard-Stockbridge Museum and the Northern Pacific Depot Museum, are now offering passes.

Tammy Copelan, who works for the Wallace District Mining Museum and the Barnard-Stockbridge Museum, came up with this idea about three years ago, but it did not come to fruition until now.

“A lot of the bigger cities offer passes to different attractions and it just made sense for us to also do it here.”

The goal of the Wallace District Mining Museum is to tell the Coeur d’Alene Mining District’s story through written, graphical, and three-dimensional objects and documents. The museum was founded in 1956 and offers visitors more than 50 exhibits, more than 5,000 photos and maps, and a one-of-a-kind mock mine experience walkthrough.

The Barnard-Stockbridge Museum website explains that it is a collection of large-format photographs taken by Thomas Barnard and Nellie Stockbridge in their studio and the community between 1893-1965. The original collection of well over 200,000 photos has been preserved in the University of Idaho Library Special Collections Unit. The collection of photographs is considered the best photographic collection in the Northwest United States and one of the seven best collections in the county. Previously, the photos were published in smaller format for viewing in local newspapers, but the museum has expanded their size, to see the details of the photographs better and better understand the photographic ability of Nellie Stockbridge. The museum currently has a display of “The Ladies Upstairs, Downstairs,” which features portraits of the area's local madames and sex workers from this time.

The Northern Pacific Depot Museum is dedicated to showing the rich history of railroading in the Coeur d’Alene Mining District and the Depot itself. The museum takes you back to a time when railroads were the primary form of transportation. The chateau-style depot houses the museum and gift shop and is an excellent example of Wallace's unique and historic architecture. In addition, the museum features a replica of a working railroad agent’s room, where you can talk on a real telephone from 1908.

Local businesses who would like to assist can sponsor the museum pass for a month.

“Fowl Mouths has sponsored next month and is offering 10% off anything for those who have the pass. We have previously been sponsored by Cogs Gastro Pub, and Muchacos Tacos,” Coplan said.

The museum pass can be bought at any of the three museums and it is usable for 24 hours. The cost is $10 for individuals and $20 for families.

The Wallace District Mining Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 509 Bank St. For more information, visit www.wallaceminingmuseum.com.

The Barnard-Stockbridge Museum is located at 312 Fourth St. and will be open seven days a week from 9-5. For more information, visit www.barnardstockbridge.com.

The Northern Pacific Depot Station is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 219 Sixth St. For more information, visit npdepot.org.