Burke Museum Of Natural History And Culture

Mission
The Burke Museum is dedicated to creating a better understanding of the world and our place in it. The museum is responsible for Washington State collections of natural history and cultural heritage, and for sharing the knowledge that makes them meaningful. The Burke welcomes a broad and diverse audience and provides a community gathering place that nurtures life-long learning and encourages respect, responsibility, and reflection.

Vision
The Burke Museum will be recognized as the premier natural and cultural heritage resource in the Pacific Northwest. It will be renowned for its authoritative and relevant information, its timely and responsive educational programs, and its commitment to community efforts to preserve, appreciate, and cultivate responsibility for the world around us.

History
Founded in 1885, the Burke Museum is Washington state's oldest museum.

Members of the Young Naturalists Society founded the museum upon their own initiative and erected a museum building on the university campus to house their growing collection of natural history artifacts.

In 1899, the state legislature designated the museum as the Washington State Museum. In the following 100+ years, the museum continued to grow and flourish in collections and research, garnering worldwide recognition as a museum of natural history and culture.

The Burke acquired its current name and building in 1962, through a bequest from the Caroline McGilvra Burke estate in honor of her husband, Judge Thomas Burke.