The museum offers 10,000 square feet of permanent galleries showcasing the rich, unique heritage of the Gig Harbor Peninsula. Unique artifacts, video kiosks, hands-on exhibits, and a small theater bring Peninsula history to life.

From Willits canoes to a Model T egg truck, our main gallery highlights life on the Peninsula from time immemorial to the 2007 construction of the third Narrows Bridge. Visitors are amazed by an exclusive color film of the Narrows Bridge collapse on November 7, 1940 as well as images and objects from local logging, farming, fishing, and businesses that shaped the history of Gig Harbor.

The Native Gallery features baskets, points, and images that share the story of the sx̌ʷəbabš or Swift Water people who called the area txʷaalqəł or “place where game is found.”

The original winners of the 1952 Round Rock contest are also on view. Judged for their sphericality, the contest has perpetuated through the decades, still offered today. In 2026, the Round Rock Contest celebrates it 75th Anniversary. This contest, as well as the infamous Rooster Races, were founded by local sign painter, promoter, and inventor Clarence Shaw. See the last remnants of his once famous Roosterville in our main gallery.