About Us
Located in an historic Art Deco firehouse, the Renton History Museum offers changing exhibits, programs, publications, research opportunities, and events to share Renton’s stories, past and present. Our mission is to preserve, document, and educate about Renton’s rich heritage in ways that engage diverse people of all ages. We do this by sharing Renton’s history mixed with art, natural history, science, fashion, and other disciplines, always with an eye toward what makes our city unique and special.
The museum’s home is the 1942 Renton Fire Station No. 1. Completed in 1942, the building was the city’s first dedicated fire station and was built under the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). The museum is situated in historic downtown Renton, an easy walk to KCLS Renton Library, Liberty Park, the Cedar River, and shops and restaurants. Free parking in available in front of the building, and in the Main Ave. S. parking lot behind.
The Future of Renton History Museum
The Renton History Museum has been a proud partner of the Renton Historical Society, the Newcastle Historical Society, Renton School District, Renton Technical College, Renton Municipal Arts Commission, Allied Arts of Renton, Humanities Washington, Washington Museum Association, South King County Cultural Coalition, Brain Injury Alliance of Washington, and many others. Now the Museum is changing its organizational structure for a stronger future as a division of the City of Renton Parks & Recreation Department. The result will be an opportunity for deeper engagement with partners around greater Renton, as we offer more of the community-focused programming that people have come to enjoy and expect. Here’s what the future looks like:
- The museum will continue its changing and permanent exhibits; traveling exhibits from Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit Service, the Kauffman Museum, and others; public programming; and research services in historic Fire Station No. 1.
- Museum staff are available to help with genealogical research, student and teacher projects, research into historic houses and commercial buildings, and other Renton-focused topics.
- The museum’s oral history team continues to collect Renton’s precious stories, with 16 interviews conducted in 2024 alone.
- We will build a museum collection of historic objects, photos, and archival materials, to preserve the history of our city.
- Museum staff will still publish a quarterly newsletter with original research on local topics.
- In fall 2025 the building will close until mid-2026 for a major renovation. The result will be a fresh face on the historic building, just in time for the nation’s 250th anniversary year.
- During the closure, services will switch to online only.
Have questions about the future? Reach out to us at rentonhistorymuseum@rentonwa.gov or by phone at 425-430-6440. In the meantime, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram for regular updates.
Quick Info
There are lots of ways to interact with history at Renton History Museum. Here are some of our most frequently asked questions.
Want to volunteer?
We're currently looking for Saturday Greeters and Oral History Team members! All new volunteers must fill out an online application and pass a City of Renton background check. Please note that as a subsidiary of the City of Renton, we are unable to sign off on any court-mandated volunteer service.
Apply here!
Want to do research?
The museum has a collection of maps, bound local newspapers, city directories, yearbooks, oral histories, and files on various local interest topics available to view by appointment. Please email us at rentonhistorymuseum@rentonwa.gov to make an appointment.
Want to read about history?
Our quarterly newsletter dates back to 1970 and will soon be offered to the public for free in a new, easy-to-search database! While we get set up, feel free to email us to ask for digital copies of back issues.