The new exhibit is a chronological exploration of Vashon-Maury Island’s multi-layered history, from its geological beginnings to the modern era. We look at the Indigenous culture that thrived on the island for millennia prior to the arrival of Europeans, the first contact between the two cultures, the rise of the Big Four industries (mining, logging, shipbuilding, and agriculture), the transformative impact of World War II, and finally the post-war era and the gentrification and activism that define Island life today. Throughout, are a number of hands-on features for all ages.

A central feature of the exhibit is a large interactive digital map display that provides a fascinating way of “clicking” through time. Five maps of Vashon-Maury Island, each representing a different time period, can be explored by using a mouse to select from among several hundred small icons, bringing up a text box and often a photograph depicting a particular point of interest—a Native longhouse, for example, or a store, a school, a dock, a church, etc. In addition, visitors can explore more than fifty historic maps of Vashon on this same big screen. These include plat maps, aerial maps, road maps, tourist maps, and a variety of natural history maps.