The Orcas Island Historical Museum is kicking off its opening season on Friday, May 22 with a new exhibit called “Hidden Treasures: Items from the Museum Archive.”

Since its founding in 1951, the Historical Society has been the repository and caretaker of thousands of donated items: objects, documents, relics, photographs, publications, and a good many whatchamacallits and thingamajigs. Each item is a slice of Orcas Island history, and each has a story to tell – some are epic tales, some are short stories, some are mysteries and some are a quick joke told in passing.

While the collection is enormous, the museum’s exhibit space is not! As a result, the archive rooms and storage facilities are filled with treasures, and the time has come to bring some of the most interesting and unusual items into the light of day, and for visitors to enjoy a peek at some of the cherished items from a collection that is as eccentric as Orcas itself.

Did you know that Eastsound had a traffic light – for only one day? It will be on display, along with personal items belonging to early Orcas notables, historic household items, clothing, tools, souvenirs and a few mysterious gems of unknown function. The museum will refund admission to the first guests who can identify them.

The community is invited to visit the museum free of charge on opening day, May 22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Afterwards, from 4 to 5 p.m., the museum will celebrate the re-opening of its doors with a public reception, including food, beverage and music.