The new and improved exhibits provide a more comprehensive look at Mount St. Helens
Set to reopen after receiving its first major renovation since it originally opened in 1986, the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center in Castle Rock will begin welcoming visitors on Saturday (May 31).
The new and improved exhibits provide a more comprehensive look at Mount St. Helens, Lawilátɬa in the language of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, from pre-eruption days to the present. Its displays show the powerful role the mountain has had in transforming the region over thousands of years.
The Cowlitz Indian Tribe was a close partner in this work. For millennia, the mountain has played a central role in the customs and culture of the Cowlitz and other Indigenous people across this region. State Parks has been honored to work with the Cowlitz to share their culture and history with the public at this facility.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is also grateful to the numerous partners who lent their expertise to this project, including the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Mount St. Helens Institute, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, the Cowlitz County Museum and the White Pass Country Historical Museum.
What’s new at the visitor center
Several of the new exhibits take a hands-on approach to learning through interactive displays and storytelling. New features include:
- An updated feature film and a series of featurettes developed in partnership with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe
- Exhibits about the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, their connection to this area and a Cowlitz Coast Salish audio exhibit
- A fun “Make-a-Quake” exhibit that lets you create your own shockwaves with a seismograph
- A new and improved “walk-in” volcano that takes you inside the mountain
- A “Volcano Blasters” pinball machine
- Several video displays
- Volcanic rocks, a wetland exploration area and model plants and animals for tactile learning
- Three-dimensional relief map of Mount St. Helens
- Over 80 historic artifacts, including an eruption blasted Weyerhaeuser logging truck door
The updated visitor center also offers a new Junior Volcano Explorer activity booklet and badge program for kids.
How to visit
The Mount St. Helens Visitor Center is located five miles east of I-5 in Castle Rock. Beginning May 31, it will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission for children seven and under is free. Youth ages seven to 17 costs $2.50 and adult admission costs $5.
Also read:
- Opinion: ‘The IBR team has been lying to us and thanks to a veteran Oregon journalist, we have the smoking gun’
Ken Vance argues newly obtained documents show Interstate Bridge Replacement staff withheld updated cost estimates from lawmakers and the public. - Former legislator and County Chair Eileen Quiring O’Brien announces candidacy for Clark County auditor
Former Clark County Chair Eileen Quiring O’Brien has announced her candidacy for county auditor following Greg Kimsey’s decision not to seek re-election. - Vancouver Police investigate traffic collision
Vancouver Police are investigating a motorcycle and vehicle collision that left the rider with life-threatening injuries. - WA Democrats push for mid-decade redraw of congressional maps
Washington Democrats have introduced a constitutional amendment that would allow congressional redistricting outside the normal post-census cycle, drawing sharp partisan debate. - Oregon Gov. Kotek calls for repeal of transportation funding package she championed
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek is urging lawmakers to repeal a transportation funding package she previously supported after a referendum effort halted key tax increases. - Opinion: State CO2 report shows 86% of Washington’s claimed climate benefits are probably fake
Todd Myers argues a state climate report significantly overstates emissions reductions and raises concerns about data accuracy and accountability in Washington’s climate spending. - OnPoint Community Credit Union expands to Ridgefield
OnPoint Community Credit Union announced a new Ridgefield branch opening Jan. 12, expanding its Clark County presence and supporting local nonprofits.
