Why It Matters: Teton Valley Museum

When a second grader’s eyes light up as you tell them they can get in the wagon at the Teton Valley Museum, you understand what the museum means to the valley. It gives that young visitor a chance to imagine what it was like when his ancestors rode into the valley for the first time.

When a family enters the Veterans exhibit on the second floor of the museum, it makes them proud to see their dad’s or granddad’s photo hanging on the wall alongside his or her contemporaries who fought to keep American free.

When a visitor sees the contribution their family made to help tell the history of the valley, he or she can picture their family’s part in the valley’s past. The museum’s mission is to preserve and protect the history of the valley we love. With the growth and changes to the valley, telling the stories of the past and respecting that is even more critical.

This history is exciting – bandits, fights, and even a murder over water rights. We try to make it fun for the young people, with our teepee, wagons, and real hides and furs to touch. For the serious researcher there’s a library full of raw history and old photos.  

No matter if you are part of a founding family from 1882 or a recent addition to the valley, it’s important to understand why and how it was settled. And that’s where the museum comes in.

“To know your future you must know your past.” George Santayana