The adjacent Syre Education Center, built-in 1926 as the City of Bellingham’s fire hall, now includes classroom space and permanent historical exhibits for group tours and school field trips. As a parent volunteering in my child’s classroom, I’ve toured the long-time exhibits on the main floor that includes “Northwest Coast First Nations,” “Pioneer Life,” and “Logging.” Perhaps the most striking is the ornithological collection made up of both the personal collection of Edson and additional collections that he acquired historically. The collection was first displayed in the Old City Hall Building and was later moved to Syre where it has been known as “Birds of the Pacific Northwest.” In spring 2017, Whatcom Museum is partnering with the North Cascades Audubon Society, to move some to the third floor of Old City Hall for a new exhibit, the John M. Edson Hall of Birds, highlighting Pacific Northwest flyway zones, migration patterns, threatened and endangered status, notes from Edson, and more.

Syre’s second floor is also home to Whatcom Museum’s widely recognized Photo Archives, which are open to the public for research. I myself have chosen historic photos from the archives to copy and give as gifts during the holidays.

The third building included in Whatcom Museum’s campus, the Lightcatcher Building at 250 Flora Street,  was built in 2009. It is named for its translucent wall that is 37 feet high and 180 feet long that brings in lots of glorious sunlight. The 42,000-square-foot-building integrates natural materials native to the region and is the first museum in Washington designed and registered to LEED Silver-Level specifications. The building was needed to provide climate control and security for the rotating schedule of national and international art exhibitions it hosts throughout the year. It includes a green roof, rain water recapture system, and eco-bathrooms. Part of Lightcatcher is also home to the Family Interactive Gallery (FIG) described in more detail below, a great educational resource to families with children under nine.

One admission gets you into the Lightcatcher, Old City Hall, and the Syre Education Center when they are open.