The White River Valley Museum opened its newest exhibit “Closets of Curiosity” to the public on July 7.

The exhibit consists of about a dozen curated collections or “closets” with around 500 artifacts from the White River Valley. Each closet has a corresponding character created by local artist Jason Reese Jones. It took the museum staff about six months to create the exhibit.

The closets range in artifacts from vintage mountain climbing gear to glow-in-the-dark uranium glassware. All of the objects on display were either from the region or owned by someone who lived here, Museum Director Rachael McAlister said.

The exhibit is intended to display the objects and artifacts not usually seen by the public. The closets made it easy for the museum to display a variety of objects that might not typically go together.

“We wanted to do something to highlight what we had and showcase the cultural history of the valley. We found things we didn’t even know we had when we were putting the exhibits together,” McAlister said.

The exhibit is intended to be kid friendly. The museum offers a free workbook for kids to use at the exhibit and at home.

One of the staff favorites is the closet of Captain Chronos, a time traveller whose wheelchair is the base for his time machine. The closet features artifacts from a time capsule that was buried under the museum in the 1960s, only to be unearthed during renovations in the 1990s.

Each closet has a sign describing the character and some of the most interesting artifacts — and it’s easy to lose track of time examining the artifacts in each closet.

Along with “Closets of Curiosity,” the museum’s permanent exhibits also opened to the public July 7. The permanent exhibits focus on the rich history of the valley. These exhibits range from displays about the Indigenous people who first called the valley home to the logging and farming done by settlers. In the permanent exhibit, you can see a cabin built in the 19th century or walk through replica stores from Auburn’s past.

The museum is waiving its entry fee for the rest of the year to encourage visitors to stop by. Masks are encouraged to be worn by people who are not yet vaccinated. You can find more information about the museum on its website at wrvmuseum.org.

Photo by Henry Stewart-Wood Closets of Curiosity, the newest exhibit featured at the White River Valley Museum in Auburn, photo taken July 1, 2021.

The permanent exhibit at White River Valley Museum in Auburn has replica stores from Auburn’s past, photo taken on July 1, 2021. Photo by Henry Stewart-Wood