Located at the WSU Cranberry Research Station, this is a nice place to visit to get a glimpse into the cranberry industry and history. There is also a very nice gift shop.
Went to this museum with low expectations but was blown away by the completes of the exhibits and how much I learned about this amazing little berry and how to grow it here on the west coast.
Visited Museum as part of Cranberry Festival. Well set up on 2 floors with small gift shop. Well worth one visit. We combined it with visit to cranberry bog to watch harvest which was free and fun learning experience.
The bog isn't huge but enough to give you an Idea. The difference between dry and wet harvesting is interesting - giant suction machines etc. it is very informative. Volunteers manage and operate the farm. We bought cranberry oil lotion which is so rich feeling. We also got candy, soap, preserves And cranberry mustard. I can hardly wait to try them. The soap even says made in oysterville, wa. It's a small facility and won't take much time but it's very much worth it.
The story of the cranberry growers of Long Beach is a memorable tale, with an agriculture major from WSU arriving on foot back almost 100 years ago, and walking the length and breadth of Long Beach peninsula to try to understand why the crops were failing, then raising his family there while solving the various pests and problems and increasing production for the community for the next half century. His home is the current museum, and his son still raises cranberries across the street. I only wish I could remember his name! The museum photos and nicely mounted articles tell the tale, and the equipment is there to examine (but not play with). The only thing that is missing would be some videos showing the procedures described for raking, sucking, planting, sanding, cranberry bushes. This coming weekend is Cranberry festival and the harvest can be observed around the peninsula this week (October 6-12). Our family is going back there. Nice gift store with some delicious treats and cranberry themed kitchenwares and you can walk out in the fields afterwards. I'm still enjoying my rhubarb cranberry spread! Good, low-key outing on a cool, rainy day.
The museum was ok but for me, the actual farm was the most interesting as you got to see an actual ocean spray cranberry farm up close.
Ok for a short visit, lots of history to learn about, tools used and so much labor. A couple of rooms with self guided reading. Small gift shop with everything cranberry.
Taking in the actual harvest of a cranberry bog was great fun and so educational. The workers and the docent on site were very friendly and fun to talk with. The two women at the check out counter in the gift shop didn't seem to have much info on the Cranberrian Festival for that it was widely advertised. The museum was very interesting.
One afternoon of our beach vacation had drizzle which gave us an opportunity to take in the Cranberry Museum. The staff person gave us a short overview of the history of cranberry farming in the area and then we looked at a variety of displays that showed how cranberry farming was done in the "olden days" vs. now. We also saw some interesting equipment used and I was quite amazed at the boots with long spikes that were used to walk through the bogs. I also learned how a bog is developed and that the water is not nearly as deep as the Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice commercial indicates. The site is part of the WSU Extension which does research on how to grow healthy cranberries and deal with pests and diseases that threaten production.
Fun small museum to walk through along with a gift store. The cranberry fields were growing during our visit. Would like to return during harvest.