It seemed like yesterday, not over a year ago, that the popular Grand Coulee to Grunge exhibit first appeared on the walls in our front lobby in the Capitol.

The exhibit showcased what’s made Washington great and world famous since it attained statehood in 1889, including our triumphs in aerospace, agriculture, engineering and technology. The exhibit also highlighted the mark Washingtonians made in music, from Bing Crosby to Jimi Hendrix to Nirvana.

But GC2C is no more, at least at the Capitol. Legacy Washington staffers took down and stored the exhibit panels for safekeeping until they can be taken to the Karshner Museum and Center for Culture and Arts in Puyallup, where the exhibit will be on display later this month.

While our lobby walls are bare, it won’t be that way for long. Our Legacy Washington is putting the finishing touches on a new exhibit called Washington 1889: Blazes, Rails & the Year of Statehood. It will be open for viewing later in October, so check it out! The exhibit’s grand opening takes place Nov. 11 from 4 to 6 p.m., following the state’s 125th birthday celebration earlier that day in the Capitol. All are invited.