From the natural history to the cultural history, there is plenty to learn about Ocean Shores outside our doors.

Our outdoor exhibit included one of the carved seahorses which once resided in front of the Ocean Shores Inn, the Lone Tree Vista stone commemorating the tree and the schooner Irene, and the original Lone Tree Marker: a plaque commemorating Captain Robert Gray’s arrival in the area from the Robert Gray Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

A.O. Damon became the first non-Native American settler on the Point Brown Peninsula in the late 19th century, where he and his family ran a trading post and later a cattle ranch. During World War II, the Point Brown Peninsula was used to protect the Moon Island (later Bowerman) Airport in Hoquiam.

Development began in earnest in the 1960s when Ocean Shores Estates purchased the land from Damon’s grandson, Ralph Minard. While the development company soon fell apart, the city lived on and became incorporated in 1970.

Our indoor exhibit features artifacts from all stages of Ocean Shores’ development, from a piano belonging to the Damon family, to a bell left behind after World War II, to dishware from the Ocean Shores Inn. Come learn how the city became what it is today.

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