Welcome to the Fox Island Museum!
There are more than 3000 artifacts on display in Dioramas, Showcases, and free standing exhibits. Among them is a display describing the life of former Governor Dr. Dixy Lee Ray, a Mosquito Fleet display, Indian artifacts, rotating exhibits, a reference room, farm room, Book Nook, and Museum Store.
Museum Open on Saturdays & Sundays 1-4 PM
The museum is currently only accepting book donations on Saturdays during our open hours of 1-4 pm. Please do not leave books at the museum when someone is not there. Thanks
- The Fox Connection
The Fox Connection
It is close to 90% likely that a person with the last name Fox has ancestors who received the name because of the animal.
The long-legged Red Fox is highly prevalent in Massachusetts where Dr. John Laurence Fox was born. And because of the presence of Dr. Fox (named for the animal) onboard the ship, Vincennes, this island was named Fox Island, for Dr. Fox and indirectly due to the Red Fox.
That’s our position for using the image of a Cascade Red Fox to represent Fox Island as it is a sub-species of the more common Red Fox and the only fox indigenous to Washington.
Meet the Foxes
Cascade Red Fox
The Cascade Red Fox is the only fox species indigenous to the state of Washington. It is an endangered subspecies of the red fox. They occupy the meadows and forests at the base of Mt Rainier.
Dr. John Laurence Fox (1811-1864)
Dr. Fox was assistant surgeon of the U.S. Navy in 1837 and served on the Vincennes of the Wilkes Expedition in Puget Sound. LT. Wilkes named Fox Island, WA in honor of Dr. Fox.
New Fox Display at the Museum
Be sure to stop by the museum to visit our new fox display case.
Both stuffed animals in the display case are accurate in the color of their fur. The Cascade Red Fox fur can have red, black, and a multi-color mixture of these. The photo in the background of the fox shelf is taken from the actual location near Mt Rainier where they are found. They are on the endangered species list, partly due to climate change. They have a genetic feature that provides fur on the bottom of their feet so that they can walk on snow at the elevations where they live, between 4,500 and 7,000 ft level. As the snowpack changes, they are at more risk of coyotes being able to reach them.
- 2026 Fox Island Troup 27 Scout Project
2026 Fox Island Troup 27 Scout Project
Eagle Scout candidate Joss Cox headed up a team of scout volunteers Saturday, August 29th to install a new gravel pathway behind the Atchison cabin to help direct people to our farm equipment display which had become overrun with weeds and bushes. There’s probably a lot of you out there that didn’t even know we had farm equipment behind the cabin.
Awesome job Troop 27 and special congratulations to Joss Cox for completing his Eagle Scout requirements. The Fox Island Museum thanks each and every one of you for a job well done.
- Native American Exhibit
Native American Exhibit
In an ongoing effort to correctly display our Native American items we are constantly updating our displays. It will continue to be a work in progress over a significant period of time.
Our focus is to identify the tribes that have had a direct connection with Fox Island and share their individuality as well as common beliefs.
They repeatedly use the term “resilience” on their websites and by showing items from the past and present we hope to emphasize this in the exhibit.
We plan to have four display cases in the exhibit. The 2 display cases shown contain items from the Nisqually, Puyallup, Squaxin, Steilacoom, Muckleshoot and Chehalis tribes.
Please stop by the museum to check them out.