The Reach Museum: An educational resource and cultural destination for all ages

The REACH celebrated its fifth anniversary in July 2019 after adopting a strategic plan to guide us into the next five years of operations. Our new mission statement is to inspire learning by sharing the stories of the Mid-Columbia River Region, its people and its impact and contributions to the world.

Our vision is to position the REACH as an indispensable educational resource and premier cultural destination that serves as a gateway for the understanding of the natural and cultural significance of the region, for present and future generations.

Lastly, we adopted core values like being responsible fiscal stewards, and identified five areas of focus: Financial Independence, Sustainability, Program Development, Facility Use, and Organizational & Community Engagement. Details can be found by downloading the document from our website: www.visitthereach.org/strategic-plan-2019-2022.

One program objective is to refresh exhibitions that have started to show signs of wear and tear. Our first project was to replace the Geologic Clock in Gallery I. With financial support from a former Reach Foundation board member and Kennewick Man & Woman of the Year, we can now tell the story of the Ice Age Floods with new technology.

We also received a grant from the Benton Public Facilities District to upgrade our Land Irrigated exhibition, which tells the story of industry leaders in the agricultural community of Greater Franklin County.

Upgrading our outdoor learning area was also identified as a priority. It consists of a farming garden used to teach children about topics like pollination; a ripple trail featuring native plants; and a switchback trail with sculptural displays of local animals. Our 18- acre landscape provides a sampling of the shrub steppe and riparian ecosystems of the Hanford Reach National Monument and provides hands-on, interactive activities that are fun while teaching important themes like irrigated agriculture, local inhabitants, and land formation.

We received a Benton County Historical Preservation grant to replace faded historical markers, and we will continue to seek resources to help fulfill our educational mission while improving the visitor experience.

In 2020, membership has grown to over 1,285 participants who enjoy free or reduced admission to over 900 museums nationwide through NARM (North American Reciprocal Museum) and ASTC (Association of Science and Technology Centers).

Attendance at the REACH continues to grow as we raise our brand regionally. In 2019, we welcomed 13,912 general admissions including river cruisers; 7,006 guests through our event rental program and 10,740 students who attend programs like Screech at the REACH, Little Explorers, and STEAM Family Workshops. We also are partnering with the Children’s Reading Foundation to bolster outreach at schools, family nights, and science fairs.

Exhibition themes in 2019 included Recycling, Rocks and Bats. The 2020 program includes a photography show entitled Immigrants of the Manhattan Project, organized by the National Park Service; watercolors from the Mid-Columbia Watercolor Society; a celebration of the Hanford Reach National Monument’s 20th Anniversary; MCBONES Revisited, followed by Cold War Propaganda Posters.

Thanks to the City of Richland, we have more marketing dollars to advertise and promote the REACH’s brand through its tour program centered on agriculture, geology, and local history. We will offer the following 2020 tours:

May 2 Wallula Gap Hike

May 15 Southern Cheney-Palouse Scablands & Palouse Falls

June 5 Ice Age Floods & Lavender Farm

Aug. 8 Kayak the Hanford Reach National Monument

Sept. 5 Hops & Beer of the Mid-Columbia

The REACH is poised for the next five years and strives to be a source of civic pride. We encourage our community to come take a peek inside their museum, while also enjoying our outdoor learning area!

This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 5:01 PM with the headline "The Reach Museum: An educational resource and cultural destination for all ages."