My husband and I would love to visit Index. We are wondering what the hours were for the museum. We will most likely base our trip around the hours of the museum. Thank you!
The Pickett Museum is closed for the season, as it runs from Memorial Day weekend through the end of September. There’s not enough volunteers to serve as docent, (and attendance drops off when the weather changes) to work year ’round.
We passed on some phone numbers to Toni that we feel should not be passed on in the blog for the public, to arrange a special tour. We also have some personal email addresses that you can send a request to if you would like to set up a time and date to visit the museum. A volunteer will be meet you at the museum. You may also contact the Index Town Hall at 360.793.2488 for more information.
Volunteers will be working inside on projects and creating new exhibits during the off season.
So, the short answer is NO, the museum is not open at the moment and YES you can still get into the museum by request.
I used to make regular trips out to the Bush house for lunch or dinner, and am really bummed that it has been closed down.
Has there been any buyers for the property yet or has the city bought it and is working on making it a historical landmark?
Great question Dan and hopefully I can answer it. Corrections are welcome.
To my knowledge, nobody has stepped up to buy it. It needs a LOT of work. Septic, foundation, rotting out and the list goes on.
On the bright side, there are attempts at the present to make it an
historical landmark.
Before we moved here, we used to eat there 5-6 times a year. Great food. Lousy service (no labor pool up here so you get what you get). They had the best pepper steak for miles and miles around.
The building is owned by one of the Nordstrom’s grand-daughters (heresay?), and she is probably in her 80’s. The house that came with it was purchased a few years back and the folks have been working on it pretty steady. I think they moved in finally and continue to work on it but they have done a fine job getting back to a habitable state.
Time will only tell what happens next.
- Q. Do you know where Lookout Point is? And, if so, do you have to be a rock climber to get to the Point?
- A. Thanks Michael, and thank you for your many friendly emails over the past two months. FINALLY an easy question!
Our backyard faces Lookout Point. Our landlord hikes up there once in a while and I know of a few others that take the trek a few times a couple times a year.
NO. You do not need to be a rock climber to hike to Lookout Point. I cannot vouch for the hike as I have not been up there but have seen a lot of people on the ledge up there.
I can vouch for the people that have been up there that I personally know. It is said to be a challenging hike as it is steep. The challenge is coming down from what I hear.
We will leave this one open for comments from the general public and for the people that have been to Lookout Point.
PS – Below is a picture of Lookout Point (I just stepped out my back door to shoot this). In the center of the circle is the American Flag which denotes Lookout Point. Click on the picture for an 800 x 600 view. 117kb.
- Q. Undoubtedly you have been asked before but, what is the origin of the name of “Bush House”? Family name? Was it an early reference to it’s location?
Very curious about it.
- A. Thanks Bob. As I am relatively new to this area (only been here for 5+ years), I had to direct this right to the President of The Index Historical Society, David Cameron, PhD.
The Hotel was first owned by Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Bush, thus the name. But on closer examination in the 1916 Polks Directory, Mr. Cameron discovered at that time only Mrs. Ella Bush is listed, so her husband, Clarence may have been deceased at the time.
Thanks to Louise Lindgren and David Cameron for their assistance on this answer.
October 14, 2009 5:46 am | 
