Whitman Mission National Historic Site

There is something about weathered white stone glowing in a cold afternoon sunlight that makes one think about loss, about memory, and about mourning.
I’ve seen it countless times in hundreds of cemeteries, memorials, and mausoleums around the world, and I’ve seen it here, at the Whitman Mission NHS. Something happened here that was excessive, hurtful, and violent. The land was torn into tatters by the humans who once called it home in a conflict that was not inevitable but sometimes seems like it was. Neither side won a decisive victory in the ensuing struggle. Both sides lost, although not equally so, and now the American government oversees the site that no one owns but that all can visit.
And visit they definitely do! The Whitman Mission seems endlessly popular with local residents and passers-​by. It’s a very beautiful location marked by the vicissitudes and tragedies of history but ultimately a place that has returned to an unsteady, lingering peace. You feel it, even if you know nothing of the history of the mission, the Oregon trail, or the Cayuse people who lived here before the Whitman family and other Americans from the east arrived in the 1830s.
Whether or not you delve into the history, which is complex, confusing, and contentious, you can definitely access the site itself, mainly for its park-​like qualities of open spaces, inviting benches, exquisite landscapes, and vista views of the Walla Walla valley.
You will get the sense from the ruins, the graves, the historical markers, and yes that large white obelisk on the hill that something strange happened here long ago.
Not that long ago, perhaps. It feels raw, not in a hurtful way exactly, but in the sense of an open wound that has scarred over but still needs time and patience to heal. If it ever truly will.
No visit to Walla Walla for the wines would be complete without also attempting to connect with the spirit of the Cayuse and the Whitman missionaries who once lived here. It won’t detract from your wine-​tasting or dampen the festiveness of your holiday travel plans. Spending some quality time here — even 10 or 15 minutes — will enhance your experience in the sense that you will become ever-​so-​slightly connected to the human history of habitation in this truly majestic valley, which no mere wine glass (or even the whole bottle) can do. And when we connect, we start to understand, even if that understanding is destined in our mortal lifetimes to remain incomplete.
Take a seat on the bench at the old mill pond (
), walk a section of the Oregon Trail (
), and gaze up in awe, worry, and wonder at the white stone set on that lovely little hill (
). You’ll want to come back, in another season, to see what has changed — and what has, by burden of a heavy past, been forced to remain the same.
(#1000 local photo posted as part of this review).

Stopped by here during our Walla Walla wine tour road trip. I had been here as a child, and things looked completely different. There was no fee to enter and the ranger was very kind to answer our questions and play the video for us. I would highly recommend watching the video, it was recently redone and I thought it did a very good job of retelling the story and facts of what happened at Whitman Mission from both sides without pointing fingers or placing blame.
The park itself is in a beautiful place. There is a paved walking trail that you can take now around the park that has informative signs (some with audio). You can get an idea of what it might have been like to live here at one time. I would recommend taking the trail up the hill to the monument. There is a great 360 overlook of the Walla Walla valley from the top.

Julian H. said it right: Whitman mission is a great stop on your wine country trip.
WHAT WE LIKED:
Admission (as of the writing of this review) is free. Woo hoo!
The location is incredibly convenient. The park is barely off the main highway, and there are many famous and excellent tasting rooms very nearby.
The walking trail – especially its accompanying birdsong and vistas – is lovely. You can walk the whole loop in just a few minutes.
There’s a piece of Oregon Trail complete with a wagon, which makes for awesome photos.
WHAT ISN’T AMAZING:
Nothing has been reconstructed. Instead, there are just outlines where buildings once stood.
The museum is tiny, and really doesn’t do the topic justice. I’m a historian, and I know there is so much to this story. Alas, the museum just gives you a brief taste.
Still, though, the park is nice, and totally worth a small detour on your wine country trip.

WMNHS is a fun and easy way to add a bit of local history to your wine country trip. The museum isn’t spectacular, but has interesting features. Note that the docent/​park ranger will ding you with the $ 5 visit fee as soon as you step inside.
The best part of this park is the walking trail that loops around the excavated mission site, with informative boards along the way that give a glimpse of pioneer-​era life. The park sits right on the historical Lewis and Clark trail, and there is an old wagon on the trail that makes a great photo op.
I don’t share Chris F.‘s enthusiasm for the morbid aspects of the site’s history; I don’t think the «massacre» (or whatever you want to call it) or whatever injustices that preceded it were cool. But it makes the history more real, to know that people lived, and died, on the ground under your feet, looking for a better life, or trying to preserve the one they had.
Also cool are the many birds hanging out.

It’s so nice to go to an American government run park and get the real scoop on what really happened. No washed up, rinsed out, Right-​wing version of history here. Whitman Mission is a true piece of the early American western frontier. To put it simply, the Cayuse Indians kicked some serious white ass.
Believe or not, the American Indians didn’t always think it was cool that the white man came along and invaded their land and gave them deadly diseases. The Cayuse tribe of the Walla Walla valley — I love this story — slaughtered the mission residents. It started a big ta-​doo with the government unfortunately, and the remaining Indians lost what land they had when Oregon was officially claimed as a US territory.
The site has a wonderful little museum with just enough information to educate you without inducing boredom. There’s a nice walking path around the site. A steep but not too long path leads you up to a hilltop with an amazing and rare panoramic view of the Walla Walla Valley. If you stop by, you must make the trek up the hill. It’s not too far, but in the blazing hot summer you may want to pause on the benches half way up. Bring your camera and water, and if you can time your day to make it up there at sunrise or sunset, you’re super cool.