Nearly 100 people, including a dozen relatives of the late Dr. Warner Karshner, gathered on October 10 to celebrate the opening of the Karshner Museum and Center for Culture & Arts.

The facility, formerly known as the Karshner Museum, reopened this fall after a year of extensive curriculum planning and restoration work.

The “grand reopening” ceremony featured guest speakers and musical performances, with special recognition given to Dr. Warner Karshner’s family members who traveled from Utah and throughout Washington state to witness the celebration.

Dr. Warner Karshner and his wife Ella founded the Karshner Museum in 1930 as a lasting memorial for their son Paul, who died from polio in 1924 during his senior year of high school.

Karshner family members joined community members, school district employees, and local and state politicians for the ceremony and self-guided tours.

Display cases featured some of the more than 10,000 artifacts collected by Dr. Warner Karshner and his wife during their world travels.

“It’s a joy to see the partnership continue with the Puyallup School District,” said family spokesperson Diane Nason Karshner. “To incorporate culture and arts into the museum, it just couldn’t be better.”

See grand reopening photo slideshow

Read more about the newly restored teaching museum.