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All the United States Washington Forks John's Beachcombing Museum

John's Beachcombing Museum

One man's eclectic collection of treasures found at sea.

Forks, Washington

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Kylie Hutchinson
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The exhibits at John’s Beachcombing Museum.   kyliehut / Atlas Obscura User
A totem pole made from buoys.   kyliehut (Atlas Obscura user)
It was opened in 2015.   kyliehut / Atlas Obscura User
Thousands of objects from the sea are displayed here.   kyliehut / Atlas Obscura User
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About

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, or in John Anderson’s case, it's the trash of several hundred people, whose discarded items were found at sea. The retired plumber from Forks, Washington, spent decades combing the beaches of the Pacific northwest, and in 2015, opened up a museum displaying his vast collection.

In the 1970s, he began looking for glass buoys or floats, which were widely used in the early 19th and early 20th century, but were later replaced by aluminum or plastic buoys. It started with buoys, which have now been built into a totem pole, but over the years, he’s collected anything from Raggedy Ann dolls to a mammoth tooth, the oldest exhibit in his museum. He even has a book of letters found in bottles on the beach, and he painstakingly replies to each one he finds, many of which are from Japanese school children and were washed ashore after the 2011 tsunami.

Visitors will marvel at the sheer diversity of unusual items he has carefully assembled and sorted over the years. John provides short tours of the highlights of the museum, and there is a fun scavenger hunt for children.

Related Tags

Niche Museums Museums And Collections Museums Beaches Trash Buoys Art Oceans Collections

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The museum is located just next to the turn off to La Push, there is a big sign. There's lots of parking for RVs.

Community Contributors

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kyliehut

Edited By

RobertPakko, Kavya Ram Mohan

  • RobertPakko
  • Kavya Ram Mohan

Published

September 5, 2017

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Sources
  • https://www.outdoorsnw.com/2016/09/johns-beachcombing-museum-in-forks/
  • https://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/forks/attractions/johns-beachcombing-museum/a/poi-sig/1534618/362099
  • https://medium.com/@mollgarv/johns-beachcombing-museum-474a4b333884
  • http://portocallpublishing.com/2015/11/johns-beachcombing-museum-more-than-just-marine-debris-by-carol-turner/
  • http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/49667
  • https://www.forksforum.com/news/beach-combing-museum-now-open
John's Beachcombing Museum
143 Andersonville Ave
Forks, Washington
United States
47.962517, -124.401355
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Nearby Places

Forks Timber Museum

Forks, Washington

miles away

Rialto Beach Tree Graveyard

La Push, Washington

miles away

Chilean Memorial

La Push, Washington

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Forks

Forks

Washington

Places 7

Nearby Places

Forks Timber Museum

Forks, Washington

miles away

Rialto Beach Tree Graveyard

La Push, Washington

miles away

Chilean Memorial

La Push, Washington

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Forks

Forks

Washington

Places 7

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