The museum is located at 190 Sunset Avenue in downtown Edmonds, adjacent to the town's ferry terminal and train station.

[4] The retrofit exposed the building's timber frame and added wood elements sourced from the Pacific Northwest as an expression of the region's eco-consciousness.

[8] The museum's primary focus is on artwork from the Pacific Northwest from 1880 to 1962,[1] either from artists from the area or related to local places and events.

[9] The region's artwork, according to curator David F. Martin, differs from the rest of the United States because of influences from Native American and East Asian culture.

[2] The museum features five galleries, which are divided into annual and quarterly rotations, and over 200 works that it leases and borrows from other collections.