Willapa Hills Trail

The Chehalis–Centralia Railroad (CHTX) is a heritage railroad based in Chehalis, Washington. The railroad operated No. 15, a 2-8-2 steam locomotive built by Baldwin in 1916, over a 10-mile section of former Milwaukee Road track. The route was originally built by the Puget Sound & Willapa Harbor Railway in 1914 and winds through scenic hills, farmland, and over several wooden trestles over the Chehalis River, along with various tributary streams including the Newaukum River. Operations were suspended indefinitely in 2022 due to insurance issues.

The Veterans Memorial Museum is located in Chehalis, Washington. The museum focuses on veterans, as well as soldiers killed in action, from Lewis County and the South Puget Sound and Southwest Washington regions, who served in wars or military engagements involving the United States. The museum started in Centralia, Washington in 1993 under Lee Grimes who began recording audio stories shared by veterans. After collecting additional recordings and war memorabilia, Grimes and others officially chartered the museum in 1995. The first museum location opened in the city in 1997. The city of Chehalis authorized a parcel of land for a permanent museum in 2000 and the museum organization began the construction of a facility and exterior exhibit space at the grounds. The Veterans Memorial Museum relocated and opened at its Chehalis location in June 2005. The repository contains a large, military research library and a 9,000-square-foot (840 m2) gallery with glass displays arranged in chronologic order. As of 2026, the historical exhibits span from the American Revolutionary War up to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Memorabilia, most of which was donated by veterans, includes various firearms and weapons, including ammunition, as well as personal effects of soldiers and military equipment. A large American flag, a quilt known as "Betty's Blanket", and structural debris from the 9/11 attacks are prominent items of the collection. Thousands of artifacts were damaged, but mostly repaired, during the flood of 2007. The grounds of the museum contain retired ship cannons, a mast and memorial of the USS Nicholas (DD-449), and several military aircraft and vehicles. The Veterans Memorial Museum is mostly run by volunteers; veterans offer guided tours of the museum space. The museum is joined with a non-profit group known as Veterans Journey Forward that provides outreach and assistance for veterans in need. The museum holds several events throughout the year to raise funds for the operational costs of the facility and its charitable programs.

The Newaukum River is a tributary of the Chehalis River in the U.S. state of Washington. It has three main branches, the North Fork, South Fork, and Middle Fork Newaukum Rivers. The length of the three forks and the mainstem river is 56.7 miles (91.2 km).The river's name comes from the Upper Chehalis word náwaqwəm, meaning "big prairie".

Millett Field (also Millet Field) is the oldest, continuously used public park in Chehalis, Washington and is most noted as home to a Chehalis minor-league baseball team in the early 20th century. The ballfield was regularly used as the central hub of Chehalis sporting activity for decades, including hosting games for several Negro League teams in the 1920s. Located in the city's South Market district, one block north of the NRHP-listed O. B. McFadden House, the 3.3-acre (1.3 ha) park began in 1898.

Stan Hedwall Park is the largest park in Chehalis, Washington at 204-acres (83 ha). It is located west of I-5, and southeast of Lintott-Alexander Park and the beginning trailhead for the Willapa Hills Trail.The ballfields host competitions for the Babe Ruth League and various high school sports in Lewis County, acting as home field for W.F. West High School.

Green Hill School is part of Washington state's correctional system under the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration, and is the state's only maximum security penitentiary for youths. It is located in the South Market district of Chehalis on I-5, next to Recreation Park. The school is independently managed by the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF). It provides "academic classes and vocational training and works" for adolescent males who have been incarcerated.

The O. B. McFadden House is the historic home of Obadiah B. McFadden and is located in Chehalis, Washington. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1975 and is situated south of Millett Field. The house is the oldest structure in Lewis County and the oldest residence in Chehalis.

The Lewis County Jail is a county jail located in Chehalis, Washington. The facility is part of the Lewis County Courthouse campus. Due to prison overcrowding that had been a concern in Lewis County since the late 19th century, proposals to build a modern, larger jail were introduced in the 1990s. An expanded Lewis County Jail was constructed, opening in 1996, and was a continuation of an existing jail area in the Lewis County Law and Justice Center. Overcrowding remained an issue, with minimum security inmates housed in a Quonset hut beginning in 1999. During the late 1990s, the jail gained notoriety for the reintroduction of chain gangs, as well as reductions in food staples and privileges. Meals were replaced with MREs. The current Lewis County Jail facility was completed in 2004 and can hold up to 356 prisoners.

The Lewis County Courthouse is a neo-classical Beaux-Arts inspired courthouse located in Chehalis, Washington. The structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 18, 2014. The Lewis County Courthouse is the last of possibly 7 or more courthouses that represented the county, including two prior judicial buildings in the city of Chehalis. The first official courthouse is debated between the home of Judge Sidney Ford in Ford's Prairie or the log cabin Jackson Courthouse under early pioneer John R. Jackson in present-day Mary's Corner. Judicial proceedings were known to have taken place on the homesteads of other prominent, early settlers in Lewis County. The first courthouse built on order of the county government was located in Claquato, temporarily becoming the county seat. The county seat moved to Chehalis in 1874 and the first courthouse in the city was constructed that same year. The structure served as a centralized judicial building until possibly 1901, when the county purchased a mixed-use hotel, entertainment, and commercial building built by the matriarch of Chehalis, Elizabeth Barrett Saunders. Known as the Barret Block Courthouse, it was often in disrepair, considered unsanitary, and experienced several prison escapes. The site was criticized consistently in the local press for its lack of facility and the building's eyesore nature. Moderate attempts to keep the building in working order were undertaken and it lasted as use as a courthouse until the Lewis County Courthouse was completed in June 1927. The Lewis County Courthouse held a dedication on June 17, 1927 after two years of construction. Attended by prominent government officials and a large crowd, the festivities included an evening ball. The courthouse was declared to last 100 years and, as the "people's courthouse", was always open to any and all Lewis County citizens. The courthouse, designed by Jacque "Jack" DeForest Griffin, was erected at a cost of over $418,000 on a corner lot at Main Street and Chehalis Avenue on grounds that contained a church and other buildings. The four-story structure is built mostly of concrete, with Tenino sandstone, carved inscriptions, and various motifs on the exterior. Bronze doors dominate the main entrance on North Street. The interior is dominated by a central staircase and the building contains original woodwork. Painting restoration efforts in the early 2000s reflected the initial wall colors of the 1920s. It once contained a jail on the attic floor from which several escapes were attempted, some successful. The courthouse floors include a basement and mezzanine and numerous original details still remain within the corridors of the building. The courthouse, despite being built with expansion in mind, began to suffer from overcrowding in the coming decades. The judicial building became a focal point of a larger government campus created to alleviate the crowding issue, beginning with the build of a 1950s annex known as the Lewis County Public Health Building. Continuing issues over a lack of functional space led to the construction of the Lewis County Law and Justice Center annex in the late 1970s, and the Lewis County Jail at the turn of the century. The Law and Justice Center once contained a skyway that connected to the courthouse, its purpose to ferry prisoners between the two buildings. The skywalk, the only such architectural feature in the county at the time, was removed for lack of use and deterioration in 2002. The Lewis County Courthouse has experienced over its lifetime several fires, acts of prisoner violence, vandalism, and is often a site for local protests. The building has also undergone numerous remodels, renovations, and restorations as needs for the county government has changed. Despite the necessary alterations over the years, restorations have allowed the courthouse to remain true to its original state. As of 2014, the courthouse's rebuild value was reported to be $140 million. The judicial building has been noted for its permanence of construction, historic character, ties to courthouse history in the county, and is considered to be an excellent example of pride within Lewis County and the city of Chehalis.

The city of Chehalis is located in Washington state and rests upon the Chehalis River. Due to the city's location in the Chehalis Valley along with the nearby confluences of the Newaukum River south of Chehalis and the Skookumchuck River in neighboring Centralia, the community has suffered from numerous floods. Some floods have occurred resulting from overflows of creeks and minor tributaries in the Chehalis river basin, and severe cresting of the Cowlitz River has occasionally led to flooding in the Chehalis area. The flood stage levels of the Chehalis, Newaukum, and Skookumchuck have fluctuated upwards historically, based on the height of dikes, levees, and floodplain surveys. Water inundation from heavy rains and excessive snowmelt has led to a considerable number of historic flooding events in the twin cities of Centralia and Chehalis. Accounts of floods are traced as far back as early Native American settlement and since the beginnings of the city of Chehalis. Most floods occur between November and February, with only one minor event, in April 1991, occurring after March. The 20th century recorded over two dozen notable flooding events in and around the Chehalis community.

Chehalis ( shə-HAY-lis) is a city in and the county seat of Lewis County, Washington. The population was 7,439 at the time of the 2020 census.The city is located in the Chehalis valley and is split by I-5 and Washington State Route 6. It is twinned with the bordering city of Centralia. The communities of Napavine and Newaukum lie directly south, with the town of Adna to the west. Due to the community's location on the Chehalis River, and the nearby confluences of the Newaukum and Skookumchuck rivers, the city has experienced several historic flooding events during its history. Incorporated in 1883, Chehalis was primarily a logging and railroad town, with a shift towards farming in the mid-20th century. The city has bolstered its economy in the 21st century with a focus in manufacturing and warehousing. Chehalis is home to the historic neighborhood of Claquato, the Chehalis–Centralia Airport, and the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds. The city has several distinct historical areas and boasts 11 locations on the list of National Register of Historic Places, more than any other region in Lewis County. Several museums that highlight motorcycles, veterans and military history, and the Chehalis history of railroads are located within the city limits. Chehalis contains approximately 273 acres (110 ha) of parks, most begun by land donations and are overseen by volunteer community efforts. The community is known locally for its annual summer event, ChehalisFest. The city anchors the beginning trailhead for the Willapa Hills Trail and accommodates riders during the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic. Chehalis once was home to a championship minor league baseball team and often welcomed barnstorming ballclubs and competitions featuring teams from Negro league baseball. In the 21st century, Chehalis initiated several charity, volunteer, and local government sponsored groups to revitalize the city, with focus on renovations to its historic downtown district, the upgrading of the community's transit sector, and increasing the education and graduation rate within the school district. Additional efforts of improvements were led via art programs and renovations to its parks.

The Chehalis Post Office is a federal post office in Chehalis, Washington. The Georgian Revival building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) since 1991. The site has been declared a historic building by the Chehalis Historic Preservation Commission. The post office is the only federal building in the city and was completed and dedicated in 1934. The Chehalis MPO, as it is listed in the NRHP form, was the last post office constructed in Chehalis. The build ended a stretch of perhaps nine different postal locations in the community. The first office was established in 1858 at the homestead of Schuyler and Elizabeth Saunders, the founding family of what later became Chehalis. The brick building was constructed for $97,400 during the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration. Two stories tall, the structure was one of the last federal Beaux-Arts-style buildings erected and an example of 1930s architecture used by the United States government. The exterior contains several features of note, including numerous semi-circular windows, dormers, a front pediment entrance, as well as various terra cotta designs and motifs. Materials, which included sandstone, were mostly procured in the Pacific Northwest. The interior was built with modern amenities of the time and many features, including flooring and millwork, remain in the present day. The first floor hosts the post office's public duties, and the building contains a basement, mezzanine, and a second floor used for office space. Outside of natural upgrades and maintenance, the Chehalis Post Office is considered to remain in a mostly unaltered state. Located in between two other NRHP-listed sites, the Chehalis Downtown Historic District and the Lewis County Courthouse, the post office serves as a central hub for local mail deliveries and rural routes expanding across Lewis County. The Chehalis Post Office reached first class status in 1937 and mail service has operated continuously in the city since September 1870.