Lasting Legacy Wildlife Museum opens its doors to visitors

The long anticipated grand opening of the Lasting Legacy Wildlife Museum occurred on Saturday, where visitors had the opportunity to marvel and learn about wildlife from across the globe.

The museum has been a work in progress for nearly a decade, and has been the dream of Dr. Donald Sebesta for most of his lifetime.

The museum features dioramas of animals from different regions of the world, and provides an educational opportunity for visitors.

Sebesta is available to provide tours through the building, and enjoyed sharing his stories with museum patrons over the course of the last weekend.

The impressive array of animals is likely to entice any passerby and visitors may find themselves in the museum for hours, wandering the hallways and peering into the diverse dioramas.

The museum includes more than 700 life-size animals portrayed in their natural habitat.

Those animals range from African elephants to deer, and each diorama works to explain the animals lifestyle through others of like species.

The most impressive diorama is Africa, which dominates the center of the museum and encapsulates the wildlife of the continent. The diorama is created to show the different climate zones of Africa, and display which animals could be found in the variety of regions.

Sebesta has always believed education and conservation of land, habitat and different species are extremely important. All of the animals in the museum were obtained legally, and he wants to share the story of his adventures, while simultaneously informing visitors about conservation.

The museum allows Sebesta an opportunity to preserve the animals and allow visitors to learn about the extensive amount of wildlife worldwide.

As an avid hunter from a young age, Sebesta has always enjoyed going out on hunts, but the purpose of them is not just for a trophy.

It is to help those who may be negatively impacted by the animal, as well as provide people with a glimpse into the life of an animal they might otherwise never see in their lifetime.

As the author of four books himself, Sebesta believes education is the most important tool a person can possess. The museum will provide insight into the geographical location of each animal, and have an educational display about the region and the people who live there.

The first visitors to the museum were the Brownlee family from Tonasket. Lucas Brownlee said he has worked with Sebesta and heard his stories about the museum.

When he found out the museum was opening on Oct. 14, he brought his wife and two children to explore the one-of-a-kind museum.

Sebesta provided a personal tour through the facility for the first ticket buyers, and interspersed stories with information regarding conservation and culture.

Brownlee said even though the animals and museum had been explained to him, the magnitude and amount of animals in the building was truly impressive. He plans to return to Tonasket and encourage other residents to make the trip to Ritzville to see the museun.

While the Brownlee parents walked through the building and asked questions, their young daughter Natalie peered through windows and picked out her favorite animals.

Six-month-old Gilliam Brownlee quickly fell in love and was completely enthralled with a panda at the entrance of the exhibits, and his parents laughed because they knew he only saw it as a giant teddy bear.

The museum is family-friendly and engaging for all ages, Sebesta said. He stated it is important to keep the younger generations informed and to teach them about the world, while encouraging them to see something outside of what they have on their phones.

Throughout the weekend, visitors from local communities, as well as passing travelers, toured through the massive museum. It provides visitors with a captivating look at the world around them, as well as informs them about the importance of conservation and geography.

The displays are already teeming with animals, but Sebesta said his hunting days are far from over. He has hunted every species in Africa, but he still has about 60 animals left that he believes the museum should have.

While he continues to work on improving the collection, which includes donations from other hunters and wildlife enthusiasts, Sebesta is also planning for the future.

Sebesta is grateful for the help and support he has received over the years, including from his wife Sandy and the group of employees who have assisted in a variety of ways throughout the creation of the museum.

The work is far from over, and Sebesta already has plans for expanding the museum displays, but for now, he is focused on providing visitors with the best experience possible.

The museum will continue to operate on weekends, and is open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Sundays.

The museum is located at 1729 East Weber Road in Ritzville.

Ticket prices are $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens, $10 for military, $8 for students, $5 for children and free for toddlers.