Editing Index, Washington (section)

==Culture==
[[File:Index, WA - Bush House 06.jpg|thumb|right|The Bush House with the Town Wall in the background]]

The town's museum, the Index-Pickett Historical Museum, opened in June 1986 and is maintained by the Index Historical Society. The museum is named for Dorothy Pickett, a local schoolteacher and wife of Great Northern Railway photographer Lee Pickett.<ref name="Herald-Museum">{{cite news |last=Carrick |first=Ned |date=June 9, 1986 |title=Museum displays Index's 1st century |page=1B |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-museum-displays-indexs/165029483/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=February 8, 2025}}</ref> It was originally located in a toolshed the Picketts used until the museum was moved to their former home.<ref name="HL-Incorporation"/><ref name="Herald-Museum"/> The [[Red Men Hall (Index, Washington)|Red Men Hall]], a fraternal lodge and the largest building in Index, was constructed in 1903 and served as the center for social life in the town.<ref name="HistoryLink"/> It was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1973 but collapsed in 2009 after a severe snowstorm and was subsequently demolished.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 5, 2012 |title=Designated historic sites in Snohomish County |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/designated-historic-sites-in-snohomish-county/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=February 8, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=January 4, 2009 |title=Index landmark collapses under weight of snow |url=http://www.skyvalleychronicle.com/INDEX/INDEX-LANDMARK-COLLAPSES-UNDER-WEIGHT-OF-SNOW-4172 |work=[[Sky Valley Chronicle]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030033305/http://www.skyvalleychronicle.com/INDEX/INDEX-LANDMARK-COLLAPSES-UNDER-WEIGHT-OF-SNOW-4172 |archive-date=October 30, 2014 |accessdate=February 8, 2025}}</ref> Another historic building in Index, the Bush House, was opened as a hotel in 1898 and closed multiple times throughout its history, leading to its listing as an endangered landmark by the [[Washington Trust for Historic Preservation]] in 2009.<ref name="Times-Bush"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Debra |date=May 31, 2009 |title=Saving a historic hotel in Index |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090531/NEWS01/705319904 |work=The Everett Herald |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605003212/http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090531/NEWS01/705319904 |archive-date=June 5, 2009 |access-date=July 24, 2019}}</ref> A major renovation began in 2012 and the Bush House reopened for use as a hotel and event venue in 2017;<ref>{{cite news |last=Muhlstein |first=Julie |date=July 3, 2017 |title=Couple faithfully renovating historic 1899 Bush House in Index |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/couple-faithfully-renovating-historic-1899-bush-house-in-index/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=February 9, 2024}}</ref> a new restaurant at the hotel was opened in June 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last=Haun |first=Riley |date=June 30, 2023 |title=Get a modern taste of Index history at North Fork Kitchen |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/food-and-drink/get-a-modern-taste-of-index-history-at-north-fork-kitchen/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=February 9, 2024}}</ref>

The Index Arts Festival was founded in 2004 and is held annually at Doolittle Pioneer Park during the first weekend in August.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=August 15, 2015 |title=Still time to head for the hills |page=A11 |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-still-time-to-head-for/164882601/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=February 6, 2025}}</ref> It includes exhibitions, outdoor musical performances, poetry, and live demonstrations of specialty arts.<ref>{{cite news |last=Goffredo |first=Theresa |date=August 5, 2010 |title=Index festival celebrates art without the 'snoot' |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/life/index-festival-celebrates-art-without-the-snoot/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=February 6, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Goffredo |first=Theresa |date=July 30, 2009 |title=Head up U.S. 2; party with Index artists |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/life/white-house-urges-halt-to-spilling-of-war-secrets/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=August 30, 2023}}</ref> The Index area has been used for several film and television productions, including the 1987 film ''[[Harry and the Hendersons]]'' and 2016 film ''[[Captain Fantastic (film)|Captain Fantastic]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schucht |first=Eric |date=August 26, 2023 |title=BigFoot, Zombies and Viggo Mortensen: What's been filmed near Index? |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/life/bigfoot-zombies-and-viggo-mortensen-whats-been-filmed-near-index/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=August 30, 2023}}</ref>

===Religion===

The town is home to the [[Aquarian Tabernacle Church]], a [[Wicca]] church that was established in Seattle and moved to Index in 1979. The church was among the first [[modern Pagan]] institutions to be recognized by the state government; it also operates an online [[seminary]] based in Index.<ref name="Herald-Pagans">{{cite news |last=Barker |first=Annie |date=March 16, 2024 |title=Pagan church finds 'sacred space between the worlds' on Index riverfront |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/pagan-church-finds-sacred-space-between-the-worlds-on-index-riverfront/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 16, 2024}}</ref> The Aquarian Tabernacle also organizes Wiccan holiday events at nearby state parks that draw more than 200 worshippers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sheets |first=Bill |date=December 1, 2012 |title=Where nature worshippers gather |page=B1 |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/where-nature-worshippers-gather/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=February 5, 2025}}</ref> The town is also home to a Protestant Christian church.<ref name="Herald-Pagans"/> The Snow Mountain Monastery, a [[Buddhist]] [[monastery]] and retreat, moved from Skykomish to Index in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |last=Donn |first=Lily |translator-last=Lee |translator-first=Lotus |date=August 2015 |title=A New Look for Snow Mountain Monastery |pages=44–45 |url=https://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/543/vbs543p044.pdf |work=Vajra Bodhi Sea |publisher=[[Dharma Realm Buddhist Association]] |accessdate=February 9, 2025}}</ref>