Welcome to

Zillah

Just a couple miles down the road from Toppenish is the town of Zillah, which features wineries, a well-known historic landmark, community events and plenty of small-town charm.

PHOTOGRAPHY: PAT STROSAHL

About the Community

Founded in 1892, Zillah was started at the completion of the Sunnyside Canal project, which ultimately delivered water from the Yakima River to the Lower Valley to allow for growing more crops. The town was named for Zillah Oakes, daughter of Thomas Fletcher Oakes, president of the Northern Pacific Railway, which backed the building of the canal.

With roughly two dozen wineries located just minutes away from Zillah, the Spring Barrel Tasting event in April is an especially popular time to visit.

You’ll also want to visit the Old Warehouse at 705 Railroad Ave. The former fruit warehouse was built in the 1920s and was converted to a furniture store. A restaurant and lounge were added later, and another area was converted into 50,000-square foot events center.

The Teapot Dome started as a gas station in 1922 as a memorial to the Teapot Dome oil scandal during the Harding administration. It remained a working gas station for decades before finally being closed. The city purchased it in 2007 and in 2012 relocated and renovated the building. It now sits near the newly completed Veterans Memorial Park, which was introduced on Veterans Day in late 2017.

One of the area’s most famous landmarks is the Teapot Dome Gas Station, an iconic teapot-shaped building that once sat off the highway near Zillah and is now located off the main drag.