The Wallowa County Museum is a compact local history museum on Main Street, useful before or after visiting the lake and Nez Perce sites. Its collections cover the county's Native history, ranching, early settlement, and the small industries that shaped this remote corner of Oregon.
Opening is seasonal, so check before building a day around it. Even when you only have half an hour, it helps Joseph feel like a town with a long memory rather than just a pretty base camp.