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Fort Worden, Port Townsend, WA

Photo: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingHistory BuffOutdoor AdventureFamily Favorite

Fort Worden

202 Eisenhower Ave · Port Townsend, WA

Why you should go…

Fort Worden is a 433-acre state park in Port Townsend built as a Coast Artillery post between 1898 and 1920 to guard the entrance to Puget Sound. You can wander through abandoned gun batteries, walk the beach to Point Wilson Lighthouse, and tour the restored Commanding Officer's Quarters. The park also holds the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. The 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman was shot here.

  • #historic fort
  • #state park
  • #artillery bunkers
  • #lighthouse
  • #beach

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Fort Worden, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Family Favorite

    Puget Sound Express

    $50+

    Family-run whale watching cruises from Port Townsend, Edmonds and Port Angeles with a sighting guarantee.

    1.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sightseeing
    Outdoor Adventure

    Whidbey and Camano Islands

    Free

    Puget Sound islands north of Seattle with beaches, state parks, small towns and coastal scenery.

    6.8 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    History Buff

    Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve

    Free

    You hike a bluff trail above the Strait of Juan de Fuca past pioneer farms and explore the old seaport town of Coupeville.

    6.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Oak Harbor

    Free

    Historic waterfront downtown on Whidbey Island revitalized through Washington's Main Street program.

    11 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum

    Under $25

    A Whidbey Island aviation museum tracing Naval air history in the Pacific Northwest through artifacts and flight simulators.

    12 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Free Entry

    Sequim Visitor Information Center

    Free

    Visitor center on East Washington Street in Sequim, the Olympic Peninsula lavender town known as one of the driest spots in western Washington.

    15 mi awayMore like this