Fort Worden State Park


This attractive park located within Port Townsend's city limits is the remains of a large fortification system constructed in the 1890s to protect the strategically important Puget Sound area from outside attack – supposedly from the Spanish during the 1898 war. Sharp-eyed film buffs might recognize the area as the backdrop for the movie An Officer and a Gentleman.

Visitors can arrange tours of the Commanding Officer's Quarters, a 12-bedroom mansion. You will also find the Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum, which tells the story of early Pacific coastal fortifications. And there are cultural and musical programs year-round at the Centrum.

Hikes lead along the headland to Point Wilson Lighthouse Station and some wonderful windswept beaches. On the park's fishing pier is the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, featuring four touch tanks and kid-friendly interpretive programs. There are also several camping and lodging possibilities.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum

0.32 MILES

Inside one of the stately white barracks buildings at Fort Worden, this museum tells the story of early Pacific coastal fortifications and the strategic…

2. Port Townsend Marine Science Center

0.46 MILES

Features four touch tanks and kid-friendly interpretive programs about local marine life, conservation and the human impact on the Salish Sea ecosystem.

4. Rothschild House

1.63 MILES

A well-preserved example of life in uptown Port Townsend from a century ago, this museum was originally the home of a local businessman. Its atmospheric…

5. Jefferson Art & History Museum

1.71 MILES

The local historical society runs this well-maintained exhibition space in an impressive brick building that includes mock-ups of an 1892 jail, maritime…

8. Greenbank Farm

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Go 10 miles south of Coupeville to find this park-style farm that's open daily for shopping at the food stands on-site, strolling the bucolic fields and…