fort vancouver national historic site

Off I-5 maybe 3 blocks, FOLLOW DIRECTIONS TO THE LETTER be aware that the "road" to the fort is a paved pathway, you may think it is walkers only but it is not. The neighborhood is TO DIE FOR, talk about beautiful old homes, big park atmosphere, quiet, lovely, scenic--ahh, could spend a day just looking around. Fort itself is huge ($3 to get in per person) down a paved (broken in places) walkway use caution if disabled, giant on inside and out, maybe 7 or 8 buildings, rebuilt in the 1860's and subsequent. Stockade fence on one side, flat topped on other, 1 turret type building (worth seeing), giant house (steps only, no ramps), large open grassy area, uneven lawns and pavement, watch your step. 1 restroom (flush toilets, okay to use), blacksmith shop (we had live demonstration going), jail, accounting office, infirmary (peek thru glass to see), wood shop, storage shed (archeologists working in there), entry gate shack, bakery. It's a walk in, look, walk out kind of place. NO PLACES TO SIT (my disability speaks- so I ended up in the conference area on some benches). Paved walkway (good condition) between buildings. Airport immediately adjacent (Pearson field) so small planes coming and going behind the fence (kind of weird juxtaposition). Portland Airport nearby so HUGE planes coming in, gear down, sloping toward you, close enough to read logos. Exterior of fort has garden (we're in winter, so nothing going in) where there are a few park benches. Worth $3 yes. Neighborhood has NO street parking that we could see, which is a shame because those houses- oh my. There is a restaurant in one of them, people out dining on the verandah- looked idyllic. People sleeping on the lawns, picnic area. They are rebuilding the Pearson museum so it was closed, and will be prominent on the site. Take the time to read the brochure, stop and sit and try to picture what it was like back then to fully enjoy the spot. Not hugely educational, but passable. Not too complex for young kids, but not too interesting either. History buffs like me, well, we are happy there, but it is no Disneyland or Smithsonian. Not for play or serious educational opportunity. Kind of a walk thru and read brochure place.

Definitely an interesting and fun place to visit. A walk down Officers Row and a checking out the fort make for a nice outing.

Walk along Officers Row. Stop for a glass of wine and an appetizer on the wrap around veranda of the Grant House. In park is a bandstand that sometime has impromptu concerts. Very nice running trails through the park and the barracks. Fort Vancouver has been restored. There are volunteers that lead candlelit tours at the Fort. It is a wonderful place for local people and out of towners

Fort Vancouver NHS has much to offer. At the Fort itself, there are volunteers that give demonstrations of life in the 1840's, including Blacksmithing, Carpentry, Cooking as well as interpretation in other buildings at the Fort. Additionally there is the Pearson Air Museum that gives the history of flight in the area from the early 1900's to present as the airfield remains active. An account of the WWI Spruce Mill and the WWII Kaiser Ship Building is also available. The Fort is located on an area adjacent to property of the Vancouver Trust and there are several buildings associated with the Vancouver Barracks that was established in 1849. The Marshall House, the Grant House and the O.O. Howard house are notable buildings on Officers Row. Well worth at least a half day.

The reconstructed Fort Vancouver in Vancouver, Washington, recalls the days of the Hudson’s Bay Company, who built a fort here as the hub of a fur trading network. Established in 1825, at its height the Fort had 600 employees, two dozen outposts, and six ships.Surrounded by the bastion of wooden poles, the Fort duplicates many of its buildings and functions such as the Chief Factor’s residence (Dr. John McLoughlin), the Counting House, the Carpenter Shop, the Blacksmith Shop, the Bakehouse, and an amazing Fur Warehouse, when it is open.As a National Park Service facility, seniors are admitted free with a Golden Age pass or the equivalent. Adults are $3.00. Children twelve and under are free. A beautiful National Park Service brochure will give you lots of the context for the Fort.The Fort is also the hub of a host of other things of historical interest. The next door Pearson Air Museum continues to improve in quality. Part of Officers row, the Grant House is a delightful restaurant that remembers that U. S. Grant was stationed here prior to the Civil War. The Marshall house opens the Victorian home of Gen. George C, Marshall. They are the only two buildings open to the public on Officers Row.Special events at the Fort allow children to take a lantern walk of the Fort at night, view costumed programs, and participate in educational opportunities. More information, seasonal hours, and schedule of events is found at www.nps.gov/fova.The Fort is rebuilding the Visitor Center to offer more visitor services, and when open has a nicely stocked bookstore and visitor information. The Fort plans soon to restore the many barracks on the site.The Fort has been designated the premier archaeological site in the Pacific Northwest, with over two million items catalogued, and some are on display.Though our grandchildren enjoyed the Fort, it is extra educational when special events and costumed docents are on site.

If you're interested in how early European adventurers worked and lived or you're interested in how an authentic fort looked like stop by Fort Vancouver. You might catch one of the blacksmiths at work or you can stop by the officer's quarters where 18th century gentleman dined and discussed how much beaver pelts turned to top hats fetched in Europe. It's a step back in time when our fore fathers were founding a Nation.

Ft. Vancouver is a worthy trip that is in plain view from the interstate. Each of the buildings has been restored or recreated and each has an informative plaque telling you what they were used for and the history behind them. Some of the buildings have working demonstrations going on that are quite fascinating, such as the smithy. Overall, it's definitely worth the 5 minutes it takes to get there from I-5.

Visited there several times last year and enjoyed the walk around a reconstruction of a fort. Not much for interactivity but I really did enjoy the garden outside the fort and the blacksmith is very interesting. Overall a nice place to spend an hour but that's about it. It is a loud place due to the proximity of a major intersection as well as two airports.

If you get a change to visit the Ft Vancouver Campfires & Candlelight, what a great experience! You get to stroll back in time (starting around 1846) to mingle around campfires of costumed soldiers of the different wars. Inside the Fort you can interact with the characters in the bakery, with the blacksmith, in the hospital and the store. Also, in the main house, characters in costume enact a dinner gathering. A fun way to learn the history of the Fort. Typically the 2nd Saturday in September. Check the National Park Service website for dates for this and other special events. If you can't get there in September, the Fort is open to wandering.

Whether you are just taking a tour of the grounds and buildings or attending one of the special events, you will enjoy your visit to the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. We took our grandchildren to one of their special events in December, and all five of them, aged 5-11 had a wonderful time. They enjoyed making old-fashioned wreaths, wooden tops and potpourri bags. They got to play old-fashioned games, listen to stories, drink apple cider and tour the buildings. They also enjoyed watching a hatchet throwing contest and seeing (and hearing) the canons being shot. The best part of all was that everything was FREE after paying admission. We spent over two hours enjoying the fun and the carolers and the children still did not want to leave. Check their website for special events or spend an afternoon strolling through the gardens and looking at the reconstructed buildings. This is an inexpensive family outing, so bring a picnic lunch and take a step back in time.

I decided to drop in on my way to the Portland International Airport and I'm really glad that I did!I showed up early in the morning on a damp, overcast day so I was - not surprisingly - the only tourist wandering around. Yup, I got the fort all to myself except for the Ranger on duty and some very cool volunteer blacksmiths.This can be a very short stop (especially if you don't have kids), but definitely an interesting piece of history. The fort costs $3 to explore; Officer's Row and Pearson Air Museum are free : )Since I showed up in winter there wasn't too much to see in the garden, however I was told in the spring and summer it's beautiful. All the staff were friendly and helpful (they even helped me call a cab to the airport). So glad I stopped in!

It has a nice officers Row, homes a painted in the colors they would have been during that period. There's a Fort you can visit and they used to have spectacular fireworks on July 4th, not sure if they still do. Compared to other historic sights, it's probably average, nothing exceptional, in my opinion.

This is a wonderful replica wood, stockade-style fort located on the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington. There are several hands-on stations for children and the fort is a great place to learn some history about the Hudson Bay Company and the early days of the United States settlement of the area. This is an outdoor venue, so dress accordingly. The area is open and spacious, so children can enjoy running around and exploring a bit more than in some museums.

My husband and I visited the fort with our 4 children ages 1 to 7. We thought we'd be able to take it all in over the course of a single afternoon, but we were wrong. There is lots to see and do! Our kids especially loved the blacksmithing demo and the counting house. It's definitely a full day of educational fun.

Great place to learn about the history of Vancouver and its area. Very interesting to actually connect Vancouver to her past importance ;)