Fort Nisqually Living History Museum &
Port Defiance Park, Tacoma, WA

Our Stay in Eatonville, WA

A Day at Point Defiance Park, Tacoma, WA

After a few days of hiking, we went to Tacoma, WA, to visit the Fort Nisqually Living History Museum in Point Defiance Park. The museum was founded in 1933 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The is a re-establishment of the Hudson’s Bay Company outpost originally located in DuPont, WA. Two structures from the original location were preserved, the Factor’s House and Granary. Both are listed as National Historic Landmarks. The museum shows what life was like on Puget Sound in 1855.

The Factor’s house was completed in 1855, in a, for that time, modern “Yankee Style” using milled lumber. The house has a dining room, parlor, master bedroom, and a children’s bedroom. The kitchen, wash house, cellar, and outhouse were all separate buildings close to the house. The building was restored in 2003.

The Granary was built in 1850 to store wheat, oats, barley, peas, and produce. In 1933, the building was moved to Point Defiance Park after being saved from demolition at its original location by civic-minded young businessmen from Tacoma.

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After our visit, we continued strolling through the beautiful Point Defiance Park, which is surrounded on three sides by Puget Sound and rises approximately 300 feet above the shore. This clarifies the former strategic importance of the location for both the Puyallup People, who once lived on this land, and the U.S. Navy, which established a military reservation here from 1840 to 1888. For us, the park provided stunning views over the water.

We could not resist grabbing a late lunch at Anthony’s at Point Defiance. On a clear day, we could have seen Mount Rainier. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the ferry, the calm Puget Sound, and the delicious food.