Fort Nisqually Living History Museum

Totally awesome, a very realistic representative of life back then. A great place to bring kids, lots of fun. Good for summer or spring weekends, you can spend all day or just a little while. Tons of fun to go and play, a great way to learn more about life back then and also have fun at the same time. You can go there and do what people did back then, you can even dress up like the way they did back then. You can also buy trinkets from the gift shop, and see what things might have been in a shop back then.
8 years ago (29-04-2018)

I like it it take u back time to see how they had to survive they do tours and weddings the black Smith is usually there just really good place
8 years ago (26-04-2018)

Perfect for kids, and a beautiful day visit. Every one working was so nice and outgoing, and really knew their stuff!
8 years ago (25-04-2018)

After visiting Fort Vancouver NHS, I became curious about the history of other Hudson's Bay Company forts within the PNW and how they related to each other. The NPS ranger on duty couldn't answer questions about the history of Fort Nisqually which must have been regionally connected. So I decided to research. Fort Nisqually was originally built near Dupont WA but is now located in Tacoma's Point Defiance Park as a "living history museum." Two original buildings were moved, the Fort Nisqually Granary and the Factor's House. The 1843 granary is Washington State's oldest building. These two surviving buildings are the only original Hudson Bay Company (HBC) buildings left within the United States. In 1824, the HBC built Fort Vancouver on the north side of the Columbia River. This site was selected because the HBC didn't know where the eventual boundary between the United States and England would be placed after negotiations. Thinking that it could be the Columbia River (not the 49th parallel), a north bank location was selected. In 1827, the HBC built Fort Langley along the Frasier River (now Canada). An overland route (called the Cowlitz Portage) was established to connect the two forts. But after men along this route were murdered, the HBC decided to establish a safer water-accessible mid-way fort. The site near Dupont was selected for various reasons. It allowed good ship anchorage, the nearby prairie lands were suitable for crops and animals, and the native population was friendly. Nisqually House was built in 1832. In 1833, construction of Fort Nisqually began. Its main export became beaver pelts. In 1846, a treaty between the United States and "British North America" established the border at the 49th parallel. Leaving Fort Nisqually on American lands, settlers claiming lands and raiding cattle became problematic during the 1850's. With the decline of the fur trade and continued "harassment," Fort Nisqually closed in 1869. As part of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal program during the depression, Fort Nisqually was moved to Point Defiance Park in 1933 (the 100th Anniversary). As much of the original fort was in decay, only two original buildings were relocated. The rest of the 'Fort Vancouver' was rebuilt through the WPA program. The current replica depicts Fort Nisqually in 1855.
8 years ago (02-03-2018)

A wee bit boring. But its historical, and if you're into that, its probably awesome. I do think its a great family activity though. Especially as a kid, who doesn't love forts.
9 years ago (26-12-2017)