Lantern Tour Series

At Lantern Tours, visitors age 10 and up carry their own candle lanterns.

NPS Photo

The park's Lantern Tour Series offers attendees an opportunity to view many of the resources of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in a different light -- at night, on foot, and by candle lantern!

Reservations for all Lantern Tours are required, and payment for the tour must be made at the time of reservation. The Lantern Tour season runs from October through March each year.

 

Lantern Tour: An Evening at the Fort

Cost: $25 for adults, $10 for children 15 years and under.

The "Lantern Tour: An Evening at the Fort" is a wonderful opportunity to experience the reconstructed Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Vancouver at night. As in past years, each adult attending the program will carry their own candle lantern and tour with a Park Ranger through the reconstructed fort's Counting House, Fur Store, Chief Factor's House, Kitchen, and Bake House.

In each building, visitors will experience historical vignettes with costumed living history interpreters, including graduates of the park's Youth Volunteer Programs. Visitors will learn what activities would have occurred during the evening hours at Fort Vancouver, and enjoy a cup of hot cider at the end of the tour. These tours meet at the entrance gate to the reconstructed Fort Vancouver, 1001 E. Fifth St. All tours start at 7:00 p.m.

Dates:

• October 20, 2018
• November 17, 2018
• December 15, 2018
• December 22, 2018
• January 19, 2018
• February 16, 2018
• March 23, 2018

Lantern Tour: Walking Vancouver Barracks

Cost: $25 for adults and $10 for children 15 years and under.

Titled "Lantern Tour: Walking Vancouver Barracks," these new ranger-led programs will walk visitors through the grounds of Vancouver Barracks by lantern light, connecting attendees to the national park's military history through thematic storytelling.

These tours will be small in size, and each will feature a specific thematic focus rather than historical vignettes. They will require walking through grass and uneven surfaces at night and in in inclement conditions, including rain and mud. These tours also meet at the entrance gate to the reconstructed Fort Vancouver, 1001 E. Fifth St., start at 7:00 p.m.

Dates:

• October 27, 2018
• November 24, 2018
• December 29, 2018
• January 26, 2018
• February 23, 2018
• March 30, 2018

Reservations

Reservations are required for all Lantern Tours. To make reservations, prospective attendees can call the bookstore at the park's Visitor Center, managed by the non-profit Friends of Fort Vancouver, at [phone].

• Payment for the tour must be made at the time of the reservation. Payment will NOT be accepted on the evening of the tour.
• National Park Passes do not cover this special program.
• Reservations are final and non-refundable. Paid reservations/receipts are transferable.
• Changes to reservations may be made up to noon the day before the tour, allowing those on the waiting list an opportunity to attend.

Other Information

• Parking is available at the lot adjoining the reconstructed Fort Vancouver at 1001 E Fifth Street. This parking lot will open at 6:30 pm.
• Attendees are requested to please arrive no later than 6:45 pm to allow time to park, present their ticket, and get oriented.
• Attendees are also requested to please follow the lantern-lit path upon arrival, and check in at the contact Station just inside the main gate to the reconstructed fort.
• The tours last approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, and tour routes are approximately one mile in length.
• Attendees are advised to please dress for the weather and the terrain, as they will be outside and on sidewalks, pathways, and/or grass and uneven ground surfaces.
• Only attendees 10 years and older may carry a lantern.

 

Costumed living history reenactors present historical vignettes throughout the fort during Lantern Tours

NPS PHOTO