Trip Idea

See History Come to Life at Fort Vancouver

Multiple Parks

A blacksmith working inside the Blacksmith Shop at Fort Vancouver.
Duration Half Day
Topic(s) Forts, Commerce, Trade, Landscape Design, Scenic Views, Westward Expansion more »
Activities Living History, Museum Exhibits
Type Kid Friendly, Urban, Educational, Inspirational, Indoors, Outdoors, Group Friendly more »
Parks Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
Do you want to experience what life was like at Fort Vancouver in the 1800s? Check out the recommendations below for ways to experience living history at this historic site!

Living history demonstrations, presented by National Park Service volunteers and staff, take place in the Fort Vancouver Garden and at the fort's Blacksmith Shop, Carpenter Shop, and Kitchen. Living history demonstrations are dependent on volunteer and staff availability. Please call the Fort Vancouver Contact Station at (360) 816-6244 in advance of your visit to see what living history demonstrations will be available.
Living History at Fort Vancouver
  • Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

    Visit Fort Vancouver
    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Museum Exhibits
    • Pets: No
    • Duration: 30–90 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    The gates of Fort Vancouver with two women in 1840s style clothing standing in front.

    Discover the fascinating history of the fur trade in the Pacific Northwest at Fort Vancouver!

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  • Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

    Visit the Fort Vancouver Garden
    • Activity Fee: No (Entrance fees may apply)
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Living History
    • Pets: No
    • Location: Fort Vancouver Garden
    • Duration: 5–30 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day, Dawn, Dusk
    Many plants growing in a garden in front of Fort Vancouver.

    Take a walk through a piece of Fort Vancouver's history! With a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, catch a glimpse of what used to feed the employees of this fur trade fort.

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  • Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

    Watch a Blacksmith Work at Fort Vancouver
    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Living History
    • Pets: No
    • Location: The Fort Vancouver Blacksmith Shop
    • Duration: 5–30 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    A blacksmith working inside the Blacksmith Shop at Fort Vancouver.

    At Fort Vancouver, you can watch a blacksmith work, just as they would have in the 1800s.

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  • Watch a Carpenter Work at Fort Vancouver
    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Living History
    • Pets: No
    • Location: The Fort Vancouver Carpenter Shop
    • Duration: 5–30 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    Two carpenters working in the Fort Vancouver Carpenter Shop.

    At Fort Vancouver, you can watch a carpenter at work building furniture and building fixtures just as they would have done at Fort Vancouver in the 19th century!

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  • Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

    Experience the Fort Vancouver Kitchen
    • Activity Fee: Yes
    • Reservations: No
    • Activity: Living History
    • Pets: No
    • Location: The Fort Vancouver Kitchen
    • Duration: 5–30 Minutes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time of Day: Day
    Ingredients in bowls sitting on a table in the Fort Vancouver Kitchen.

    At the reconstructed Fort Vancouver, you can watch a cooking demonstration from the 1840s in the fort's Kitchen!

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Last updated: December 30, 2020