Port Townsend

Port Townsend is noted for its Victorian architecture, sits at the top of the Olympic Peninsula, is close to the Olympic National Park, and 55 miles from Seattle.

Port Townsend

The Victorian buildings survive from the time in the late 19th century when Port Townsend was a thriving shipping port. It was expected to become the north-west terminal for the advancing railway, and the town prospered and many prominent citizens had equally prominent houses built on the bluffs overlooking the town.

However, the railway went to Tacoma instead, 80 miles further south and Port Townsend was never quite the same. Today fewer than 10,000 people live there.

Our Pick of the Guides

Port Townsend Ferry Connections

These days the town has just two ferry connection. One goes from downtown Port Townsend out to Coupeville on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound. The other leaves from the Point Hudson Marina and goes to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.

Map showing location of Port Townsend in Washington State

Map (c) Google Maps

Best Things to do in Port Townsend

Chetzemoka Park

Named after the chief of the S'Kallam Native Americans, who greeted and was greatly respected by the first settlers, this was the city's first public park when it opened in 1904. It has several garden areas, including a rose garden, plus a bandstand, picnic tables, great views of the Cascade Mountains and Salish Sea, and gives access down steps to a popular beach. In August there are outdoor performances of Shakespeare plays.

The Commanding Officer's Quarters

One of the finest buildings in Fort Worden State Park, the Commanding Officer's Quarters was built in 1904. It has been restored to the grandeur of its heyday, but there are other military buildings surviving too, in the former Fort Worden.

This used to be the HQ for the Puget Sound Harbor Defenses, and is where you will also find the Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum. If any of the State Park looks familiar, it could be because a lot of the movie An Officer and a Gentleman was filmed here.

Downtown Port Townsend

Jefferson Museum of Art and History

Port Townsend is the capital of Jefferson County, and the Jefferson Museum of Art and History tells the story of the area. Exhibits cover the first people, the first settlers, the boom time of the town, and the area's maritime heritage. There are also displays of art and photography by North West artists.

Port Townsend Aero Museum

This isn't a museum devoted to chocolate bars but to the aircraft industry of the Pacific Northwest and located out at the airport. The Port Townsend Aero Museum has a collection of aircraft and also operate a commendable Youth Program which encourages the young people of the area to get involved by helping restore and fly the vintage and classic airplanes in the collection. There's also an art gallery, a collection of model aircraft, a library, and a shop.

Rothschild House Museum

The Rothschild House Museum allows you to see what one of the grand Victorian residences built on the bluffs was like on the inside. D.C.H. Rothschild had come to the USA from Bavaria and opened a mercantile in Port Townsend.

At first the family lived over the store till Rothschild was wealthy enough to have this house built for him in 1868.

The house has only ever been lived in by the Rothschild family through several generations, with the last owner donating it to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. It is on the National Register of Historic Places, and has been kept as the family remembered it in its early days.

At the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival

Events in Port Townsend

It may be small in size but there's always something going on in Port Townsend. There's a Film Festival, a Victorian Festival, a wacky Beer Festival, a Chili Cook-Off, a Jazz Festival, the largest Wooden Boat Festival in the USA – and a lot more besides!

The Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival

Other Olympic Peninsula pages

Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park, west of Seattle in the Pacific Northwest, is one of the largest and least developed parks in the United States.
Olympic National Park Accommodation
Olympic National Park accommodation consists of campgrounds and trailer parks, and most visitors to the park stay in nearby lodges and resorts.
Olympic Peninsula Travel Guide
Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews an Olympic Peninsula Travel Guide published by the Beautiful Pacific Northwest website.
Washington State Travel Guide
The Washington State travel guide from Frommer's covers hotels in Seattle, driving the Pacific Coast Highway, Olympic National Park, where to eat and more.
Seattle
Seattle is a great city break vacation destination and also the perfect start for the Pacific Coast Highway drive, and the gateway to Washington wine country.
Forks Washington
Forks is a small city in Washington State, known as the gateway to the Olympic National Park, and as the home for the Twilight series of books and movies.
Longest Beach in the USA
The Longest Beach in the USA is arguably in Long Beach in Washington, though claims that it is also the longest beach in the world are wide of the mark.
Sequim
Little Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington is a delightful place to stop if driving the Pacific Coast Highway.
Guide to the Olympic Peninsula
Moon's Spotlight Guide to the Olympic Peninsula covers hotels, restaurants, and sights, including Forks, the Olympic National Park and other places.
Washington Coast Hotels and Inns
The Washington Coast's hotels, inns, guesthouses, b&bs and other places to stay include 5-star luxury hotels and resorts, motel chains, RV parks and camping.
Olympic Peninsula Wineries
Olympic Peninsula wineries are not in the heart of Washington wine country but the vineyards near the Pacific Coast Highway are worth a visit.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is a city in Washington State, known as the Gateway to the Olympic Peninsula, and noted for attractions including the Kurt Cobain Memorial Park.
Seattle Hotels
Downtown Seattle hotels are near attractions and the waterfront. Hotel Vintage Park, Edgewater Inn, and Inn at Harbor Steps are tops for travelers.
Things to Do in Seattle
The best things to do in Seattle include visiting Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium and the Seattle Art Museum.
Unique Inns on the Pacific Coast Highway
Unique Inns on the Pacific Coast Highway include some of the best independently-owned boutique hotels, spas, and lodges in California, Oregon and Washington.
Best Time to Visit the Olympic Peninsula
PCH Travel picks the best time to visit the Olympic Peninsula, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.
Long Beach Peninsula
The Long Beach Peninsula in Washington runs north of Ilwaco and includes the town of Long Beach and others, and claims to have the longest beach in the USA.
Washington Wine Country
Washington Wine Country includes plenty of vineyards and wineries that can be visited while traveling the Pacific Coast Highway including the Olympic Peninsula.
Westport Washington
Located on a peninsula, Westport is a small fishing town in Washington State with the largest marina in the Pacific Northwest.
Port Angeles in Washington State
Port Angeles in Washington is the largest town on the Olympic Peninsula. It stands on the Pacific Coast Highway and is the gateway to the Olympic National Park.