Five Days in Washington For Wooden Boat Fanatics

Climb Aboard at the Center for Wooden Boats

September 3—October 26: Wednesday—Sunday 10:00 am—6:00 pm. Last boat out at 4:30 pm. | 1010 Valley St, Seattle, WA 98109

Located in the heart of Seattle, the Center for Wooden Boats offers a unique bridge between the bustling cityscape and the tranquil waters of Lake Union. This incredible center invites visitors of all ages to immerse themselves in the art and craftsmanship of wooden boat building and sailing. Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or a complete beginner, the Center’s programs are the perfect way to kick off your week of wooden boat exploration. Check out their public peapod program, which gets you on the water with an experienced skipper for free, build a toy boat in their woodshop, or attend the long-running Third Friday Speaker Series.

Visit the Historic Steamship Virginia V

Check the calendar for chances to get onboard | Lake Union Park, Seattle, WA 98109

The S.S. Virginia V is one of the last surviving vessels from the region’s original “Mosquito Fleet”—a network of hundreds of boats that transported people and goods across Puget Sound in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This beautiful wooden steam-powered ship has been meticulously preserved, maintaining its original steam engine and classic charm.

You can find the Virginia V cruising the waters of Lake Union, Lake Washington, and Puget Sound, offering both public cruises and private rentals for those eager to experience a piece of maritime history. When docked at the Historic Ships Wharf, the Virginia V opens its doors for dockside tours, allowing visitors to explore this iconic ship up close.

Pro tip: The Historic Ships Wharf is also home to the tugboat Arthur Foss, Lightship No. 83 Swiftsure, and fireboat Duwamish, all of which are well worth a visit. Check them out dockside or visit their websites to find opportunities to get aboard.

See a Coast Salish s.dəxʷìł (hunting canoe) at the Burke Museum

Open Tuesday—Sunday, 10:00 am—5:00 pm. | 4303 Memorial Way Northeast, Seattle, WA 98195

Restored in collaboration with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, the University of Washington’s Burke Museum recently put a rare Coast Salish hunting canoe on public display for the first time. Once used for hunting, fishing, and travel through rivers and estuaries, this wooden canoe offers a glimpse into the region’s rich indigenous history of wooden boatbuilding. Thanks in part to a grant from Maritime Washington, the original canoe is on display, allowing visitors to experience the craftsmanship and heritage of the Coast Salish people firsthand.

Visit the Foss Waterway Seaport

Open Thursday—Sunday, 10:00 am—4:00 pm | 705 Dock St, Tacoma, WA 98402

At the Foss Waterway Seaport, you’ll explore the legacy of Thea Foss, a trailblazing “woman on the waterfront” whose purchase of a five dollar rowboat led to the creation of one of the largest tugboat companies on the West Coast. The museum showcases artifacts that highlight her remarkable story, offering a glimpse into the roots of Tacoma’s maritime industry. Beyond Thea herself, the museum includes a range of exhibits featuring wooden boats of all types—from Willits Canoes to Croatian fishing skiffs to indigenous watercraft. With interactive exhibits and activities, Foss Waterway Seaport is a great destination for the whole family.

Help build a boat at the Gig Harbor Boatshop

Open Thursday—Sunday, 10:00 am—5:00 pm | 3805 Harborview Dr, Gig Harbor, WA 98332

The original home of the iconic Thunderbird class of boats, the Gig Harbor Boatshop now provides community access to hands-on working waterfront activities. The boatshop preserves and restores historic wooden boats, bringing them back to their original glory while documenting the meticulous processes involved. Visitors can explore these beautifully restored vessels up close, get hands-on with programs like Family Boatbuilding and Young Hands, New Skills, or volunteer to help build a boat to experience wooden boat craftsmanship in action.

See Historic Vessels at the Harbor History Museum

Open Wednesday—Saturday, 11:00 am—4:00 pm | 4121 Harborview Dr, Gig Harbor, WA 98332

With over 29,000 artifacts showcasing the history of Gig Harbor and the surrounding peninsula, the Harbor History Museum offers an enriching experience for history enthusiasts. Among its most notable exhibits is the Shenandoah, a wooden purse seiner restored and displayed in the museum’s newly opened Maritime Gallery. Here, you’ll also find Thunderbird No. 1, the very first Thunderbird-class sailing boat ever built.

Ride the Carlisle II Ferry

Departing twice hourly on the :15s and :45s.

Kick off your Kitsap Peninsula adventure in Bremerton with a scenic ride across the water on the Bremerton-Port Orchard foot ferry. If you’re lucky, you might even board the historic Carlisle II, one of the last surviving vessels of the Mosquito Fleet. The Bremerton-Port Orchard foot ferry takes about 12 minutes, and boarding is just down the stairs from the Bremerton-Seattle Ferry Terminal. The Carlisle II works as a backup for Kitsap Transit’s other vessels but does not run on a set schedule, so if you’re not lucky enough to hop aboard, be sure to look for it at the dock!

Pro tip: Stop by the Kitsap History Museum to learn more about the history of the Mosquito Fleet in Puget Sound.

Visit the Poulsbo Maritime Museum

Open daily 10:00 am—4:00 pm | 19010 Front St NE, Poulsbo, WA 98370

With an impressive collection and plenty of hands-on opportunities—including bells, pulleys, and a real-life foghorn!—this museum is the perfect place for kids of all ages to learn about the fishing industry, water sports, boatbuilding, and transportation. Don’t miss the outdoor portion of their collection, which includes a replica wheelhouse of the Hyak, the wooden-hulled steamship that connected the northern Kitsap Peninsula to Seattle as part of the famous “Mosquito Fleet.”

Explore the Suquamish Museum

Open Wednesday—Sunday from 9:00 am—4:00 pm | 6861 NE South St, Suquamish, WA 98392

Deepen your understanding of the region with a visit to the Suquamish Museum, a beautifully curated space that highlights the history, culture, and enduring legacy of the Suquamish people who have been here since time immemorial. The museum collects, protects, educates, and preserves the history and culture of the Puget Sound Salish Tribes, with an emphasis on the Suquamish Tribe. Their use of oral history, photography, artifacts, and audio-visual makes this a great place to learn about culture and history from the view of the Suquamish Tribe. Don’t miss the fantastic examples of indigenous woodworking on display at the museum.

Visit the W.T. Preston and Maritime Heritage Center in Anacortes

Open Thursday—Saturday from 10:00 am—4:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am—4:00 pm | 713 R Ave, Anacortes, WA 98221

Step aboard the W.T. Preston, a 1929 wooden sternwheel steamer, and journey into the past at the W.T. Preston and Maritime Heritage Center in Anacortes. This historic vessel kept the region’s waterways navigable until 1983, when it was hauled ashore and transformed into a museum ship. Inside the Maritime Heritage Center, you’ll find historic images of Anacortes’ cannery row, along with a six-foot wooden wheel and telegraph from the ferry Vashon. The exhibits offer a fascinating overview of the region’s shoreline activities, covering everything from boat building and canneries to mills, commercial and recreational boating, and transportation across the seas.

Pro tip:  Walk on the Guemes Channel Trail along Anacortes’ shoreline to spot La Merced—a wooden schooner turned breakwater. It’s a must-see for anyone interested in the grand scale of maritime history!

Learn About Canoe Racing at the Island County Historical Society

Open daily 10:00 am—4:00 pm and Sunday 11:00 am—4:00 pm | 908 NW Alexander St, Coupeville, WA 98239

Explore the rich history of Whidbey Island at the Island County Historical Society, where you can learn about the canoe races that have been a key part of local culture. Three dugout wooden canoes are the centerpiece of the Native People, Native Places exhibit. The exhibit also showcases a remarkable collection of local baskets, stone and wood implements, artwork, and artifacts from the earliest Water Festival Canoe Races.

Tour the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding

42 North Water Street, Port Hadlock

At the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, students can study techniques of wood cutting, steaming, bending, and joining that make the tradition of boatbuilding as much an art as a science. The school’s impressive campus includes the historic Ajax Café, two workshops for students, a boat launch, and more. Many graduates of the school find work in the nearby boatyards of Port Townsend. Visitors are welcome to tour the campus at any time or join a campus tour at 3:30 pm on the first Friday of every month.

See Metal Become Parts at the Port Townsend Foundry

Call ahead for a tour | 251 Otto St, Port Townsend, WA 98368

At the Port Townsend Foundry, workers pour a little bit of maritime history into solid form every day. Solid bars of copper and tin become the bronze parts needed on board both ancient wooden boats and modern Navy vessels. The Port Townsend Foundry’s extensive library of wooden forms, knowledge of specific metal formulations, and aerospace-grade accuracy make them a unique resource for sailors across the globe. Stop in during your visit to Port Townsend to come away with a souvenir deck plate, bolt, cleat, or crank.

Pro tip: folks from the Port Townsend Foundry can also be found at the Wooden Boat Festival! Check the festival guide for more info.

See the Wooden Boat Festival from the Water with Sail Port Townsend

Open by appointment | 385 Benedict St Office #2-D, Port Townsend, WA 98368

Meet Amber, the passionate owner and operator of Sail Port Townsend. She’s about to become your “friend with a boat,” taking you on a custom cruise of Port Townsend Bay aboard one of her two classic Thunderbird sailboats. Amber is so confident that you’ll have an unforgettable experience, she named one of her boats Best Day Ever. As she puts it, “When the sails come up, the engine is off, and the boat comes alive with the wind…it’s so fun to blow people’s minds,” says Amber.