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Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

Fort Vancouver is a replica of the original fort that the Hudson’s Bay Company built to control the fur trade in the Pacific Northwest. We started at the Visitor Center which the fort shares with Officer’s Row, Pearson Airfield, and Vancouver Barracks as part of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve. We enjoyed an introductory movie and exhibits and gathered brochures before walking across the field to the reconstructed nineteenth century fort. We had a great view of the fort, the Columbia River, and Mt. Hood, with the Portland skyline in the background. While not all of the buildings inside the fort had been rebuilt, the important ones had been carefully constructed and furnished. The Chief Factor’s house presided over the brig, blacksmith shop, bakery, and warehouse. To make the site come alive and explain the function of each building there were friendly staff members in period clothing in most buildings. Touring the fort took us a couple hours and we enjoyed every minute of it. Hint: If you plan to visit all of the sites in the Reserve prepare to spend most of the day. There are nice areas for picnics. Guided tours are given daily and the fort hosts many special events throughout the year, check with the fort for more information. The fort also has an audio guide available for a small fee. The McLoughlin House in Oregon City, Oregon is also a unit of the Fort Vancouver NHS and it is free of charge. Caution: The fort charges a small entrance fee but the rest of grounds are free.

Phone: (360) 816-6230
Address: 612 E Reserve St, Vancouver WA 98661