Historic Fort Steilacoom

07/10/2026

We are so grateful to these Scouts for stepping up https://thecascadian.com/future-eagle-scout-preserves-state-owned-buildings-from-the-first-us-army-post-in-puget-sound/?fbclid=IwY2xjawS-F3lleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETJGVVhhN01HVGdwVW1MSmNvc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHi-S2yLkQyvK3AC4iGMtoJnQqrd-enXEkoMeCiYTG7JVgJRvBd3GfPSMTqMB_aem_6GsDsdHcf67QTz0JwvM-rQ

Two formerly dangerous sets of stairs leading to 170-year-old buildings in Lakewood are now safe to climb, thanks to an Eagle Scout project. For years, the volunteers of Historic Fort Steilacoom have…

06/29/2026

The four surviving 170-year-old buildings you see today are different from the buildings of 1857 - and very very different from how they looked in 1934. How do we know that? The Historic American Buildings Survey began as a New Deal program in 1933 during the Great Depression.
You can see photographs of the buildings as they appeared in 1934 https://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/item/wa0083/ And for our Fort Steilacoom geeks there's something even better - measured drawings of the buildings.
During this period the buildings housed managers of Western State Hospital, and their families.

06/28/2026

For years, we've worried that a visitor might step through the aging stairs leading to two of our 170-year-old buildings.

Not anymore.

We're incredibly grateful to Dylan Rousseau and the Scouts and supporters of BSA Troop 299 - Boys and Girls of Tacoma, who spent a long day replacing worn-out stairs as Dylan's Eagle Scout project. Working on historic buildings is never easy, but the team built sturdy new stairs that will safely welcome visitors for decades to come.

There's a bit of history here. The old stairs were built by citizen volunteers in the 1980s. Volunteers had to step up because the State of Washington thought so little of the first US Army post in Puget Sound that the state was going to let the buildings just cave in. Volunteers saved the buildings. Now a new generation of volunteers has stepped up to help preserve them.

The buildings are owned but not consistently repaired by the State of Washington.

Eagle Scout projects are all over Lakewood, but this one is personal. We will think of the lasting impact Scouting America has on the community every time someone climbs the stairs to these two buildings and does not hurt themselves.

That especially matters because we expect hundreds of visitors at next week's open house on the holiday weekend https://www.facebook.com/events/1426404699662030

Thank you, Dylan, Troop 299, your families, and everyone who supported this project. Both our association and Troop 299 donated to help buy the limber, and big thanks to Gray Lumber for giving Dylan a discount.
You are helping preserve history for the next generation. ❤️

06/17/2026

📣 📣📣📣📣📣
Historic Fort Steilacoom invites you to join us for our annual 🇺🇸Independence Day🇺🇸 OPEN HOUSE on July 5, 2026, from noon to 4pm.

👉🏻View our historic Army post museum and tour some of the oldest buildings in Washington State ⭐️

👉🏻 Chat with costumed reenactors ⭐️

👉🏻 See demonstrations ⭐️

👉🏻 Join in hands-on activities ⭐️

🎈💫 🌟FREE ADMISSION! 🌟 💫 🎈

06/13/2026

No one who has ever given a tour at Fort Steilacoom can relate to this at all 😄

I think all of us are familiar with this occasional phenomenon, whether it be musician or battlefield guide or living historian. 🙂  Although I keep my tours concise and my videos short, make no mistake, I still feel the pull to say more and show people more.  I know many of you do as well… but do you read the room?  There is a fine line between interpretation and punishment for the audience.

06/06/2026

As we post this, our 2 pm tour tomorrow, Sunday, June 7, is wide open, and we have spaces available at 1 and 1:30. How often in Washington do you get to show kids of all ages four buildings from 1857 and 1858? Please consider joining us for an affordable, fun, tour.
Through the Blue Star program, active duty personnel are welcome for free. That's fitting since this is the first US Army post in Puget Sound. There's a lot of military heritage here.

Experience daily life of the 1850s in some of the oldest buildings still standing in Washington State

06/03/2026

Looking for something different to do with the family this Sunday?

Step inside 1850s Washington Territory and explore four original historic buildings dating to 1857-58. Walk the same floors as soldiers, settlers, and civilians who lived through the US Civil War, and hear the stories that shaped Washington State.

Our guided tours are engaging for adults, fascinating for history buffs, and surprisingly fun for kids. Most visitors are amazed to discover this nationally significant piece of history hidden right here in Lakewood.

📅 Sunday, 1:00-4:00 p.m.
⏰ Last tour begins at 3:00 p.m.
📍 Historic Fort Steilacoom Museum, Lakewood

🎟️ Just $10 per family, or $5 for an adult and $3 for youth.
Advance tickets are recommended: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tour-historic-fort-steilacoom-museum-tickets-405453441157?aff=oddtdtcreator

⭐ Blue Star Museums Program
From Armed Forces Day through Labor Day, active-duty military personnel and up to five family members receive FREE admission through the Blue Star Museums program. Active-duty personnel can drop in, but please note the last tour leaves at 3.

We keep admission affordable because we believe everyone should have the opportunity to connect with our shared history as America approaches its 250th anniversary.

Supported by the City of Lakewood Lodging Tax Fund.

Please note: We're located on the Western State Hospital campus and can be a little tricky to find the first time. Be sure to check the directions on the ticket page before you visit. Accessibility information is also available there.