Vancouver has a rich and diverse history as the oldest permanent non-native settlement in the Pacific Northwest.  This half day tour at the 366-acre Fort Vancouver National Site will take you back in time to explore that history with visits to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Pearson Air Museum, Officers Row and more.

9:00 AM:  Visit Officers Row
This neighborhood of 22 exquisitely preserved Victorian-style homes was built in the mid to late 1800s for Army officers and their families stationed at Vancouver Barracks. Tour General George C. Marshall house, a shining example of Queen Anne Victorian-style architecture. Built in 1886 and named for General George C. Marshall who resided there from 1936-1938, this house has exhibits centered on General Marshall.

10:00 AM:  Tour Pearson Air Museum
Tour pre-World War II aviation history at one of the oldest continually operating airfields in the United States. Learn about aviation history accomplishments in the area through interpretive displays, view a stunning collection of vintage airplanes from WWII and earlier, and learn about the science of flight with hands on exhibits at this 23,500 sq. ft. museum. 

11:00 AM:  Visit Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
Established in 1825 by the British-based Hudson’s Bay Company, the Fort served as headquarters of their extensive fur trading network throughout the Pacific Northwest. Today, the reconstructed Fort operated by the National Park Service offers a glimpse into the lives of Native Americans, settlers and fur trappers with both interactive and educational tours.  On the Company Servants Hands-On Tour, visitors not only watch period dressed interpreters demonstrate the skills and daily activities from the past, they get to experience the day to day work of the company servant by doing the work as a baker, fur trapper, gardener or carpenter.  Hands-on demonstrations include kneading the dough and cutting sea biscuits in the Bake House; weighing and pressing furs in the Fur Store; or toiling with the tools of bygone days in the Carpenter Shop. All tours can be customized to suit your needs.

Optional - Tour groups may also want to tour the Fort at night on the Lantern Tour.  Park Rangers will guide your group through the reconstructed buildings as you learn what activities would have occurred within the palisades once the sun set at Fort Vancouver.  Each adult attending will carry a lantern.  Or, let your group explore the Fort with a self-guided audio tour utilizing state of the art digital technology or plan a tour around one of the many special events and reenactments that occur throughout the year.

12:30 PM:  Lunch at The Restaurant at the Historic Reserve
Enjoy authentic Northwest cuisine at the historic Ulysses S. Grant House.  It is the oldest home on Officers Row and was constructed as the commanding officer's quarters. Though Grant never lived in the house, he frequented it many times as a young officer. It was renamed in Grant's honor after he achieved his military and political success.

Optional – If time permits, include a walking tour across the Vancouver Land Bridge connecting Fort Vancouver and the waterfront.  The bridge has many interpretive signs that depict the history of the area.  At the terminus, visit Old Apple Tree Park to see the oldest apple tree in the Northwest said to be the matriarch of Washington’s apple industry.  Or, you may want to take a culinary tour at the historic Vancouver Barracks, the first military post in the Pacific Northwest.  You will dine front and center in a fully equipped culinary kitchen at the Mess Hall while the chefs put on a unique and interactive cooking demonstration and prepare a truly unforgettable meal.

For more information please contact our Tourism Development Coordinator at grouptours@SouthwestWashington.com or 877-600-0800, ext. 16.