Fort Steilacoom

Fort Steilacoom is a military museum in Pierce County with four preserved cottages from the original 19th-century post. The buildings contain artifacts and documents that illustrate daily life at the fort and regional settlement patterns.

The fort was established in 1849 as the first United States Army post north of the Columbia River in Washington Territory. It became a key location for military presence and the settlement of the region.

The museum displays how soldiers, settlers, and members of the Nisqually tribe lived and interacted during the territorial period. These relationships shaped the region's development in ways visitors can still observe today.

Visitors can walk through three of the four original buildings, often with guided tours explaining life in the 1850s. The grounds are easy to explore on foot, and the cottages are accessible without special equipment or climbing.

A cemetery on the grounds holds burials of civilian residents from the fort era, while military graves were relocated to San Francisco. This split reflects how the two communities were treated differently in death.

Location: Pierce County

Architects: August Kautz

GPS coordinates: 47.17900,-122.56400

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:44