Once part of Hudson’s Bay trading post located on the Nisqually delta near present-day Fort Lewis, the buildings of Fort Nisqually Historic Site (253/591-5339, www.fortnisqually.org [1], 11 a.m.–6 p.m. daily Memorial Day–Labor Day, with varying hours Wed.–Sun. the rest of the year, $3 adults, $2 ages 13–17 and seniors, $1 ages 5–13, and free for younger kids) were moved to Point Defiance [2] and restored in the 1930s. The half dozen log buildings are still well cared for today, and volunteers in period garb frequently offer living history demonstrations.
Check out the working blacksmith shop, where you can learn how tools and hardware were fabricated for trade. Also on the grounds is a storehouse built in 1851 that is considered the oldest standing building in Washington. Come here in May to celebrate Queen Victoria’s birthday, in August for a mountain man encampment, or in October for a candlelight tour.
Links:
[1] http://www.fortnisqually.org
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/south-puget-sound/tacoma/sights/point-defiance-park