westport maritime museum

Very cool whale bones! Great history of westport. Take the time to read the journals. It's really amazing to see original artifacts. Only $5 per adult. Kids under 5 are free. There is a cute kids room upstairs that has a sand box that kids can play with. Our 3 year old liked that room but didn't care for Mose of the inside Museum. He showed a little interest in the whale bones exhibit outside.

I love lighthouses, and have stopped at almost all on the Pacific Coast. When we visited the museum, we were captivated by the Japanese flotsam that washed over after the Honshu Provence earthquake and tsunami. However, the 1st Order Fresnel Lens displayed is absolutely breathtaking. The lens was saved from the decommissioned Deconstruction Island lighthouse and is on display in its own building. Walking in, you are immediately hit by the rainbow light and the flashes from the precision cut prisms. Then, walking around on the elevated riser, you become captivated by the glow, the history, and the physics that made these lenses legendary. Magical and beautiful, and very rare. Worth finding the museum in this very northwestern corner of Washington State.

They have some interesting finds. I would be curious to find out if the place is haunted actually. They have a burial urn from Japan that washed up and tons of neat finds from wrecked ships. The upstairs area is a bit out of place I felt because it was old farm equipment and tools.But the best part is the lighthouse prism in the second building. Very beautiful. However, the one thing I did not appreciate was having my picture taken by a random worker without my consent or explanation while I was purchasing my tickets. But otherwise it was a pleasant experience.

If these artifacts were in a bigger city, they would have many more visitors. Old time pictures. Old time stories.

The museum itself was pretty interesting but the highlight and must see is the giant lens in the next building. It's fascinating and beautiful.

It's only $5 and worth that for a look at the light from the unused lighthouse. Some interesting pictures and stories are worth a read.

Drove by and saw a huge whale skeleton and had to stop. Pretty awesome and recommend visiting. they have a full outdoor display within glass of the whale, and other marine life and kids may also find it fascinating.

This museum has a fabulous display of the French-made lenses that used to serve mariners from the local, historic light house. This plus full-sized whale and related skeletons makes this a great stop for all ages.

Nice little museum housed in a former Coast Guard facility. Easy way to learn a little history about Westport and Gray's Harbor. Being able to view, up close the Fresnel lens and tour the well preserved buildings were worth the price ($5 per) of admission. The inter-active activity room for children can make it fun for kids. Easy walk to the boardwalk and town attractions and places to eat. If you have the time it is worth the visit.

Knowledgeable staff, lots on display, varied information on local history of Westport and surrounding area. Great history on Coast Guard too. Be sure to visit the adjacent building to see the Fresnel Light too.

What a great spot to spend time. Walk all the way to the end of the road and see the boardwalk. Buy fish from the little fish shack on the pier - it is so fresh and food and the prices are not out of line. We went back twice and would go again if we were in the area.

Stopping here (and the Grays Harbor Lighthouse) was a last minute decision, but well worth the extra time. An interesting time in Westport's history. Learning about, and seeing in person, the Destruction Island Lighthouse Lens was awesome!

Just off the beaten a few ft, but very interesting.. Learned a lot about the local marine life, wales, and a very good history of the waling industry.

Westport is a small community with a lot of heart. Not as busy As Ocean Shores but there are things to see and do. In June they have Pirates Daze and the town becomes very active. The lookout tower is newer and very well located. There is a paved walking trail from near the lighthouse to very near town.

This is a small museum in the old Coast Guard station. It has a good collection of artifacts both from the Coast Guard and Lighthouse and also from the local community.They also have displays on ships and shipwrecks, fishing and whaling, cranberries, logging, the local community, the ocean and ocean life and have a children's discovery area. They also have the first order Fresnel Lens from the Destruction Island lighthouse. It had its own building constructed to display it. The displays in here are a little sparse but hopefully they are working on it. It is a beautiful lens and when the volunteer who was on duty offered to take my photo standing in front of it I was happy to let her. I'm amazed that lenses that sophisticated could be made given the primitive technology of the time.There are some skeletons, including a whale, outside in a separate building. It has glass walls so the skeletons can be seen even if the main building is closed.The museum is run by a small group of volunteers and they have obviously done the best they can with the usual constraints of time and resources that a volunteer group has. There is a small fee to get in but it is well worth it. If you go to the lighthouse, show them your ticket and they will give you a dollar off (and also the reverse if you went to the Lighthouse first).