Westport Maritime Museum

Washington Coast


This former Coast Guard station was built in 1939 and boasts some great period photos and artifacts of seafaring days gone by. A separate building houses the 6-ton, 18ft-high Fresnel lens, manufactured in France in 1888, that beamed for over 70 years from the lighthouse of Destruction Island, 50 miles north of Westport. Equally impressive is the glassed-in hall of whale skeletons, each with its own gripping story.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Washington Coast attractions

1. Grays Harbor Lighthouse

1.4 MILES

At 107ft it's the tallest lighthouse in the state, although its setting in a clump of trees makes it less scenic than a classic promontory lighthouse. …

2. Coastal Interpretive Center

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This small but thorough museum draws kids and adults alike into hands-on displays about local animals and ecosystems, industries, cultures and treasures…

3. Arnold Polson Museum

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4. Lady Washington

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6. Willapa Seaport Museum

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This humble little museum holds a surprisingly compelling, well-arranged collection of memorabilia from the area's maritime history. Small vignettes…

7. Big Red House

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This beautiful red house (built 1871) was the original home of Oysterville cofounder RH Espy. It's now a private residence.

8. Oysterville Church

25.3 MILES

Picture-perfect old church dating from 1892. Pick up a walking-tour brochure here during the summer months.