Christmas at Historic Fort Steilacoom 1857 (in 2022)

Note: You need to look under each individual time to see if tickets are available. If Eventbrite says one time is not available, check another time. As of Thursday morning, tickets are still available in some of the later time slots.

Join us at Historic Fort Steilacoom in Lakewood as living historians re-enact the Christmas of 1857, highlighting how the holiday season might have been celebrated in these buildings 165 years ago.

Re-enactors will gather in candlelight to talk, sing, dance and dine as our predecessors did in these buildings. Visitors from 2022 will walk past the scenes and witness them as if they are spirits from the future. 

Yes, there were tensions in early Washington Territory, and the U.S. Civil War was on the horizon. But Christmas at Fort Steilacoom was a period of celebration and enjoyment as men, women and children hosted and participated in social gatherings, exchanged gifts and communed with others.

Tickets are $7 for an adult and $5 for youth. A family of up to two adults and four youth pays $12. Because this event is a fundraiser to support maintenance of the aging buildings, discounts are not offered.

Because of space limitations, tickets should be purchased in advance here through Eventbrite.  Tickets may be purchased at the door, but availability is not guaranteed. This event will likely sell out.  You can check the fort's Facebook page to see if the event is sold out before you come by.

Fort Steilacoom, the first U.S. Army post to be located in Puget Sound, is on the grounds of Western State Hospital at 9601 Steilacoom Blvd SW, Lakewood, 98498. GPS and map software often direct people to Fort Steilacoom Park; to reach the historic Fort, be sure to type in the street address.

Please be aware our buildings do not have ramps for wheelchairs.

Please allow extra time to find the fort. We are are a historic site on the grounds of Western State. We don't have lighted signs because we're only open in the evening this one night a year. The area is not floodlit, because normally Western State uses our grounds for a daytime parking lot. Please don't be one of the people who drives and drives around in the park and gives up trying to find us. We're by the entrance of Western State, where we've been for 165 years.

About Fort Steilacoom

Historic Fort Steilacoom Association is a non-profit organization. Fort Steilacoom is managed entirely by volunteers. There are no paid staff. Members of the association support the fort through donations and receive a newsletter three times a year about Pacific Northwest history. Marketing outreach is supported by a grant from the City of Lakewood’s lodging tax fund. The fort has recently been required to fundraise in order to help maintain state-owned fire-alarm equipment.

Fort Steilacoom occupies an important position in the history of early America and the Pacific Northwest. The fort played a significant role in the settling of Washington Territory. Beginning with its construction in 1849 and ending with its closure in 1868, Fort Steilacoom served as a beacon of American power and promise, promoting the migration of U.S. settlers to Washington and securing American interests in the region.  The Fort acknowledges the complex history of the Fort and its role in the colonization of the area. We are actively working to incorporate the diverse perspectives and experiences of all individuals and communities who interacted with the Fort.

For more information, visit http://www.historicfortsteilacoom.org.