This attractive park located within Port Townsend's city limits is the remains of a large fortification system constructed in the 1890s to protect the strategically important Puget Sound area from outside attack – supposedly from the Spanish during the 1898 war. Sharp-eyed film buffs might recognize the area as the backdrop for the movie An Officer and a Gentleman.
Visitors can arrange tours of the Commanding Officer's Quarters, a 12-bedroom mansion. You will also find the Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum, which tells the story of early Pacific coastal fortifications. And there are cultural and musical programs year-round at the Centrum.
Hikes lead along the headland to Point Wilson Lighthouse Station and some wonderful windswept beaches. On the park's fishing pier is the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, featuring four touch tanks and kid-friendly interpretive programs. There are also several camping and lodging possibilities.
