Gig Harbor

The Harbor History Museum is a 14,500-square-foot history and maritime museum on downtown Gig Harbor's Harborview Drive, Washington. The museum offers a range of exhibits on regional history and culture. It opened to the public in this location in September 2010 and it include: an 1893 restored one-room school house; a 65-foot fishing boat, a 900-square foot library, 7,000 square feet of exhibition space and research and meeting rooms. The museum won the Washington Museum Association Award of Project Excellence for a living history program grade-school students called Midway Pioneer School Experience. The museum permanent exhibits offer professionally designed exhibitions with a range of artifacts, video kiosks, hands on exhibits and a small theatre.

4121 Harborview Dr, Gig Harbor, WA 98332, Phone: 253-858-6722

The Cushman Trail in Gig Harbor, Washington is a 6.2 mile paved regional trail that ranges from 12 to16 feet in width. There are several trailheads within the city. PenMet Parks trailhead has a parking lot and has extended the trail south to 14th Avenue Northwest. Cushman Trail is a popular local challenging exercise destination. It is very hilly and at some points has a 10 percent grade. That is not preventing people of all ages, on bikes or walking, to enjoy strenuous exercise. Hand rails and benches along the trail surely help. In the north, the trail runs through Wilkinson Farm Park on a raised pin pile bridge to protect the natural wetlands.

Gig Harbor, Wa

What to do if you are traveling with kids:

Sehmel Homestead Park is a 98-acre park in Gig Harbor, Washington, which includes 75 acres of conservation easement owned by Great Peninsula Conservancy. The easement protects the wetlands, pond, rolling hills, meadow and forests, which are reserved for hiking and other light activities. The park contain about four miles of scenic well-maintained trails. Outside the easement is an indoor pavilion, tennis courts, a playground, sports fields and other amenities. Sehmel Homestead Park was originally an 1885 homestead located northwest of Gig Harbor near the village of Rosedale. Today it is a thriving park, popular with kids and adults, where they can take a dog for a walk through the woods, play sports, watch birds, or enjoy one of many seasonal festival.

10123 78th Ave NW, Gig Harbor, WA 98332, Phone: 253-858-3400

Skansie Brothers Park is one of several small waterfront parks with public docks along Harborview Drive in Gig Harbor, Washington. It covers 2.59 acres in the heart of downtown Gig Harbor. It was established in 2002 as an expansion to the Jerisich Public Dock site. Every year, the park hosts the Maritime Gig Festival, summer concert series, Holiday Tree Lighting, and many other events. Within the park are the farmers’ market, Historic Skansie Brothers House, Historic Skansie Brothers’ Netshed, a covered pavilion, a Welcome Plaza, a small grassy area, a viewing platform, picnic tables and benches and more.

3211 Harborview Dr, Gig Harbor, WA 98335, Phone: 253-851-6170

Activities and Attractions for Couples:

The 7 Seas Brewing in Gig Harbor, Washington, produces craft beer using quality ingredients and technical knowhow, creating beers with bold but balanced flavors. The brewery was launched in 2009 in a 1,500 sq. ft. former racquetball court near downtown Gig Harbor. Today, 7 Seas has two breweries and taprooms in Gig Harbor and Tacoma. Their beer is distributed throughout Washington State. The Gig Harbor Tap Room is a popular local gathering spot, offering a lively, family-friendly atmosphere with long communal tables. There is no kitchen, but the guests are welcome to bring their own food. The Tap Room offers 7 Seas year-round brews, seasonal issues and a rotating Tap Room Reserve Series. There is no TV, but there is a projector for showing Seahawks games.

3207 57th St Ct. Gig Harbor, WA 98335, Phone: 253-514-8129

Crescent Creek Park, known to local residents as "City Park", is a 5.8 acre large, open air green space in Gig Harbor, Washington, with a natural creek bed and stately specimen trees. The space was originally used by Crescent Valley School as a playground. For a long time it was the only park in the city. Today, the park is a popular venue for a range of outdoor activities. It has a covered shelter, five picnic tables, four barbecues, kids’ play swings and other play structures, a trail park for bike jumping, two sand volleyball fields, a baseball field with, bleachers, a half-court basketball area, tennis courts and a large grass field. Beautiful park is a popular venue for weddings and other celebrations.

3303 Vernhardson St, Gig Harbor, WA 98332, Phone: 253-853-7638

Kopachuck State Park is a 109-acre public recreation area on Kopachuck Island on Henderson Bay in Puget Sound, about six miles from Gig Harbor, Washington. The park includes more than a mile of saltwater shoreline and spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. Just a half mile from the shore of the park is Cutts Island, locally known as "Deadman's Island," accessible only by boat. Both islands are managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. The park is a popular destination for kayaking and swimming. At low tide, the steep rocky beach becomes a smooth sandbar kids love to play in. The park has two miles of scenic hiking trails, a number of kitchen shelters, 16 sheltered and 76 unsheltered picnic tables. The campground has been permanently closed

10712 56th St NW, Gig Harbor, WA 98335, Phone: 253-265-3606

Wet Coast Brewing is one of the newest breweries in Gig Harbor, Washington. They brew a range of northwest-inspired craft ales utilizing a 3.5 barrel brewing system. Theiron-site tap room is a cozy, modern space where guests can enjoy the beers by the pint or as a flight, watch the brewing process in the production room next door and buy some beer for consumption at home. Wet Coast plans to distribute kegs to bars, restaurants and tap rooms throughout the Pacific Northwest. Every Wednesday, they will feature one of the Northwest breweries, reserving one tap for their signature beers.

6820 Kimball Dr c, Gig Harbor, WA 98335, Phone: 253-432-4966

If you are a photographer, don't miss:

Donkey Creek Park is a 1.3-acre natural area mostly consisting of open grassy area. A salmon-bearing stream runs through the park. There are several viewing platforms, a number of benches scattered throughout the park and a gravel hiking trail that continues under the bridge next to the Harbor History Museum. In 2009, artists Tom Torrens and Ben Isitt erected their sculpture "Ringing in the Salmon", which celebrates the annual return of salmon to Donkey Creek. There is also a fish hatchery established in since 1971 and managed by members of the Gig Harbor Commercial Fisherman's Civic Club. The area at the mouth of Donkey Creek used to be the winter village of the S'Homamish, until it was disbanded in the early 1900’.

8714 N Harborview Dr, Gig Harbor, WA 98332, Phone: 253-851-8136

Cutts Island State Park is a recreation area that covers the entire two-acre Cutts Island in Carr Inlet in Pierce County, Washington. The island is a small clay butte with a single stand of trees and a beach that appears at low tide. There are eight mooring buoys available for boaters. Visitors can enjoy beachcombing and scuba diving. The park can only be accessed by water, a perfect destination for canoeists, kayakers and stand up paddlers. There are plenty of seals on the island, which should be left alone. Cutts Island is located only half-mile offshore from Kopachuck Island and Kopachuck State Park.

Gig Harbor, WA 98335, Phone: 360-902-8844