Recently a friend visited the Westport Maritime Museum in Westport, Washington on the Washington State Coast and he sent me a few pictures he took of the museum. He was extremely impressed by the museum and the volunteer staff, very professional and knowledgeable.
The center piece of the museum is a First Order Fresnel Lens, the lens itself is about eight ½ ft tall plus the base to rotate the lens. The Lens Hall was built by the Museum specifically to display the First Order Fresnel Lens that is on loan from the U.S Coast Guard. The lens is awesome he says. Several people have said this is the most spectacular presentation of a First Order Fresnel Lens around. The lens is from the Destruction Island lighthouse, located 57 miles north of Westport. Constructed in 1890 in France, the lens contains twenty-four bull’s-eyes and 1,176 prisms. The Lens and base stand 17 feet tall and weighs six tons.
There is much more at the museum than shown here. There are several display cases full of history.
I have also talked with several people who have also visited the museum and they were all impressed.
There is a Lighthouse close by that I think is also open for tours.
Cost as of this posting is $5.00.
My friend chose a lovely day at the end if the summer, him, and his girlfriend also rented electric bikes and had a nice ride on the beach.
The staff is all volunteer and I suspect they could use some extra help, so if you have even a slight interest in history it would be a great chance to meet and help others learn about the area history give them a call or drop by if you live in the Westport / Grays Harbor. I suspect they have a wide range of things you could help with, and they should provide training.
I help at the Alki Point Lighthouse in West Seattle, Washington and we have guide sheets we use to help new people helping, and some of the jobs are easy enough that training only takes literally five minutes, and yes some of the positions are more complex (my presentation inside the lighthouse runs about 12 minutes for example).
Check their website and Facebook page for hours of operation as the days and hours can vary. Westport also has several other attractions if you want to make a couple of days out of the visit, check with the Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Bureau.
Pictures compliments of Mark S.
WESTPORT SOUTH BEACH HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Westport Maritime Museum – Facebook
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i always like Capt Mikes website and youtube videos. Been watching for years. This museum looks great