Bremerton - Naval Museum & Warship

Bremerton

Bremerton is home to the historic Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in WA.  The revitalized harborside is perfect for a short trip, only an hour from Seattle on the ferry.    The "Top 3" activities along the waterfront are the Bremerton Naval Museum, Fountain Park, and USS Turner Joy warship.

Check departure times from the Seattle waterfront for the Seattle to Bremerton Ferry.  Key attractions at Bremerton are located close to the terminal ferry, so a car is not essential.

Top 3 things to do at the Bremerton waterfront

1. Bremerton Naval Museum: 

The excellent Puget Sound Navy Museum is conveniently located within walking distance of the ferry terminal. 

• Lower Floor:  The lower floor of the museum provides a fascinating look at Bremerton’s history as a busy ship building facility from the late 1890’s to the 1960’s.   Bremerton was the principal ship building and repair facility on the West Coast during WWII, and its workforce swelled to 32,000 during this time.  During the course of WWII, 42 warships were built and another 400 ships repaired at this facility.   Repairs were carried out on 5 out of the 6 remaining warships bombed during the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941.
• Upper Floor:  The upper floor of the museum is dedicated to depicting life on a US Warship; the USS John C Stennis.  This aircraft carrier has its own zip-code and is much like a mini-city; with a laundromat, hospital, post office, stores and cafeteria.  They even sell Starbucks onboard!   The exhibits provide a fantastic overview of different roles and responsibilities of the 5,000 sailors onboard during deployment.

2.  Fountain Park:

The Harborside Fountain Park is one of the best designed public spaces in the Pacific Northwest, and is located beside the Naval Museum. 

• Fountains & Wading Pools:  The water features at this park were built by the same company that designed the famous fountains in front of Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.  Five giant fountains point towards the water like an armada of warships.  The spouting fountains are also reminiscent of active volcanoes in this region.   There are wading pools beneath each fountain, perfect for kids on a summer’s day!   The fountains are usually operational from March to the end of October. 
• Picnic Tables:  The Park is superbly landscaped in a Japanese Garden style, with plenty of tables and benches for picnics.   Beautiful granite sculptures adorn the grounds. 

3.  USS Turner Joy warship: 

The USS Turner Joy warship from the Vietnam War is a short distance from the Naval Museum on the waterfront.  A fee is required to tour this ship.

Restaurants, Hotels in Bremerton WA

The Bremerton Waterfront district has a choice of great restaurants.  For sweeping views of the harbor, stop by "Anthony's Restaurant".  If you’d like to stay overnight at a hotel, the "Hampton Inn Suites" also has a great location on the waterfront.