Fort Nisqually’s Candlelight Tour returns October 2 and 3, giving visitors two evenings to explore the historic fort almost entirely by firelight. The annual event is one of Tacoma’s most popular fall traditions and typically sells out—and several tour times are already unavailable.
More than 100 costumed interpreters will portray the Hudson’s Bay Company workers, American settlers and families who inhabited the Puget Sound region in 1857. Visitors quietly move through the fort while conversations, songs, dances and games unfold around them. The historical characters never acknowledge the presence of their 21st-century guests, creating the feeling that visitors are eavesdropping on another era.
Tours run between 6 and 10 p.m. both nights and last approximately one hour. Guests begin at the Point Defiance Zoo parking lot, where a shuttle transports them to Fort Nisqually. The ticket time is the shuttle’s departure time, so attendees should arrive at least 15 minutes early to check in.
Adult admission is $26, while tickets for ages 4–17 are $19. Children younger than 4 may attend free but must ride on an adult’s lap aboard the shuttle. Advance purchase is required, and all ticket sales are final, with no refunds or exchanges. Several early departures on both nights were already sold out at press time.
The outdoor tour takes place rain or shine and includes uneven ground with increasingly limited visibility after dark. Visitors should dress for the weather, but umbrellas, flashlights, photography and strollers are not permitted. Anyone needing accessibility accommodations should contact Fort Nisqually at 253-404-3970.
Check the remaining tour times and purchase tickets here.
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