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Navy gray hulls, ferry wakes and the snowy Olympics set the scene in Bremerton, the Kitsap Peninsula city that grew up around Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Founded in 1891 by German-born entrepreneur William Bremer, it boomed in both world wars as the shipyard built and repaired battleships and carriers, and the yard is still the heart of town.
The ferry from downtown Seattle crosses Rich Passage in about an hour and lands beside Harborside Fountain Park and the waterfront boardwalk. Steps away are the free Puget Sound Navy Museum, the destroyer USS Turner Joy, which you can explore from bridge to engine room, the Kitsap History Museum and the restored Art Deco Admiral Theatre.
Across the Manette Bridge, the Manette neighborhood has cafes with water views, and Illahee State Park offers beach and forest walks. Elandan Gardens in Gorst shows remarkable bonsai beside Sinclair Inlet, and Green Mountain State Forest delivers a summit panorama of Puget Sound and the Cascades.
Housed in the shipyard's historic administration building next to the ferry terminal, this free Navy museum covers Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, submarines, aircraft carriers and sailor life, with ship models and a re-created carrier bridge. Allow about an hour, and check hours since it closes on some weekdays.
This downtown museum tells the story of Kitsap County through exhibits on Coast Salish peoples, logging, the shipyard, ferries and the small communities around Puget Sound, plus rotating shows and a research library. It is a short walk uphill from the ferry and an easy add-on to the waterfront.
This Vietnam War-era destroyer, involved in the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident, is moored on the Bremerton waterfront as a museum ship. Self-guided tours lead through the bridge, gun mounts, crew berthing and engine rooms. Wear sturdy shoes, since steep ladders connect the decks.
Established in 1891, this shipyard is a National Historic Landmark district whose giant hammerhead cranes, dry docks and gray aircraft carriers dominate the waterfront. The yard itself is closed to the public, so take in the scale from the boardwalk, the Manette Bridge or the deck of the ferry.
Washington State Ferries' Bremerton route crosses Puget Sound to downtown Seattle in about an hour, threading the narrow Rich Passage past Bainbridge Island. Ride on a clear day for views of the Seattle skyline, the Olympics and Mount Rainier, and head to the outer decks as you pass through the passage.
Next to the ferry terminal, this waterfront park has large fountains shaped like submarine sails, plus lawns, public art and the start of the Bremerton Boardwalk. Kids splash in the jets on warm days, and the boardwalk leads along the marina toward the Turner Joy and the Navy museum.
A forested state park on Port Orchard Passage northeast of downtown, with a saltwater beach, a pier, campsites and trails down a wooded ravine. At low tide the shoreline is good for beachcombing, with views across to Bainbridge Island. A Discover Pass is needed to park.
Along Sinclair Inlet in Gorst, this private garden displays an exceptional bonsai collection, some trees centuries old, among sculpted rocks, ponds and shoreline lawns. A gallery shop sells antiques and art. The garden keeps limited seasonal hours, so check days and admission before you go.
A 1942 Art Deco movie house restored in the 1990s, the Admiral now hosts concerts, comedy, tribute bands and dinner shows in its curved auditorium. Check the calendar before a weekend trip, and step back on Pacific Avenue to photograph the glowing vintage marquee after dark.
Across the Port Washington Narrows from downtown, this hilly neighborhood has small cafes, restaurants with water views and quiet residential streets. Walk over the Manette Bridge, rebuilt in 2011 with wide sidewalks, for views of the shipyard and the Olympics, then settle in for a coffee or a meal.
West of Bremerton, trails climb through second-growth forest to the summit of Green Mountain, where a viewpoint looks over Puget Sound, Seattle and the Cascades. Trails are shared with mountain bikers and horses, and a Discover Pass is needed at the trailheads.
Held over Labor Day weekend on the waterfront boardwalk, this festival celebrates the wild blackberries that grow all over Kitsap with pies, cobblers and ice cream, plus craft booths, live music and family activities. Arrive by ferry from Seattle to skip the hunt for parking.
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Washington, United States
Washington, United States
Washington, United States
Washington, United States
Washington, United States
Washington, United States
Washington, United States
Washington, United States
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