On Friday, Oct. 3, and Saturday, Oct. 4, the gates of Fort Nisqually will open after dark, inviting visitors to step into the year 1857. Lanterns and campfires will flicker across the historic Hudson’s Bay Company outpost, as more than 100 costumed interpreters re-create the bustle of a frontier settlement in the Washington Territory.
The Candlelight Tour, now a beloved autumn tradition, is more than just a walk through history. Guests are not passive observers – they become invisible time-travelers, eavesdropping on conversations between fur traders, farmers, children, and townsfolk who have no idea they’re being overheard by audiences from the 21st century. Along the way, visitors may stumble upon a wedding celebration, join in song, or watch a dance that once carried across Puget Sound nearly 170 years ago.
The event is carefully staged to immerse guests in a single moment in time. While daylight hours at Fort Nisqually Living History Museum focus on demonstrations and explanations, the Candlelight Tour strips away the modern narration. The result is an atmosphere that feels eerily authentic – where the sights, sounds, and even the silences mirror the rhythms of daily life in a remote outpost…