Discover Coupeville on Penn Cove

Coupeville is located on Penn Cove and is the only town within the Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve. Two perspectives can help you get oriented: the town center with historic Front Street and the Alexander Blockhouse, and the Reserve as a whole. It covers 17,400 acres and can be explored by car, bicycle or on foot. These options apply to the Reserve as a whole, not just the town center. This can help you distinguish between the waterfront, history and outdoor activities when planning your trip.

Penn Cove: Marine Mammals and Shellfish

At the Coupeville Wharf, there is a marine mammal exhibit with educational presentations. On display are the skeletal remains of a young gray whale and a Dall’s porpoise.

Penn Cove Farm in Coupeville, Washington, grows, harvests and packages Penn Cove mussels. To sample them, consider a waterfront restaurant in Coupeville; offerings at individual restaurants may vary.

The annual Penn Cove MusselFest celebrates mussels farmed in Coupeville by Penn Cove Shellfish. The program includes chowder tastings, cooking demonstrations on preparing mussels, and guided boat tours to a local mussel farm. Program details may vary from year to year. If tastings, cooking demonstrations or a boat tour are important to your trip, check the festival dates in advance.

Local History and Crafts

Visitors can take a self-guided historic walking tour along Front Street. The Alexander Blockhouse in the town center is one of four surviving blockhouses in the Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve. The two options offer different points of focus: the tour follows a historic street, while the blockhouse brings a single structure into focus.

An arts and crafts festival in downtown Coupeville celebrates craftsmanship and the arts. Specific program details may vary from year to year.

Activities and Historic Sites

At Fort Casey Historical State Park, you can hike along the shore of the Admiralty Head Marine Preserve on the Pacific Northwest Trail. You can also fly kites, fish and explore the beach. Trail conditions can change seasonally; check them before hiking.

At Fort Casey Historical State Park, you can see a pair of 10-inch disappearing guns and two additional mounted 3-inch guns at their original firing positions. Admiralty Head Lighthouse offers a different historical perspective: the lighthouse was completed in 1903 and is open to the public with exhibits. Check opening hours before your visit.

Visitor Information

The Coupeville Chamber of Commerce serves as the official visitor center for the Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve. This lets you consider the Reserve as a whole when getting oriented, rather than focusing your plans only on the streets and attractions in the town center.

Discover more destinations: Langley, Oak Harbor, Bells Beach, Greenbank, Camano Island

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