Fort Worden is unable to make or honor reservations through May 4, 2020, as a result of Governor Inslee’s “Stay Home” order issued Monday, March 23, 2020 and the temporary closure of Washington State Parks beginning Wednesday, March 25, 2020.

Please know that your leisure travel reservations can still be made or changed for May 5th and beyond by contacting reservations@fortworden.org or calling 360.344.4400 ext. 304 Monday – Friday between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm PST. We would be happy to review future availability for your stay.

We will continue to keep our guests updated on any changes that may occur and encourage you to visit fortworden.org/blog for the latest communications.

We appreciate your patience as we are working with a limited staff and all messages will be received and responded to by our sales and reservations team.

Thank you for your continued support of Fort Worden, and we look forward to hosting you soon.

To our guests and customers:

These are unprecedented times, and our priority is to protect the welfare and wellbeing of our employees, guests, and community. We continue to adjust operations in accordance with Governor Jay Inslee’s directives to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 illness.

Last week, we closed our restaurants, reduced operations across campus, and were offering accommodations for guests who sought to visit and could still do so under the guidelines at that time. With the Governor’s “Stay Home” order issued Monday night and the temporary closure of State Parks beginning on Wednesday, the PDA is now temporarily closed for all public-facing business.

Even though hotel workers are considered among “essential employees” by the Governor, we can’t sustain the Fort’s hospitality operations without vehicle access to the Park. We strongly support the temporary closure of all state parks to help limit opportunities for social gatherings on State Park properties. According to the State Parks’ press release, all restrooms, campground and day use areas will be closed and vehicle access will be prevented. For the latest information about State Parks operations, please visit: parks.state.wa.us/COVID19

With the latest changes we also are now in the process of further reducing, on a temporary basis, the limited number of staff members who are maintaining critical operational functions. We expect to re-evaluate operations in early April based on any changes to the Governor’s orders.
Please check back with us often for updates as we continue to monitor and respond to the situation.

If you have questions regarding your Group Sales Event that has been affected by the closure, please email our team at salesgroup@fortworden.org.
If you have questions about your leisure travel, please email reservations@fortworden.org.

We appreciate your patience as we are working with a limited staff and messages are being forwarded if your contact is not currently working.

We continue to be heartened by people’s commitment to doing the right thing for the sake of the larger community. We thank you for your continued support of Fort Worden, and we look forward to hosting you soon.

Dave Robison
Executive Director, Fort Worden Public Development Authority

To our guests and customers,

We continue to adjust to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic that has affected the entire world in some way. This week we’ve responded to Governor Jay Inslee’s directives on closing restaurants, limiting group gatherings, and social distancing. This means Reveille and Taps at the Guardhouse are temporarily closed. We are heartened by the public’s commitment to these virus containment measures because they will save lives. That’s what is most important.

We also want to let you know that we are still offering hospitality services for guests seeking overnight accommodations. For those who can make it to Fort Worden now for a getaway, please call our reservations desk at 360-344-4400 ext. 304 or email reservations@fortworden.org. For those who can’t, we’re helping them reschedule for later in the year or into 2021.

The 15 Fort Worden partner nonprofit and for-profit businesses that are part of our Lifelong Learning Center are making independent decisions about their operations, many of which are closing temporarily. Those organizations are updating information about their status and program plans on their websites. Fort Worden partner websites can be reached via https://fortworden.org/our-story/onsite-programs/

Meanwhile, Fort Worden Historic State Park remains open. Visitors can still access the beach, bunkers and other park amenities with a Discover Pass or day-use pass. For the latest on state park operations, visit the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission’s website: parks.state.wa.us/covid19.

With heavy hearts we must note that most of our employees are on standby because of the financial loss the pandemic has delivered to the hospitality industry. With standby status, most of those employees can qualify for unemployment benefits almost immediately. And we are covering health insurance premiums through April 30 for employees with those benefits. Our crew that remains is focused on supporting our guests and maintaining critical operations. This decision was so difficult, and we look forward to bringing everyone back as soon as possible. Like the Fort itself, our team is resilient and we will lean on one another to get us through.

All of this demonstrates that the ripple effect of the virus is vast, and it also reminds us of how interconnected we are. So many people here and beyond need support, and our community needs to find creative ways to meet this challenge. We encourage you to consider the Give Jefferson Emergency Funding Campaign. The campaign is raising money for local nonprofits and community-serving government agencies so that they can increase their services to meet basic human needs and address unexpected financial hardships. Donation information is at https://jcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list/grant

Take care, be safe, and stay healthy.

Dave Robison
Executive Director, Fort Worden Public Development Authority

Dear Fort Worden Community Members,

We wanted to let you know of our plans with staffing and operations to help slow the spread of COVID-19. While we’re told that most people with this virus will experience mild illness, we recognize people’s concerns and the impact the virus can have on certain populations and are taking measures to help maintain a safe community.

As confirmed cases of the infection developed in Seattle, we increased deep cleanings on campus and communications about best hygiene practices. We are now implementing the next stage of our plan with news of Jefferson County’s first confirmed case of COVID-19. Our strategies include following recommendations from the Washington State Department of Health, Jefferson County Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control to prevent or respond to illness in the workplace should it happen here. We also have adjusted practices in our restaurants and dining areas, and on a case-by-case basis are evaluating the events that we provide. With this in mind, the “Crab Boil” at Taps on Sunday, March 8, 2020 will be rescheduled. Stay tuned for more information about this signature spring event and watch for updates on Facebook. Other events and operations are scheduled to continue for the time being.

We are committed to providing you regular updates as we work together to take precautions for the health of our community.

Sincerely,

Dave Robison