Henry J. Kaiser Shipyard Memorial, Washington, United States
4.0 (13 reviews) Spent Ranking #31 in Vancouver Historic Sites
Interesting stories presented here!
This memorial is located in the marine park off SE Columbia Way next to the boat launch. Be aware, there is a $5 parking fee. The former Kaiser Shipyard is now the site of the Columbia Business Park on the south side of Highway 14 in Vancouver along the Columbia River. The viewing tower tells the story of the shipyards through interpretive panels. Climb the stairs of the tower for a view of the river, watch jets take off from the Portland Airport across the river and on a clear day, you can see Mt. Hood to the east. If you look closely at the interpretive panel on the upper deck of the tower you can look out over the industrial park to the west and still see the concrete ways and structures of the shipyard that are still present. I'm glad I took the time to investigate :)
Address
Marine Park off Columbia Way , Vancouver, Washington, United States.
Mobile
Current local date and time now
Saturday, May 11, 2024, 14:38
User Ratings
4.0 based on (13 reviews)
Reviews
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4Steven S 5:00 PM Oct 6, 2012
Excellent Information Boards & Viewing Tower of the Columbia River
Wife and I and a Friend bumbled into this very informative and well done memorial site dedicated to a substantial historical artifact as this private shipyard was turning out large "Liberty" class ships for the WW II Navy every 27 days as well as Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs) and other vital seagoing support ships and Men of War vessels. The information boards are detailed and well done. The viewing tower of the Columbia is two wooden stair flights up and provides an excellent perspective on a very busy and interesting section of this second largest river in the U.S. A nice find and definitely worthwhile for a looksee.
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4interceptpubs 5:00 PM Apr 25, 2018
Quick history lesson on WWII shipbuilding in Portland area
Very simple setup tucked in the corner of Marine Park with a number of information panels explaining the WWII shipyard that was built here, the workers (Rosie the Riveter, etc.) who worked here, the Kaiser family who built it, the transport and warships built here, etc. A nice touch is the observation tower that visitors can climb up to see the remnants of the shipbuilding berths and some of the buildings from the yard that still remain (albeit repurposed for other businesses). There's even a period photo on the observation deck with the various structures highlighted to help visitors locate these structures and identify their original purposes. The tower also provides some great views of the Columbia river including the airport just upriver.
