Exhibition exploring the history and resilience of Seattle's maritime industries through the story of Pacific Fishermen, Inc., one of Ballard's last working shipyards.
A Ballard Story: Pacific Fishermen opens at the National Nordic Museum on Friday, October 9, and runs through February 28, 2027. It's a look at the history and resilience of Seattle's maritime industries, told through the story of Pacific Fishermen, Inc., one of Ballard's last working shipyards and a living symbol of the neighborhood's working waterfront.
The site has connected generations of shipbuilders, fishermen, maritime workers, and families tied to the waters of Salmon Bay for more than 150 years. It's remained a point of continuity and adaptation even as Ballard transformed around it, and the exhibition traces that evolution. The design is immersive, drawing on historic photography, oral histories, interactive elements, artifacts, and contemporary perspectives to cover the changing landscape of the neighborhood, the history of shipbuilding and commercial fishing on Salmon Bay, and the immigration and multi-generational fishing families that defined the area. It also looks at the dangers and realities of maritime work, alongside the role Doug Dixon played in preserving the area's history and culture.
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If you're not a member, admission is included with a General Admission ticket. On Free First Thursdays, museum admission is free and entry to the special exhibition is $5 at the door. The museum is at 2655 NW Market Street in Ballard.
