No matter what corner of the world you explore, there’s always hidden gems to be found, and Grays Harbor’s no different. With the area’s fascinating history, expansive forests, famed individuals, historic town centers and untouched beaches, the potential to discover something new on every visit is possible. With the help of local knowledge, we’ve compiled a list of hidden gems to explore when visiting the Washington Coast.
Soak Up the History at the Grays Harbor County Courthouse
Built in 1911, the Grays Harbor County Courthouse stands tall in the city of Montesano. Considered one of the finest in the state, the Courthouse was built sparing no expense complete with arched windows and classical columns, brass rails, terrazzo and ceramic tile floors, marble sheathing, varnished walnut and oak panels, beveled glass windows, intricate murals, and crowned by a stately dome with a 100-year-old clock in the center. More information on the history of this fascinating building can be found here. Contact the Grays Harbor County Courthouse at (360) 249-3731 for information on visiting!
Visit Kurt Cobain’s Childhood Home
Most Kurt Cobain fans will know his upbringing began in Aberdeen near the “muddy banks of the Wishkah River.” The words from his music are intertwined with the town that shaped him, so for many visitors, seeing his home first-hand is an incredible experience. Recently, the house was placed on Washington State’s Department of Archaeology Preservation Heritage Register. To further enrich the experience, plans to turn the home that Kurt lived in from 1968 to 1984 into a visitable museum are in the works and will allow an even deeper understanding of the man who heavily influenced the grunge music scene of the 1990s.
Kurt Cobain’s childhood home located at 1210 E First St. in Aberdeen.
While in the area of his home at 1210 East First St., be sure to visit the Kurt Cobain Memorial Park just a few blocks away, as well as other Cobain-associated sites in the city.
Marvel at the Historic Olympic Stadium
Completed in 1938, Hoquiam’s Olympic Stadium is an old growth fir, heavy-timber frame structure built to support 10,000 fans from the booming town. Dedicated during a game between Hoquiam and Aberdeen’s football teams, the longest running high school football rivalry in the state, the stadium has since played host to hundreds of events. One of the most notable is actor and comedian, Bill Murray’s 1978 visit to Hoquiam fulfilling his dream of playing professional baseball for the Loggers.
Today, the stadium is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. To visit the Olympic Stadium, watch our online calendar for an event such as Logger’s Playday each September that will give access inside the historic stadium.
Step Back in Time at Billy’s Bar & Grill
Billy Gohl is a perhaps the most well-known figure from Grays Harbor, and to help tell his and many others stories from the hey-day of Aberdeen, Billy’s Bar & Grill dedicates their 1904 building to doing just that. While the city was exploding with lumber, fishing and sailing activity in the early 1900s, Billy was a dashing man admired around town as a secretary of the local sailor’s union.
Before becoming Billy’s Bar & Grill, the building was a pharmacy for many years. Photo Credit: Aberdeen Museum of History
As the stories go, Billy soon began performing acts of vengeance including mysterious arsons, murders and robberies and is most well-known to have supposedly dropped the bodies through a trap door directly into the dark river below. Although he was later arrested and convicted, his story has lived on for a over a century.
While visiting the historic Billy’s Bar & Grill, marvel at the beautifully preserved building while enjoying a delicious meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Get to Know the Famed “Wild Man of the Wynoochee”
Another famous face from Grays Harbor is John Tornow, but for a different legend than the famed Billy Gohl. Tornow grew up along the Satsop River and always loved exploring the expansive wilderness. As he grew older, he began spending nearly all his time in the woods hunting, fishing and living completely off the land. He was known to dress in animal skins and shoes made of bark in tune with his solitary lifestyle. After making alleged threats, his brothers captured him and took the 6’4’, 250 lbs. man to a sanitarium in Oregon where he later escaped and made his way back to his land, further distancing him from society and his family.
As legend grew surrounding Tornow, a heartbreaking scene unfolded where two local twin teens fired a bullet near him, only to be swiftly returned, leaving the two dead. After the boys were found and city dwellers assumed who their killer was, fantasies surrounding Tornow only intensified, eventually leading to a bounty, manhunt and the eventual killing of the famed “Wild Man of the Wynoochee.” Numerous newspaper articles screamed with headlines calling Tornow “The Great Outlaw of Western Washington.”
Today, respects for the man who many argue was simply trying to live his peaceful life in the mountains can be paid at his gravestone at Grove Cemetery, 13 miles north on Brady-Matlock road, at the Running Anvil Carriage Museum in Montesano to see the Tornow Carriage, or on a guided tour that occasionally runs throughout the year and visits his homestead and other relevant locations to his life.
The Fresnel lighthouse lens at the Westport Maritime Museum.
View a Fully Restored Whale Skeleton and Fresnel Lighthouse Lens
The Maritime Museum provides a rare opportunity to get up close to a 30-ft., 3,500 lbs. yearling gray whale. The massive skeleton is re-assembled in a glass case outside the museum.
While there, head inside the 1940s former U.S. Coast Guard Station and explore the exhibits depicting coastal life. Also on site is the impressive 1890s working first-order Fresnel lighthouse lens. This beautiful structure contains 1,176 prisms and illuminates the entire room as it slowly rotates, providing a spectacular sight and experience.
Paddle Along Fresh Water Canals
The fresh water canals of Ocean Shores, Photo Credit: Ocean Shores Boat House
While a visit to Grays Harbor is usually associated with a trip to the beach, be sure not to miss Ocean Shores’ very own fresh waterways. While the North Beach peninsula provides excellent opportunities to wander along the shores of the Pacific Ocean, tucked just nearby are the over 23 miles of fresh, calm waters that were constructed in the 1950s and 1960s.
Rent a boat, kayak, stand up paddle board or bring your own and watch for native wildlife such as fox, deer, otters, and bald eagles.
View the Olympic Mountain Range and Mt. Rainier from Westport
View of the Olympic Mountain Range from the Westport Marina.
Not many people are aware that on a clear day the beautiful mountains that make up this portion of the Pacific Northwest can be viewed directly from the Westport Marina. After a visiting the many local shops and restaurants, stroll along the marina and take in the incredible views of the Olympic Mountains to the north and Mt. Rainier to the east. A great vantage point is the Westport Viewing Tower located to the west of the marina.
For more things to do while visiting Grays Harbor, continue exploring our blog! Extend your stay on the coast by booking an overnight stay in one of area’s many hotels, motels and campgrounds. Explore them all by clicking here.
This original content is produced by Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. and sponsored by Grays Harbor County Tourism.