Tillicum Village facts for kids

Tillicum Village is a fun place to visit near Seattle, Washington. It's on Blake Island, which is a Washington State Park. You can only get to Blake Island by boat! Argosy Cruises offers a special trip called the Tillicum Excursion. This trip is a four-hour boat ride from Pier 55 in downtown Seattle to Tillicum Village and back.

What to Do at Tillicum Village

Salmon cooks on wooden stakes over a fire at Tillicum Village.

Tillicum Village is a special area within Blake Island State Park, covering about 5 acres. When you arrive, friendly Tillicum Village employees greet you. They wear costumes inspired by Northwest Coastal Native tribes.

Outside the main building, called a longhouse, visitors get a warm cup of clam broth. Inside, the longhouse is decorated with beautiful art. This art is made by members of Northwest Coastal Native groups. You can also see a cooking display. Here, whole salmon are cooked over an alder wood fire. They are cooked on cedar stakes, just like people did long ago.

Afterward, guests enjoy a buffet meal. The freshly cooked salmon is the main dish. Then, there's a 25-minute show. It includes stories told by Roger Fernandes of the Klallam tribe. Tillicum Village dancers act out the stories. They wear traditional masks during their performance. After the show, you can talk with the performers. You can also walk along the island's beaches and trails.

You can also camp on Blake Island. If you camp, you can visit the Tillicum Village longhouse on your own.

History of Tillicum Village

World leaders visiting Tillicum Village during a big meeting in 1993.

A local restaurant owner named Bill Hewitt started Tillicum Village in 1962. This was the same year as the Seattle World's Fair. The Hewitt family ran the village for many years. In 2009, they sold it to Argosy Cruises. Argosy Cruises is the company that runs the boat trips to the village.

For 18 years, the main show was called Dance on the Wind. This show featured dances from tribes in British Columbia. A local theater company created the show. In 1978, about 100,000 people visited Tillicum Village. The buildings and the show were updated in 2011.

In 1993, President Clinton visited Tillicum Village. He hosted the first meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum there. This was a big meeting with leaders from many countries.