Kirkland
Type: Ships
Owner: Argosy Cruises
Phone: 206-623-1445
Designation*: WHR NR
Built: 1924
Location: Central Way and Market St., Kirkland
Map and directions (Courtesy Google Maps)
Hours: Contact owner
Admission: Contact owner

*DOE=Designated eligible; NR=National Register of Historic Places; NHL=National Historic Landmark; WHR=Washington Heritage Register; City=Local city; County=Local county; N/A=Not applicable

Comments from site users
9/17/2007 4 out of 5
Fun!

The MV Kirkland is a 1924 wooden-hulled car ferry that has served passengers all over the Pacific Northwest. The vessel spent most of its early career on the Columbia River. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the US Navy commandeered the vessel to lay mines at the mouth of the river. The ferry was moved from Astoria, Oregon to Pierce County, Washington in 1967 and renamed the Islander of Pierce County. It worked on Puget Sound for many years, but eventually its wooden-hull design was overshadowed by vessels with more modern steel-hull designs.

In 1996, new private owners refurbished the vessel, adding two full-service bars, a galley, and 12-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, making the main deck unique among vessels in the Northwest. The vessel is listed on the Washington Historic Register and the National Register of Historic Places. In the summer, the Kirkland departs Marina Dock in Kirkland for cruises of Lake Washington, including narrated tours featuring homes of Seattle's rich and famous, Husky Stadium, and the region's gorgeous scenery. Contact Argosy Cruises for details.