Submitted by City of Gig Harbor
Harbor WildWatch is excited to announce the relocation of their office and display materials to the Historic Skansie Brother’s House located at 3207 Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor, WA 98335. In a partnership with the City of Gig Harbor, Harbor WildWatch will open the Skansie Visitor Information Center – a dynamic destination for residents, visitors, and boaters to learn about everything Gig Harbor has to offer.
The Skansie Visitor Information Center will provide residents and visitors with information on shops, dining, services, and lodging offered in Gig Harbor, as well as highlight the marine life that makes Gig Harbor living special. In their proposal to City Council, Harbor WildWatch explained that “the most effective way to bring both prominence and vitality to the visitor’s experience is to establish an interactive center that accentuates the maritime community. This addition to the Gig Harbor Downtown Waterfront District will complement the existing cultural opportunities in the Harbor History Museum and Gig Harbor BoatShop and attract even more residents, shoppers, and visitors to the downtown community.”
With a well-established reputation of delivering high-quality environmental education programs for all ages, Harbor WildWatch is uniquely qualified to operate this interactive visitor’s center. Executive Director, Lindsey Johnson, described the organizations deep history with Skansie Brother’s Park, “We have been delivering fun, family-friendly educational events for the past 10 years in this park. Our first event took place right here at Jerisich Dock and last year we delivered nearly 40 events to over 10,000 visitors in Skansie Park – that’s a third of the total visitors we reached in all of 2013! Harbor WildWatch has a history with Skansie Brother’s Park and we are honored with the opportunity to spread our message of stewardship from our new home at the Historic Skansie House.”
The Skansie Visitor Information Center will open Wednesday, July 30, 2014 from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on opening day at 12:00 p.m. During the Summer months, operating hours will be Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Winter hours will go into effect October 1 through April 30, with open hours Thursday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. In collaboration with the Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center on Judson Street, the two visitor centers will provide tourists and residents easy options to learn more about events and activities taking place in the greater Gig Harbor area.