Historic Barn Tour

Historic Barn Tour

Heritage Barns of Skagit Valley – Historic Barn Tour

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photo credit: andyporterimages.com

Architecture is the key, but these magnificent structures dotted throughout the countryside take you to a simpler time. Each barn — whether it’s an English Gambrel, Broken Gable or Salt Box style — is as rich in anecdotal history as it is in the patina of worn wood. Some barns are more than 100 years old, some were used for cattle and dairy farming, and most are still in use.  You will be delighted with history and beauty during your historic barn tour in Skagit Valley!

There’s a delightful history with each cavernous structure, such as the one that has an old hand-made sign, still intact, that reads “Saturday Night Dance.”

The Skagit County Historical Museum has created a heritage barn tour including 55 historic registered barns. These self-guided tours include the build date, roof style, agricultural use and in many cases, the family history of many Skagit County pioneers.

We hope you enjoy viewing these amazing structures – and learning about their wonderful histories.

Please do not enter private property!  The barns are view-able from the roadway and are not available for touring the inside of the barn or on the private property.

Historic Barn Tour Map of ALL Barns

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Here are some helpful tips!

• The photos of the barns are from the public right of way. There are three barns – #4, #16 and #29 – that are not visible from the roadway. We have provided photos of these barns, but please do not attempt to access them. Please be respectful of private property. Interior access to the barns is not available.

• The barns are scattered across the county, so following the map 1 to 58 may not be the best route. We suggest taking the barns in zones and enjoy them by area.

• Many of the barns are in remote parts of the County, so your cell phone and internet services may not work in all areas.

• The map is not meant to be a ‘road map’. It is to provide designations for each barn and get you in the vicinity. The map is not exactly to scale, so we suggest using either a GPS to locate, or a detailed road map of the County.

• As you travel around the County, you may notice other amazing barns that aren’t included in the map. The map lists the 58 barns that have been designated Heritage Barns. Hopefully more barns will be added to this list, so the wonderful structures can be protected and preserved. Enjoy the additional bonus sights!

Heritage Barn Mobile Tour

Dial 360-355-3039 to access audio recordings of each barn.
When prompted, enter the number of the Barn you are interested in.
While listening to the recordings, you can press:
1 to rewind
2 to pause/play
3 to fast forward
# to skip
Press *0 to leave feedback about your tour.

Photo Contest

Snap photos and win a prize! Take a picture of your favorite barn, and send it to us. We’ll send you a copy of our award-winning book, “Harvesting the Light”!  Email your photos to barns@co.skagit.wa.us. Please limit your email to one photo per submission, not to exceed 20MB. *Please do not enter private property to take photos!

Skagit County Historical Museum

The family-friendly Skagit County Historical Museum is located at the top of the hill in La Conner.  The museum has a printed version of the tour available as does the La Conner Visitor Information Center.

Skagit County Historical Museum
501 South 4th, La Conner
360-466-3365
Tues – Sun 11 to 5, open Mondays in April

La Conner Visitor Information Center
888-642-9284
info@laconnerchamber.com

Historic Barn Photography Tours – Photos By Andy Porter