The shipyard at 5351 24th Ave. NW still hauls boats out of Salmon Bay. A new exhibit at the National Nordic Museum tells the story of the families who built it.

"A Ballard Story: Pacific Fishermen," which opened Oct. 9 and runs through Feb. 28, 2027, traces the history of Pacific Fishermen Shipyard, one of Ballard's last working shipyards, as first reported by My Ballard. The multimedia exhibit features historic photography, oral histories, interactive elements and artifacts.

Four hundred Norwegian-heritage fishermen founded Pacific Fishermen in 1946 as a co-op style shipyard, according to My Ballard. They built it on the site of the Ballard Marine Railway Co., a shipyard dating to the 1890s. The yard sits on Salmon Bay just east of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, according to the shipyard's website. It still operates as a full-service facility, handling haul-outs, maintenance and supplies for tugboats, passenger cruise and charter boats, yachts and fishing vessels.

The exhibit covers the changing landscape of Ballard before and after settlement, plus the history of shipbuilding and fishing on Salmon Bay. It also explores immigration patterns, multigenerational fishing families and the dangers of maritime work, according to My Ballard. The exhibit highlights Doug Dixon's role in preserving Ballard's maritime history and culture. My Ballard identified Dixon as Pacific Fishermen's former general manager.

The museum's exhibit page describes the show as connecting visitors "to the place, people, industries, and communities that shaped Ballard and continue to shape Seattle today."

The exhibit draws on oral history interviews spanning more than two decades. The museum's oral histories page lists 16 recorded interviews, with subjects including Arnold Reinholdtsen (interviewed in 2000), Gordon Strand (2014) and Tor Tollessen (June 2026). Several interviews were conducted as recently as spring 2026.

Exhibit access is included with general admission, which ranges from $10 to $25, according to the museum's ticket page.

On the first Thursday of every month, general admission is free, though the special exhibit costs $5 at the door. The museum also offers free admission through the Museums For All program to visitors with public assistance identification cards such as WIC, EBT or Medicaid, covering up to five people per card.

The yard has operated continuously for 80 years.