The Historic Trust is excited to bring back Secret Spaces Tours for Preservation Month 2026!

The Secret Spaces Post Hospital Tour will give participants a chance to step back in time and imagine the rooms of this historic building in action. Built in 1903-1904, the Post Hospital was considered cutting-edge for its time, including being one of the first in the nation to have space purpose-built for taking and developing x-ray images.

Today, many of the building’s original structural features remain:

• Tin ceiling tiles
• Coved ceilings
• Woodwork
• Sun porches, which helped support recovery of tuberculosis patients

With access to explore spaces on all four floors, you’ll get an exclusive peek inside this structure that has been off-limits to the public for decades.

Your experience begins across the street from the Post Hospital at the Red Cross Building with a brief 10-to-15-minute seated educational session by The Historic Trust’s Director of Historic Preservation, Holly Chamberlain, sharing historical and architectural background information about changes the building has seen over time, and about the spaces you’ll get to explore.

Your time in the hospital will not be guided. Most spaces will be open for you to walk through or look into, so you can see the building at your own pace within the allotted time frame.

IMPORTANT – PLEASE NOTE: The Post Hospital is only accessible by stairs, and movement between floors inside the building is via stairs only. Please read the “Building Accessibility” information below to determine if this tour is right for you and your companions. All participants must be at least 12 years of age. All participants must wear closed-toe flat shoes.

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TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets will go on Sale 5/1 at 10am!

Tickets are $35 per person. Ticket price includes all taxes and fees. Tickets are available in advance only.

Tour Times at 9:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm

SECRET SPACES TOUR – BUILDING ACCESSIBLITY

This “Secret Spaces” tour includes areas that are generally off-limits to the public and are not fully accessible. Please use the following building description to determine whether this tour is right for you.  Please let us know ahead of time if you have specific questions about accessibility. Contact us at 360-992-1800.

Post Hospital Tour

The Post Hospital is currently only utilized by The Historic Trust staff and is not open to the public. It is being opened for this special “Secret Spaces” tour only. The building is only accessible by stairs, and movement between floors within the building is via stairs only. There are no accessibility accommodations in place. No ASL provided.

Guests are welcome to purchase tickets to enjoy the brief (10-15 minute) opening presentation about the Post Hospital, which will be held in the Red Cross Building (RCB) and forego exploration of the Post Hospital building requiring mobility. The Red Cross Building is accessible via a ramp on the east side of the building with access from the north. There are accessible restrooms on the main floor.

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Thank you to our Preservation Month sponsor:

We are grateful to Halbert Construction Services for their support of The Historic Trust’s Preservation Month programming: Secret Spaces Three-House Tour, Secret Spaces Post Hospital Tour, and Mid-Century Modern Vancouver with State Architectural Historian Michael Houser.