Craving urban energy with mountain views and waterfront beauty? Head to Tacoma! Located on the shores of Puget Sound, Tacoma combines museums, outdoor adventure, and vibrant neighborhoods. Whether you're exploring world-class glass art, hiking forested trails, or sipping craft beer downtown, Tacoma is an exciting and laid-back Pacific Northwest getaway.
Tacoma, WA Highlights:
- For Families: Explore the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium – Lions, sharks, and polar bears in a beautiful coastal park setting.
- For Outdoor Enthusiasts: Hike in Point Defiance Park – Trails wind through old-growth forests and along scenic Puget Sound bluffs.
- For Kids: Visit the Children's Museum of Tacoma – Hands-on exhibits designed to inspire creativity and discovery in young children.
- For an Adventure: Kayak Ruston Way Waterfront – Paddle along the Sound with views of Mount Rainier and marine wildlife.
- For Shoppers: Browse Proctor and Sixth Avenue – Discover indie boutiques, bookstores, art galleries, and cozy cafés.
Best Time to Visit Tacoma, WA
The best time to visit Tacoma is from May through September. Summer brings warm, dry days perfect for outdoor exploration and waterfront activities. Spring and fall offer fewer crowds and mild weather, while winter is cooler and wetter but still ideal for museum-hopping and indoor fun.
How to Get to Tacoma, WA
- By Air: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is about 25–30 minutes from Tacoma by car or shuttle.
- By Car: Tacoma is easily accessed via I-5 and WA-16, about 35 miles south of Seattle and 30 miles north of Olympia.
- By Train: Amtrak and Sounder commuter rail both stop at Tacoma Dome Station for easy access to the city and region.
Where to Stay in Tacoma, WA
- Hotel Murano – Stylish art-themed hotel downtown, steps from museums and restaurants.
- Silver Cloud Inn Tacoma Waterfront – Comfortable accommodations with Puget Sound views and access to the Ruston Way trail.
- The Villa Bed & Breakfast – Historic Italian-style villa with elegant rooms and gourmet breakfast in a quiet neighborhood.
Best Things to Do in Tacoma, WA
1. Visit the Tacoma Art Museum
Rating: ★★★★★
The Tacoma Art Museum was founded in 1935 and moved to its present location in 2003. Dedicated to collecting and showing Northwestern art, the museum owns over 4,500 items, including the largest collection of Dale Chihuly glass art and the largest collection of jewelry by Northwestern artists.
It holds impressive works by 19th-century European artists, such as Renoir, Degas, and Pissarro, and numerous amounts of Japanese woodblock prints from the 17th to the late 19th centuries. The Haub Family Collection of Western Art is particularly fine and contains works by Frederic Remington and Georgia O'Keefe. The museum offers programs for all school grades as well as professional development workshops for art educators.
Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98402, Phone: 253-272-4258
2. Learn about Tacoma's marine heritage at the Foss Waterway Seaport
Spend an afternoon exploring the exhibits at the Foss Waterway Seaport.
For Nature Enthusiasts
3. Walk through the Tacoma Nature Center
Visit the Tacoma Nature Center with a lake and wetlands at its heart.
4. Five Mile Drive and Trails
Enjoy the scenic Five Mile Drive and Trails.
5. Fish on American Lake
Swim and fish in American Lake just south of Tacoma.
Attractions for Couples
6. LeMay - America's Car Museum
Harold LeMay was a Tacoma businessman who, at the time of his death, owned the largest private car collection in the world; he had over 3,500 cars. The LeMay - America's Car Museum has 350 of his cars from a wide range of car manufacturers and eras. Here visitors can see race cars from Lotus and Ferrari as well as a 1953 Citroen, a 1913 Daimler, a 1926 Ford Model T pickup, a 1929 Cadillac, a 1932 Packard, and a 1966 Ford Mustang.
The museum also has exhibits showcasing Harold LeMay, British cars, alternative fuels, classic cars, and BMWs. Guided tours are available. For hands-on fun, there is a Formula 1 racing simulator and a family zone where kids can relax and play. The museum, which is located next to the Tacoma Dome, offers guided tours, a full-service café, and a gift shop selling Route 66 souvenirs, model cars, car care products, and Ford collectibles.
2702 E D Street, Tacoma, WA 98421, Phone: 253-779-8490
7. Broadway Center for the Performing Arts
The Broadway Center for the Performing Arts comprises the Pantages Theater and the Rialto Theater, both completed in 1918, and the much newer Theater on the Square, which opened in 1993. Set in Tacoma's downtown theater district, the Broadway Center is the home of the Tacoma Opera, Tacoma Symphony, Tacoma Youth Symphony, Tacoma Concert Band, Northwest Sinfonietta, and the Tacoma City Ballet.
Over the nearly hundred years of its history, the complex has hosted great performers including Mae West, the Marx Brothers, Harry Houdini, Babe Ruth, Dave Barry, Bob Newhart, Victor Borge, and Jack Benny. All seats are good seats in the three theaters, and marvelous acoustics add to the on-stage acts.
901 Broadway, Tacoma, WA 98402, Phone: 253-591-5890
8. Chihuly Bridge of Glass
Dale Chihuly is a Tacoma native who is world-renowned for his unique glass creations. The 500-foot bridge spans Interstate 705 and the Foss Waterway; it is a pedestrian bridge and is partially covered. It links the Museum of Glass to Museum Row and Tacoma's downtown. The covered section of the bridge has a ceiling installment called the Seaform Pavilion, on which hang over 2,000 glass objects, giving the viewer the perspective of looking at a coral reef from below.
Further along the bridge are towers made of blue translucent crystal, which capture and refract the daylight and which are illuminated from below at night. The final installation on the bridge is Venetian Row, an 80-foot wall filled with 109 glass sculptures, all of them museum quality. From the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, visitors have an excellent view of Mount Rainier and the city of Tacoma; there is no charge to cross the bridge.
Recommended Activities for Families
9. Children's Museum of Tacoma
The Children's Museum of Tacoma believes that it is while playing that children learn the most. This museum was designed for infants up to the age of 8 and has several different playscapes for youngsters to explore. The Woods section of the museum has logs, elevated platforms, pulleys, and fort-building material, while the Water area supplies rubber aprons so that kids can use their hands to play in the running water and the waterfall.
The Voyager is a ship with ropes to climb, wheels to turn, and a child's imagination to foster. In Becka's Studio, there is plenty of equipment for messy, creative art projects, and the Invention Studio has blocks, boards, fabrics, and tubes for building, learning gross motor skills, and early math learning. The museum has a small snack bar, lockers for rent, and a strict no-stroller policy.
1501 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98402, Phone: 253-627-6031
10. Fort Nisqually Living History Museum
When the Hudson's Bay Company expanded to the west coast of North America, it was at Fort Nisqually that it based its fur trading and farming operations. Over the next few decades, local turmoil saw the fort fall into disrepair and finally close in 1869 as the fur trade waned. As part of Roosevelt's New Deal employment initiatives in the 1930s, the fort was restored; two of its original buildings, the keeper's house and the granary, are still standing.
A trade store, a dwelling house, a kitchen, a kitchen garden, and a working blacksmith's shop have been added and, with the addition of costumed docents, the museum is now a great way to learn Washington history. There are many hands-on activities for both adults and children, including churning butter and baking bread. School groups are welcome. The museum has a small gift shop.
Point Defiance Park, 5400 North Pearl Street, Tacoma, WA 98407, Phone: 253-591-5339
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