Tacoma, Washington, situated on beautiful Puget Sound, has a wealth of cultural opportunities, outdoor activities, restaurants, parks, and wildlife.
Point Defiance Park brings visitors and residents in touch with fine beaches, hiking through old-growth forests, botanical gardens, and historic sites.
Museum Row offers world-class museums focused on glass art, rare manuscripts, ship building, and classic cars. Tacoma is the nearest city to Mount Rainier National Park and the beauty of the Cascade Mountain Range.
1. Tacoma Art Museum
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.
1701 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98402, Phone: 253-272-4258
2. Foss Waterway Seaport
The Foss Waterway Seaport celebrates Tacoma's marine heritage and gives visitors a fascinating glimpse into an important part of Tacoma's history: boat and ship building. The museum is located in a century-old wheat warehouse and was once supplied by train, with the wheat shipping out to sea. Dedicated to heritage and education, the museum has interesting exhibits that will delight history buffs and boat lovers.
There are models of commercial vessels made by ship builders in Tacoma; canoes made by the Willits Brothers from 1908-1967, early scuba equipment, vintage fishing lures, sculptures of marine debris, and classic recreational boats. The highlight of the museum is a working heritage wooden boat shop staffed by volunteer shipbuilders; visitors to the museum can watch and ask questions. The museum has a kids' craft area as well as knowledgeable and friendly docents.
705 Dock Street, Tacoma, WA 98402, Phone: 253-272-3023
3. Tacoma Nature Center
The Tacoma Nature Center is a 71-acre nature preserve with Snake Lake and its wetlands at its heart. The forested park is great for trail walks and wildlife spotting: there are cottontail rabbits, red foxes, raccoons, and black-tailed deer living here. The lake is home to wood duck, mallards, Canada geese, and western painted turtles. Inside the interpretative center there are displays on the ecosystems and animal life within the nature preserve.
The nature center's highlight is Discovery Pond, a unique children's play area with a treehouse, a hollow log to climb through, boulders to scramble over, and a waterfall to play around. Naturalists are on hand to answer questions, while the nature center, which charges no admission, offers a gift shop, summer day camps, nature programs, and birthday parties.
1919 S. Tyler Street, Tacoma, WA 98405, Phone: 253-591-6439
4. Things to Do in Tacoma: Five Mile Drive and Trails
Five Mile Drive and its trails are in Point Defiance Park on Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Vehicle traffic may drive through the inner loop of the park, while the outer loop is open only to pedestrians and cyclists. There are several well-marked trails that range in distance from ¼ mile to 4 ½ miles. The trails traverse old-growth forest, beaches, steep cliffs, and a delightful garden of rhododendrons.
Hikers are granted spectacular views of Puget Sound, Vashon Island, and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Visitors lucky enough to see animals on their meanderings around the park should know that there are hefty fines for feeding the animals. Wildlife in the park includes bald eagles, mule deer, red foxes, squirrels, raccoons, while by the shore there are sea lions and the opportunity to watch humpback whales migrate.
5. American Lake
American Lake is located just south of Tacoma in the community of Lakewood. It is a popular destination for fishing; the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife keeps it stocked with rainbow trout and kokanee, and there are natural populations of yellow perch, rock bass, largemouth bass, coastal cutthroat, and brown bullhead catfish.
The Department of Fish & Wildlife has a two-lane concrete boat launch available. Two public parks on the lakeshore have beaches that attract swimmers, sunbathers, picnickers, and fishing enthusiasts; shore fishing available in both parks, there is lovely clean water in which to swim, and benches, picnic tables, and restrooms are available. Deer are often spotted, and bald eagles dive into the lake in search of kokanee.
9222 Veterans Drive SW, Lakewood, WA 98439, Phone: 253-589-1998
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 bridge, visitors have an excellent view of Mount Rainier and the city of Tacoma; there is no charge to cross the bridge.
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. Things to Do in Tacoma: 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
11. Tacoma Glassblowing Studio
The Tacoma Glassblowing Studio is a venture run by a husband-and-wife team and has been operating since 2006. Visitors to the studio can buy art from the beautiful pieces on display, admire the artworks, watch demonstrations of glassblowing, or enroll in classes. Classes fill up months in advance, but are worth the wait.
The studio offers 1-day workshops, 4-week and 6-week classes, and private lessons of 2 or 4 hours in length. In the 1-day workshops, participants make glass pumpkins or glass tree ornaments. The glassblowing studio is known for its massive glass pumpkin patches, comprising between 1,000 and 2,000 pumpkins each, of all different sizes, styles, and prices.
114 S. 23rd Street, Tacoma, WA 98402, Phone: 253-383-3499
12. Job Carr House Museum
Job Carr was a restless man who was born in New Jersey in 1813. His strong abolitionist views led him to a 3-year stint in the Union Army, during which he was seriously wounded. He moved first to Indiana, then to Iowa, and when he heard that the government had authorized the building of a railroad to the Pacific Northwest, he sold up his land and became the Tacoma area's first European settler in 1864. While he built his cabin, he lived under a cedar bark shelter with his cat, Tom.
What visitors see today is a reproduction of the original cabin, decorated as it would have been in the mid-19th century and furnished with antiques. Knowledgeable docents have much to tell about Job Carr and why settlers moved to the Pacific Northwest. For children, there are costumes to dress in and old-time toys to play with and the site is very popular with school groups. There is no charge for admission.
2350 North 30th Street, Tacoma, WA 98403, Phone: 253-627-5405
13. Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum
California real estate magnates David and Marsha Karpeles amassed the largest private collection of manuscripts in the world, which they put on display in eleven locations across the United States. The goal of these museums is to stimulate cultural literacy, and the free admission makes the manuscripts accessible to anyone interested.
The Tacoma museum is a large Greco-Roman building across from Wright Park, and its exhibits change frequently. Founded in 1983, the museum has manuscripts of the Bill of Rights and others by such luminaries as Charles Dickens, Ludwig van Beethoven, Christopher Columbus, Ernest Shackleton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, and Galileo Galilei as well as pencil drawings by Norman Rockwell.
407 SG Street, Tacoma, WA 98405, Phone: 253-383-2575
14. LeMay Family Collection
Harold and Nancy LeMay, both Washington natives, built a highly successful refuse business, collecting the garbage in five counties across the state. They also assembled the largest private car collection in the world. Part of their collection is housed at America's Car Museum, also in Tacoma, but the majority is at Marymount. Marymount was a boys' military academy run by the Sisters of St. Dominic from 1919 to 1975.
They sold the property to the LeMays in the 1980s and both the grounds and the buildings have been maintained. There are 500 cars on display at any one time, and guided tours by extremely knowledgeable docents are available. There are not just cars, but also buses, military vehicles, motorcycles, buses, trucks, motorhomes, and unique custom vehicles. The museum is still overseen by Nancy LeMay and holds annual charity auctions.
325 152nd Street East, Tacoma, WA 98445, Phone: 253-272-2336
15. Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park was the fifth national park to be created and was opened by William McKinley in 1899. It is immense, measuring 236,000 acres, while the mountain itself, the fifth highest in the United States, stands out from the Cascade Mountain Range at 14,411 feet. The park has so many diverse ecosystems, such as old-growth forests, gigantic glaciers, waterfalls, alpine meadows teeming with wildflowers, and deep gorges and valleys.
It is home to an abundance of wildlife. Cougars, black bears, bobcats, deer, elk, mountain goats, and many other animals roam freely, while golden eagles, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and spotted owls fly over the beautiful park. Visitors may hike, camp, climb, sled, cross-country ski, and snowboard through the park. Permits are required for overnight camping.
16. Museum of Glass
The striking Museum of Glass, a conical building designed by renowned Canadian architect Arthur Erickson, has been a Tacoma landmark since its construction in 2002. The museum is a wonderful destination for all who love glass art, and its highlight are the glass blowing demonstrations. These are held in the 145-seat amphitheater and are narrated.
The museum has permanent collections of 20th and 21st-century glass art as well as pieces from the Kids Design Glass program: glassworks made using the drawings of children as inspiration. The museum has a visiting artist residency program and works by these artists are also featured in the museum's collection. A fine gift shop and rotating exhibits round out the excellence of the Museum of Glass.
1801 Dock Street, Tacoma, WA 98402, Phone: 866-468-7386
17. Owen Beach
Owen Beach is an ocean beach in Point Defiance Park. In the summer it is a marvelous place for swimming, sunbathing, shore fishing, dog-walking, or strolling along the paved seaside walkway. The beach has picnic tables in abundance, a picnic shelter that can be rented up to a year in advance, a children's play area, restrooms, and many concessions for buying food.
From the beach, there is a lovely view of Puget Sound and Vashon Island. Quite regularly, sea lions and seals come ashore to sun themselves. Regulations state that people must give the marine animals 100 yards of space and not approach them or allow their dogs to do so. Kayaks and canoes can be rented at a stand on the beach.
5605 Owen Beach Road, Tacoma, WA 98407, Phone: 253-305-1010
18. Point Defiance Park
Point Defiance Park, an urban park located on the banks of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, has much more to offer than a typical city park. It has a zoo, an aquarium, a boardwalk, a lovely ocean beach, an off-leash dog park, a boathouse and marina, hiking trails, and a stand of old-growth forest that contains 450-year-old Douglas firs.
The park also has a variety of gardens, including a rose garden, a Japanese garden, a dahlia garden, and a rhododendron garden. Wild animals live in the park, and visitors may sight bald eagles, seals and sea lions sunning themselves, mule deer, red foxes, and wolves. Ranger-led nature walks and workshops run throughout the year. Point Defiance Park is a popular special events venue, with the picnic shelters, Japanese pagoda, and rose garden available for rent.
5400 North Pearl Street, Tacoma, WA 98407, Phone: 253-305-1000
19. Things to Do in Tacoma: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is home to more than 9,000 animals from 360 species. The zoo opened in 1905 and the aquarium in 1935; it has become a leader in the conservation and breeding of the endangered red wolf. The Asian Forest Sanctuary houses both Sumatran and Malayan tigers, gibbons, porcupines, and Asian elephants.
In the Arctic Tundra exhibit, visitors can see polar bears, Arctic foxes, muskox, and reindeer. Harbor seals, walruses, sea otters, and puffins are the main residents of the Rocky Shore exhibit. The aquarium is divided into north and south Pacific sections and has giant octopi, sharks, fish, corals, and eels. It offers the unique opportunity of scuba diving in a shark tank. Daily animal talks and a fascinating children's zoo round out the offerings of this small but excellent animal park.
5400 North Pearl Street, Tacoma, WA 98407, Phone: 253-591-5337
20. Things to Do Near Me Today: Swan Creek Mountain Bike Park
Swan Creek Park is a greenspace tucked into the land between East Tacoma and Pierce County. The salmon-bearing Puyallup River runs through it, and it has lush wooded canyons, natural and paved trails, a community garden, and a newly built mountain bike park with more additions to it in the planning stages.
The mountain bike park welcomes non-motorized bicycles of all sorts, advises that helmets should always be worn, and is Tacoma's first and only mountain bike park. It has an easy perimeter trail called Hustle and Flow, while Ground Control and Major Tom are advanced trails, and there are four jump lines and a technical skill-building zone.
3997 E Roosevelt Ave, Tacoma, WA 98404, Phone: 253-305-1000
21. Destiny Harbor Tours
Since 2007, Destiny Harbor Tours have been offering visitors and residents two different tours on their restored U.S. Navy Boats. The Puget Sound Tour takes in the Thea Foss Waterway, cruises by Old Town, looks at real working ships and tugboats, has terrific views of the city and its bridges, and is often able to point out local wildlife, such as eagles, hawks, herons, leaping salmon, and basking seals and sea lions.
The Gig Harbor Tour departs from Point Defiance and travels to the Narrows Bridges and Salmon Bridge, providing impressive views of Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains. Groups of up to 33 people can be accommodated. Destiny Harbor Tours also offers private charters and is licensed for at-sea memorials, with or without the scattering of ashes.
8829 Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor, WA 98332, Phone: 253-225-6306
22. Asado Cucina Argentina
Asado Cucina Argentina is an Argentinian-themed steakhouse in Tacoma's popular 6th Avenue dining district. Latin American cuisine is served for dinner daily and for lunch Monday to Friday. All the beef on the menu is cooked in the display kitchen over a mesquite grill, wafting delightful aromas into the dining room, which is decorated in dark woods, metalwork, and a mural depicting Argentinian rural life.
Appetizers include empanadas, ceviche, chorizo crab cakes, butternut squash soup, serrano-wrapped prawns, and fried calamari. Entrees range from mesquite-grilled beef and chicken to quinoa bowls, lamb shanks, pastas, sandwiches, and salads. Asado also does full-service off-site catering.
2810 6th Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98406, Phone: 253-272-7770
More ideas: Things to do in Puyallup
23. Washington State History Museum
Immerse yourself in the state’s rich and vibrant history by taking a visit to the Washington State History Museum. Operated by the non-profit Washington State Historical Society, the museum is home to a number of revolving exhibits along with five permanent exhibits. The Great Hall of Washington History is their largest permanent exhibit which features a number of ancient artifacts detailing the state’s early history. The exhibit also showcases first-person accounts of migration into Washington along with the state’s development through the years. A walk through this museum is sure to stir up a new found appreciation not only for Washington state, but also for the beauty of art, community, and human experience.
1911 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, Washington 98402, Phone: 888-238-4373
24. Pick-Quick Drive In
Pick-Quick Drive In Pick-Quick is a chain of drive-in restaurants that have been serving Washington State since 1949. They serve delicious fast food and pride themselves on using fresh, natural ingredients, sustainable packaging, and eco-friendly architecture. Diners eat in their car or on the picnic tables outside. The restaurant serves burgers, hot dogs, french fries and chili fries, beverages, and a variety of ice cream treats such as cones, sundaes, and old-fashioned malts and floats. Pick-Quick is a great place to stop if you want delicious food in a hurry and friendly, fast-paced service.
4306 Pacific Highway East, Tacoma, WA 98424, Phone: 253-922-5599
The top attractions to visit in Tacoma, WA near me today according to local experts are:
- 1. Tacoma Art Museum
- 2. Foss Waterway Seaport
- 3. Tacoma Nature Center
- 4. Things to Do in Tacoma: Five Mile Drive and Trails
- 5. American Lake
- 6. LeMay - America's Car Museum
- 7. Broadway Center for the Performing Arts
- 8. Chihuly Bridge of Glass
- 9. Children's Museum of Tacoma
- 10. Things to Do in Tacoma: Fort Nisqually Living History Museum
- 11. Tacoma Glassblowing Studio
- 12. Job Carr House Museum
- 13. Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum
- 14. LeMay Family Collection
- 15. Mount Rainier National Park
- 16. Museum of Glass
- 17. Owen Beach
- 18. Point Defiance Park
- 19. Things to Do in Tacoma: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
- 20. Things to Do Near Me Today: Swan Creek Mountain Bike Park
- 21. Destiny Harbor Tours
- 22. Asado Cucina Argentina
- 23. Washington State History Museum
- 24. Pick-Quick Drive In
More Ideas: The Benaroya Collection at the Tacoma Art Museum
Since the dawn of civilization, art has played an integral role in the development of society. Through diverse mediums and forms, art has entertained, inspired, amused, and amazed countless generations of people all over the world. There are many private collectors of art, but at its core, a work of art deserves to be seen and appreciated by as many people as possible, so that each of them can profit from its unique beauty and personality.
This is why, each and every day, so many people flock to galleries and museums in order to see and experience the power of artworks all around them. The Tacoma Art Museum is a wonderful place to see and admire incredible works of art from both American and international artists, and the addition of the long-awaited and highly prized Benaroya Collection in early 2019 has only served to enhance the museum's appeal even further.
All About the Benaroya Collection
The Benaroya Collection is an incredible gift of hundreds of pieces of artwork from both Northwest and international artists, generously donated to the Tacoma Art Museum by the Benaroya family.
- Jack Benaroya - A key civic leader in the city of Seattle, Jack Benaroya enjoyed a lot of success as the founder of the Benaroya Company, the biggest commercial real estate developer in all of Washington State. A keen businessman, Benaroya also invested in Starbucks and amassed an incredible fortune, using much of his wealth to pursue a lifelong interest in art collection, but he never forgot to give back to those less fortunate and the communities in need all around him. He acted as the director for various locations around Seattle, as well as supporting institutions like the University of Washington Medical Center, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International, and the Children's Hospital and Medical Center.
- The Collection - Sadly, Jack Benaroya passed away in 2012 at the age of 90. His incredible art collection, shared his loving wife, Rebecca, and their children and friends, was left as part of his outstanding legacy. A few years later, Rebecca Benaroya announced that over 300 artworks from her late husband's collection would be donated to the Tacoma Art Museum. The collection is made up of 353 works of art in total from many different artists including William Morris, Seth Randal, Howard Ben Tré, Gregory Grenon, Julie Speidel, and Toots Zynsky. The pieces include art glass works, sculptures, and paintings. It’s an extraordinary collection with some truly awe-inspiring pieces contained within, and it adds a lot of value and appeal to the already excellent Tacoma Art Museum.
- The Wing - As part of the donation, several million dollars were also provided by the Benaroya estate along with the collection of artworks itself. These funds have gone towards the construction of an entirely new wing at the Tacoma Art Museum, the Benaroya Wing. The groundbreaking celebration for the new wing occurred in July of 2017 on what would have been Jack Benaroya's birthday and the wing opened up in January of 2019. Made up of around 6,860 square feet in total, including over 4,500 of viewing space for museum guests, the new wing extends the gallery space of the entire museum by 25%. Enjoying beautiful views over local civic projects, the wing stands as an artwork in itself, having been designed by the prestigious Olson Kundig firm.
- Events - The Benaroya Wing, as with other wings and parts of the Tacoma Art Museum, is also set to play host to various special events as time goes by. The wing has already been used for an exciting public opening ceremony to unveil the collection to an eager audience of art lovers, as well as community festivals, educational talks, special student days in which homeschool students can visit the museum and make their own artworks to take home more. Not just a place to admire the incredible Benaroya Collection, the wing is also a living, breathing, dynamic part of the museum and will see new events and special activities in the future too.
- Visiting - To enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the works in the Benaroya Collection for yourself, a visit to the Tacoma Art Museum is a wonderful way to spend some free time for people of all ages. The museum is located at 1701 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98402 and is easy to access both by car and public transport, with various bus routes and the Tacoma link light rail system stopping nearby. The museum is closed on Mondays but open all other days of the week. Members, children, and military members or veterans can enter for free, while other guests will need to buy an admission ticket.
The Benaroya Collection is an outstanding addition to the already amazing exhibits and projects on display around the Tacoma Art Museum. Helping to make this museum even more of a must-do in the city of Tacoma, this collection is filled with vibrant, powerful, thought-provoking pieces that simply demand to be seen. Residents and visitors alike in Tacoma should be sure to stop off at the museum and behold these stunning artworks for themselves.
1701 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402, Phone: 253-272-4258
Attraction Spotlight: LeMay - America’s Car Museum, Tacoma
LeMay – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma chronicles the story of the automobile, celebrates America’s love affair with the car and learn how it shaped society today. The Museum falls under the umbrella of America’s Automotive Trust and consists of a 165,000-square foot exhibition center and a3.5 acre show field. The Museum was established to present, preserve and promote an interest in America’s automotive heritage and treasures and serve as a gathering space where automobile lovers and enthusiasts can come to enjoy all things auto. The Museum does this through a variety of rotating exhibitions, displays, and experiences throughout the year, as well as a range of education and training programs in automotive preservation and restoration for students of all ages.
History
LeMay – America’s Car Museum was established in 2012 by Harold and Nancy LeMay, owners of the most significant privately-owned collection of automobiles, other vehicles and automobile-related memorabilia in the world. While most of the collection remains at the Lemay Family Collection at Marymount in nearby Spanaway, the Museum features a 350-car gallery showcasing cars that are renowned for their design, speed, and technology, along with their importance to the automobile culture.
Exhibits / Collections
The LeMay – America’s Car Museum collection consists of over 250 automobiles that date back over 100 years, spanning the history of the industry, as well as a plethora of automotive artifacts, objects, and items relating to cars and other vehicles. The collection also features around 100 cars on exhibit loan from a range of private collections, and the storage gallery is open for visitors to see the many cars in the collection that are not on active display. The collection features both domestic and foreign marques, and signature cars include a 929 Cadillac Series 321B Victoria Coupe, a 1940 Lincoln Zephyr, a 1958 Chevrolet Impala Special Sports Coupe, a 1966 Buick Skylark GS, a 1972 Oldsmobile Hurst, and the 1994 Flintmobile.
In addition to the indoor gallery space, the Museum has an outdoor area for hosting car shows a car club events, swap meets, and new car launches, and the world-renowned Concours d’Elegance show. A three-acre courtyard and clubhouse are available for car club meets and other special events and functions and with beautiful views of downtown Tacoma and the Olympic Mountains in the distance. Other features of the Museum include a variety of restoration shops, galleries, lecture halls, a banquet room, a gift shop and a café that serves light meals and drinks throughout the day.
Activities
The LeMay – America’s Car Museum offers visitors a range of activities to enjoy during their visits, including complimentary, daily docent-led tours of the museum, which last about an hour and cover all the facets of the facility. The on-site State Farm Theater shows an introductory film about the Museum and its fascinating collection, as well as other short car-related movies such as State Farm Presents: America’s Car Museum, The Race That Changed Everything, and Nicola Bulgari: ACM Master Collector. Visitors can have a complimentary souvenir photograph taken with or in a 1923 Buick touring car or test their driving skills in a CXC racing simulator or on the slot car track. A family-friendly Family Zone is available for families with children and features an area filled with hands-on and interactive educational activities related to automobiles and the Museum’s collection.
Educational Programs
The LeMay – America’s Car Museum offers a variety of educational programs and workshops for adults and children across all disciplines. Adult programs include Insider Talks and Lunchtime Lectures series and guided tours of the Museum, while Youth and Family Programs include Family Steam Days, Late Night Programs, Scout Programs, Pinewood Derby Days, Summer Camps and Preschool Programs. Family Steam Days are held on the third Saturday of each month and provide educational opportunities for children to design, build, experiment with automobiles using the skills of art, math, engineering, science, and technology.
The Family Zone is a creative and interactive space where children of all ages can play and engage with automobile-related, hands-on activities. Activities in the Zone include ‘Learn How Cars Work’ where a chassis with exposed parts offers an ideal opportunity to explore the basics of how a car works, and ‘Take the Wheel’ where little ones can climb into a car and ‘drive.’ ‘Built for Speed’ offers visitors the chance to experiment with the science of speed by racing pinewood cars down a track, and ‘Go for a Road Trip’ takes kids on a road trip across the USA with an oversized map and plenty of stories. ‘Take the Road Trip Challenge’ is a kiosk created by students from Renton Technical College and features an interactive touch screen where visitors can select and customize a vehicle to fuel up and travel to various destinations around the country. ‘Share Car Stories’ offers a space where kids can compare car stories and the ‘Art Station’ allows them to design a car for the future and decorate postcards to take away.
2702 E D St, Tacoma, WA 98421, Phone: 253-779-8490
