This active Washington city near Seattle draws visitors with its glass art museum, local food spots, and proximity to Mount Rainier's hiking trails and natural areas.
Tacoma sits 32 miles southwest of Seattle along Puget Sound in Washington state. In the Museum of Glass, you can watch glassblowers create intricate works in the hot shop. At Point Defiance Park, walking trails wind through 500-year-old forest. The LeMay Museum houses 300 vintage automobiles, while downtown's museums, restaurants, and University of Washington campus create a dynamic city center.
Exploring Downtown Tacoma
The streets of downtown Tacoma buzz with students, workers, and visitors moving between local businesses and restaurants in restored 19th-century buildings. You can walk between three major museums within minutes of each other. The T Line light rail connects the neighborhood's key spots, and the growing number of apartments and condos keeps the streets busy from morning to night.
Museums and Glass Art
Inside the Museum of Glass's distinctive cone-shaped building, glassblowers work daily creating new pieces. Cross the Bridge of Glass to see Dale Chihuly's suspended glass sculptures casting colorful shadows on sunny days. The Tacoma Art Museum displays works by Northwestern artists, while the Washington State History Museum's interactive exhibits trace regional stories from Native American times to today.
Point Defiance Park
Point Defiance Park spans 700 acres, making it one of America's largest urban parks. The trails lead through groves of 500-year-old trees, and Owen Beach provides spots for swimming and sunbathing. Take the Five-Mile Drive to reach key sites like Fort Nisqually, where staff demonstrate daily life at an 1833 trading post. At the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, you'll find animals native to Pacific Rim countries.
Ruston Way Waterfront
The two-mile paved trail on Ruston Way connects several parks along Commencement Bay. Walk, run, or cycle the path, with options to stop at parks for picnics or beach access. Several waterfront restaurants line the route, where you can eat while watching boats pass by and the sun set over the water.
Cars and Automotive Culture
The curved-roof LeMay-America's Car Museum displays 300 vehicles near Interstate 5. The collection ranges from 1920s classics to modern sports cars, with rotating exhibits throughout the year. Try the racing simulator to test your driving skills, and explore interactive displays about car technology and design.
The 1990s brought significant changes to Tacoma with the addition of the University of Washington campus and T Line light rail system, transforming the downtown area into what you see today.
