Museum of Glass
A glass art museum on the Thea Foss Waterway, built around a working Hot Shop under a tilted stainless steel cone, where visiting artists shape molten glass while you watch from the amphitheater seats.
Washington
Tacoma
Tacoma is the working harbour city of Puget Sound, a place that spent a century as a smelter, railroad and timber town and then reinvented itself around glass, museums and its waterfront.
It is the hometown of the glass artist Dale Chihuly, and the Museum of Glass, the Bridge of Glass and Union Station make a compact downtown art district that you can cover on foot. Beyond downtown, Point Defiance Park fills a forested peninsula of more than 700 acres with gardens, beaches, a zoo and aquarium and a reconstructed fur trade fort, while the Ruston Way waterfront, the Stadium District and the Proctor District give the city its neighbourhood character. LeMay America's Car Museum, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and easy day trips from Seattle round out a destination that is cheaper, calmer and more local than its famous neighbour to the north, with Mount Rainier on the skyline whenever the clouds allow.
Don't miss
Museum of Glass
A glass art museum on the Thea Foss Waterway, built around a working Hot Shop under a tilted stainless steel cone, where visiting artists shape molten glass while you watch from the amphitheater seats.
Point Defiance Park
A forested peninsula of more than 700 acres at the tip of Tacoma, with Five Mile Drive, old-growth trees, gardens, beaches, a reconstructed fort and views of Puget Sound and Mount Rainier.
LeMay America's Car Museum
A large automobile museum beside the Tacoma Dome, built to hold the legendary LeMay collection of hundreds of cars, with rotating exhibits on cars, culture and design.
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
A Pacific Rim themed zoo and aquarium inside Point Defiance Park, with marine life, Asian forest species, a tropical reef and easy shaded paths set among the trees.
Things to do in Tacoma
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
Chihuly Bridge of Glass and Union Station
A free walk over a 500-foot pedestrian bridge lined with Dale Chihuly glass, ending at the domed 1911 Union Station, now a federal courthouse that also displays a Chihuly installation in its rotunda.
Point Defiance Park
A forested peninsula of more than 700 acres at the tip of Tacoma, with Five Mile Drive, old-growth trees, gardens, beaches, a reconstructed fort and views of Puget Sound and Mount Rainier.
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
A Pacific Rim themed zoo and aquarium inside Point Defiance Park, with marine life, Asian forest species, a tropical reef and easy shaded paths set among the trees.
Fort Nisqually Living History Museum
A reconstructed 1850s Hudson's Bay Company fur trading post inside Point Defiance Park, with costumed interpreters, a blacksmith shop and two original buildings from the 1840s.
Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance
A reclaimed former smelter site turned into a windswept headland park, with a looping promenade, native dune grasses, a fishing pier and sweeping views of the Narrows, Gig Harbor and Mount Rainier.
LeMay America's Car Museum
A large automobile museum beside the Tacoma Dome, built to hold the legendary LeMay collection of hundreds of cars, with rotating exhibits on cars, culture and design.
Washington State History Museum
A large museum beside Union Station that tells Washington's story from Native cultures and the fur trade to railroads, logging, Boeing and the tech era, with hands-on exhibits and strong rotating shows.
Tacoma Art Museum
A downtown art museum with Northwest art, a major Chihuly glass collection and the Haub Family Collection of Western American art, in a modern building designed by Antoine Predock.
Foss Waterway Seaport
A maritime museum in the old Balfour Dock warehouse, a century-old wooden pier building on the Thea Foss Waterway, with exhibits on Tacoma's harbour, boatbuilding and waterfront heritage.
Ruston Way Waterfront
A long waterfront promenade on Commencement Bay with parks, fishing piers, sandy beaches, restaurants and Mount Rainier views, running from the Old Town area toward Point Defiance.
Point Ruston Surrey and Specialty Cycle Rentals
Rent a pedal surrey or specialty cycle at Point Ruston and roll along the flat waterfront path of Ruston Way, with Commencement Bay on one side and Tacoma's restaurants and parks on the other.
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$Hotel Murano Tacoma
Downtown Tacoma
A glass-art boutique hotel in the heart of downtown, with a different glass artist featured on each floor, a few blocks from the Pacific Avenue museums and the Theater District.
Check rates →Chinaberry Hill Bed and Breakfast
Near downtown Tacoma
A historic Victorian mansion turned romantic bed and breakfast near downtown, with individually styled rooms, a full breakfast and garden views.
Check rates →Best Western Plus Tacoma Dome Hotel
Tacoma Dome District
A practical, family-friendly hotel near the Tacoma Dome and LeMay America's Car Museum, with easy Interstate 5 access and the light rail a short distance away.
Check rates →Emerald Queen Hotel and Casino
Fife
A large casino resort in nearby Fife, owned by the Puyallup Tribe, with a hotel tower, restaurants, entertainment and quick access to Tacoma along Interstate 5.
Check rates →Silver Cloud Inn Tacoma Waterfront
North End waterfront
A waterfront-area inn on Tacoma's north end, a short drive from Ruston Way, Point Ruston and Point Defiance Park, suited to travellers who want the shoreline and parks close by.
Check rates →Courtyard by Marriott Tacoma Downtown
Downtown Tacoma
A reliable downtown chain hotel convenient to the convention center, Theater District and Pacific Avenue museums, suited to business and leisure travellers who want a predictable stay.
Check rates →Hilton Garden Inn Tacoma Downtown
Downtown Tacoma
A modern downtown hotel in the Hilton Garden Inn family, close to the museums, the Foss Waterway and the Theater District, with spacious rooms and an on-site restaurant.
Check rates →Holiday Inn Express and Suites Tacoma Downtown
Downtown Tacoma
A value-focused downtown hotel with practical rooms, a breakfast offering and an easy walk or ride to Tacoma's museums, the waterfront and the Theater District.
Check rates →Hampton Inn and Suites Tacoma
Tacoma Mall area
A practical chain hotel in central Tacoma near Tacoma Mall and the freeways, handy for drivers who want easy parking and quick access to both the museums and Point Defiance.
Check rates →Tour + stay
Ready-made pairings: a top sight and a hotel that suits it. Add both to your trip and book each when you are ready.
Do
Museum of GlassStay
Hotel Murano TacomaDowntown Tacoma
Do
Point Defiance ParkStay
Hampton Inn and Suites TacomaTacoma Mall area
Do
LeMay America's Car MuseumStay
Best Western Plus Tacoma Dome HotelTacoma Dome District
Tacoma guides
Tacoma in Three Days: Glass, Parks and the Waterfront
A three-day plan that sorts Tacoma's museums, forest park and waterfront into a sensible order, with walking days, car days and rainy-day swaps.
Tacoma's Glass and Art Scene: Where to See It
A guide to Tacoma's glass art, from the Museum of Glass and the Bridge of Glass to the Tacoma Art Museum, with tips on order, timing and what to skip.
Where to Stay in Tacoma: Downtown, Dome District and Beyond
A guide to choosing a base in Tacoma, comparing the downtown glass district, the Tacoma Dome area, a historic bed and breakfast and nearby Fife.
Best Time to Visit Tacoma: Seasons, Weather and Crowds
A seasonal guide to Tacoma, with what the weather is like, when the views are clearest and which attractions shine in each season.
Tacoma with Kids: Zoo, Beaches, Cars and Hands-On Fun
A family guide to Tacoma, sorted by age and weather, with the zoo, the Hot Shop, beaches, car museum and easy waterfront days.
Getting Around Tacoma and Easy Day Trips
How to reach Tacoma, move around without stress, and choose day trips to Seattle, Northwest Trek, Point Defiance and the Narrows.
