Museum of Glass

The Museum of Glass is the cultural landmark that changed how people see Tacoma. It opened in 2002 on the Thea Foss Waterway, on a stretch of old industrial shoreline, and its silhouette is unmistakable: a tilted, roughly ninety-foot stainless steel cone rising above the Hot Shop, the working glass studio at the centre of the museum. The building was designed by the Canadian architect Arthur Erickson, and it sits at the bottom of a plaza with a reflecting pool, a long ramp down from the Bridge of Glass, and sweeping views across the water toward the Foss Waterway Seaport and the working harbour. What sets this museum apart from most art museums is that the making of the art is the main event. In the Hot Shop amphitheater you sit on tiered seats and watch a team of glassblowers work at the furnace and the glory holes, guided by a visiting artist or a resident team, while a narrator explains each step. Furnace heat, the glow of molten glass and the choreography of the team make this one of the most absorbing free-form shows in the Pacific Northwest, and it works equally well for children, couples and anyone with a passing interest in craft. Inside the galleries, exhibitions rotate through contemporary glass, with a focus on artists who push the material into sculpture, installation and design. The museum has a strong reputation for hosting artists from around the world as well as Pacific Northwest makers, and it holds a permanent collection of studio glass that sits alongside the changing shows. You do not need to know anything about glass to enjoy it; the work ranges from delicate blown forms to enormous cast and fused pieces, and the lighting makes colour and transparency the stars.

Plan your visit around the Hot Shop. Demonstration schedules and artist residencies change, so check the museum's calendar before you go and aim to arrive in time to take a good seat, ideally near the front on the side where you can watch the gaffer work. The amphitheater is cool compared with the furnace area, but you will feel the heat when the doors open. The Hot Shop is generally included with admission, and the museum has historically been closed on a couple of days each week, so verify opening days before a special trip.

The surrounding campus rewards unhurried time. Walk out onto the plaza to see the cone from below and the reflecting pool on a clear day, then cross the Bridge of Glass back toward the History Museum and Union Station. The bridge, described in its own entry, is free and is a natural bookend. Many visitors also pair the Museum of Glass with the Washington State History Museum and the Tacoma Art Museum, which are within walking distance, so a day of downtown museums can be done on foot without a car.

Practical details help. The museum is stroller and wheelchair accessible, with elevators and ramps linking the plaza levels. Photography of the building and the Hot Shop is usually welcome, though flash and tripods may be restricted in the galleries. The museum shop sells glass objects and jewellery by regional artists and is a better stop than most for a gift.

Parking is available nearby, but the site is also reachable on the Tacoma Link light rail and a short walk, which is the easiest way to arrive on busy event days at the nearby Tacoma Dome or waterfront.