Tacoma Washington, the third largest city in Washington State is 25 miles south of Seattle and 25 miles northeast of Olympia, the state capital. As a mid-sized urban city, Tacoma offers a wide variety of activities for visitors.
Tacoma is home to world-class glass artist Dale Chihuly. The Museum of Glass, built in 2002 is dedicated to glass as art. Set on the Thea Foss Waterway, the museum is connected to downtown Tacoma by the Bridge of Glass. This 500 ft. long walkway contains three permanent installations by Dale Chihuly.
In addition, Tacoma has a working waterfront Maritime Museum, the Tacoma Art Museum and the Washington State History Museum. America’s Car Museum located next to the Tacoma Dome houses an extensive car collection created by the Lemay family.
Tacoma’s rich history in the arts is reflected in its charming neighborhoods.
Visitors enjoy the shops and restaurants in the family friendly Proctor District. The Theater District reflects Tacoma’s commitment to the arts and includes three theaters, The Rialto, The Pantages and Theater Square.
Enjoy the outdoors at Point Defiance Park. The park encompasses over 760 acres and includes Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and the Fort Nisqually History Museum. From the park you can view Commencement Bay and the twin span Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
On a clear day, look to the southeast and see Mt. Rainier. At over 14,000 ft. it is the highest peak in the Cascade Range and is a great day trip from Tacoma.
Tacoma is also a lively college town. The city includes four notable institutions of higher education. The University of Washington Tacoma, Pacific Lutheran University, Evergreen State College Tacoma Campus and The University of Puget Sound.
The Joint Base Lewis-McChord is only 9 miles south west of Tacoma.This base is a combination of the McChord Air Force Base and the US Army Base Fort Lewis and has more than 45, 000 service members and civilian workers.
In keeping with the “green lifestyle” in the Evergreen state, Tacoma offers a number of public transit options. Traveling around the city is easy via the Tacoma Link Light Rail or via the Pierce County bus service
Tacoma weather is mild with summer daytime high temperatures in the mid 70s with nighttime lows in the mid 50s. Winter daily highs average in the mid 50’s and lows close to 40 degrees. Although Tacoma receives an average of 39 inches of rainfall a year, during the summer months the average rainfall is less than 1 inch per month.
Tacoma is only a short 30-minute drive from Seattle Tacoma International Airport. Downtown Seattle is easily accessible by rail from Tacoma.
Things to Do In Tacoma
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Photo Credit Travel Tacoma and Pierce County
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma features Zoo Lights from November 23 through January 6. The zoo features colorful light displays including hammerhead sharks, carnivorous plants and more. Celebrate with the whole family amid beautiful 3-D light displays.
This year's display features a 30 foot wide underwater landscape that...
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