6 Sights You Can't Miss in Tacoma

Tacoma is a bustling urban delight just 20 minutes away from Seattle, WA. An active art, music, and literature community coupled with a vibrant gastronomic experience puts Tacoma on the map as a place to see and be seen. But there are some attractions in this area that stand head and shoulders above the rest. This list includes six of the most interesting places to visit in Tacoma and the surrounding areas.

Museum of Glass

One of only three museums worldwide that focus on glass art, the Museum of Glass is an interesting look into the art of blown glass making.  A visit to this museum will introduce you to practitioners from all over the world. You can also see artists at work, creating blown glass in the hot shop amphitheater, which has a 90-foot tall cone dome.

LeMay – America’s Car Museum

How could we at Honda of Sumner not suggest this destination as a must see? LeMay has a wonderful collection of over 250 vintage cars, including a 1906 Cadillac and a 1994 Flintstone replica. The collections are comprehensive. There is a British area, American Muscle cars room, and an alternative propulsion section that is as informative as it is interesting.

Fort Nisqually Living History Museum at Port Defiance Park

This 700-acre space is dedicated to reenacting life as it was in the 1800s when this structure was part of the first European settlement on the Puget Sound. Walk through the outpost and be transported back to a simpler time.

Union Station

A decadent reflection of the Beaux Arts era, Washington’s Union Station was a working train station until the 1980s. While the building is no longer in use for transit, it is now home to federal workers and host to an incredible collection of glass art created by Dale Chihuly, a native of Tacoma and a world-renowned glass artist.

Dungeness Spit

If you’re up for a scenic view, take a ride out to Dungeness Spit, the longest natural sand spit in the United States. First recorded in history in 1790, Dungeness Spit is five-and-a-half miles long and goes along the outer northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula. The spit creates a small body of water entirely enclosed between the sand and the peninsula called Dungeness Bay. Dungeness Spit is also home to a lighthouse called New Dungeness Lighthouse and the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge where you can find eight species of water animals and 43 species of land animals.

Port Defiance Zoo and Aquarium

If you ever wanted to see a polar bear catching a fish, you’ve come to the right place! Animals from all over the world are found in this zoo and aquarium. Where else can you see sharks, meerkats, polar bears, and otters in the same place? There are shows with animal participants and a working carousel from 1917 on site. The zoo and aquarium also celebrates the holidays with festive light shows.

If you are in Washington, take some time to visit these areas in and around Tacoma. Enjoying the city’s vibrant and upbeat culture is part of Tacoma’s charm.