Activities & recreation in Tacoma

28 activities

• Classes & Workshops · Class

  Art classes at Tacoma Art Museum

  At Tacoma Art Museum · Downtown Tacoma

  Tacoma Art Museum teaches hands-on art classes in its downtown studio, alongside teen open studio time and family workshops. Sessions rotate through the year — check the museum's own page for what is currently offered, who it is for and how to register.

  ClassCrafts

• Fitness

  Beginner Yoga

  At Point Defiance Park · Ruston / Point Defiance

  Beginner Yoga at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, WA. Details, schedules and prices are listed by the official provider.

  YogaClass

• Biking · Self-guided

  Bike Five Mile Drive at Point Defiance

  At Point Defiance Park · Ruston / Point Defiance

  Five Mile Drive loops the wooded edge of Point Defiance Park and is a popular ride. Vehicle access and closure hours change, so confirm current rules on the official park page.

  BikingTrail

• Glassblowing · Guided experience

  Blow your own glass at Tacoma Glassblowing Studio

  At Tacoma Glassblowing Studio · Dome District

  Make a piece of glass yourself in a working Tacoma hot shop, guided by studio staff. The studio publishes which pieces are offered, how long a session takes and what it costs.

  GlassblowingClassWorkshop

• Classes & Workshops · Guided experience

  Build Something in Tinkertopia's TinkerSpace

  At Tinkertopia · Dome District

  Turn reclaimed materials into an original take-home creation during a 90-minute open-ended maker session.

  Arts craftsMakerspaceFamilyDate idea

• Water Activities · Self-guided

  Explore the beach, lagoon and trails at Titlow

  At Titlow Park & Beach · Tacoma Narrows / West Tacoma

  Titlow Park pairs a saltwater beach on the Tacoma Narrows with a lagoon and short trails, which makes it an easy stop for shoreline walking and wildlife watching.

  BeachTrailWalkingBirding

  On the water: check conditions, tides and required safety gear before you go.

• Family Recreation · Self-guided

  Explore Washington state history at the Washington State History Museum

  At Washington State History Museum · Downtown Tacoma

  Work through the state history museum's exhibition galleries in downtown Tacoma, next to Union Station on Pacific Avenue. Admission, opening hours and current exhibitions are published by the museum.

  Guided tour

• Hiking & Walking

  Family Nature Walk - Fall Colors! Point Defiance Park

  At Point Defiance Park · Ruston / Point Defiance

  Family Nature Walk - Fall Colors! Point Defiance Park at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, WA. Details, schedules and prices are listed by the official provider.

  Walking

• Family Recreation

  Follow the StoryWalk in Old Town Park

  At Job Carr Cabin Museum · Old Town

  The Job Carr Cabin Museum sets up a StoryWalk in Old Town Park — a picture book posted page by page along the path, so families read it as they walk. The featured book changes; the museum posts which one is up.

  Walking

• Classes & Workshops · Class

  Glassblowing classes and multi-week workshops

  At Tacoma Glassblowing Studio · Dome District

  Longer classes and multi-week workshops for people who want more than a single session. The studio publishes its current schedule and prices.

  GlassblowingClassWorkshop

• Outdoor Adventures · Guided experience

  Guided rock climbing trips from Tacoma

  At Edgeworks Climbing Tacoma

  Guided outdoor rock climbing run by the Tacoma gym's guide service, for climbers who want to get on real rock with an instructor. Trip dates, locations and prices are listed on the operator's own site.

  ClimbingGuided tour

• Family Recreation · Facility

  Hands-on play at the Children's Museum of Tacoma

  At Children's Museum of Tacoma · Downtown Tacoma

  The Children's Museum of Tacoma is built for hands-on play, with open-ended play areas aimed at younger children in downtown Tacoma.

  Playground

• Nature Activities · Self-guided

  Hike the Snake Lake trails at Tacoma Nature Center

  At Tacoma Nature Center

  The Tacoma Nature Center is an urban preserve with a trail network around Snake Lake, so it works well for a short nature walk or birdwatching stop close to downtown.

  TrailWalkingHikingBirding

• Classes & Workshops · Class

  Indoor climbing courses at Edgeworks Climbing Tacoma

  At Edgeworks Climbing Tacoma

  Instructor-led indoor climbing courses at the Tacoma gym, from learning to belay through technique classes. Course dates and prices are published on the gym's own schedule.

  ClimbingClass

• Indoor Recreation · Facility

  Indoor rock climbing at Edgeworks Climbing Tacoma

  At Edgeworks Climbing Tacoma

  Drop in to climb at Tacoma's West End climbing gym, with roped walls and bouldering for first-timers through experienced climbers. Day rates, hours and gear rental are listed on the gym's own site.

  ClimbingGym

• Water Activities · Self-guided

  Launch a kayak or paddleboard at Owen Beach

  At Owen Beach · Ruston / Point Defiance

  Owen Beach is a common hand-carry launch point for kayaks and paddleboards on Commencement Bay. Bring your own gear and confirm launch rules on the official park page.

  KayakingPaddleboardingPaddlingKayak launch

  On the water: check conditions, tides and required safety gear before you go.

• Glassblowing · Guided experience

  Private and group glassblowing at Tacoma Glassblowing Studio

  At Tacoma Glassblowing Studio · Dome District

  Group and private glassblowing bookings for families, friends and work groups, arranged directly with the studio.

  GlassblowingWorkshop

• Classes & Workshops · Class

  Private climbing lessons at Edgeworks Climbing Tacoma

  At Edgeworks Climbing Tacoma

  One-to-one or small-group climbing instruction arranged with the Tacoma gym's instructors. Availability and pricing are handled by the gym.

  ClimbingClass

• Sports · Facility

  Roller skating at the Tacoma Armory

  At Tacoma Armory · Hilltop

  Public roller skating sessions on the Armory's parade floor, with family afternoons, adults-only evenings and midweek sessions run by Tacoma Arts Live.

  Skating

• Family Recreation · Guided experience

  See the animals at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

  At Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium · Ruston / Point Defiance

  Spend a few hours among the zoo and aquarium exhibits inside Point Defiance Park, on the bluff above Puget Sound. Tickets, opening hours and daily programming are published by the zoo.

  Walking

• Water Activities · Self-guided

  Spend a saltwater beach day at Owen Beach

  At Owen Beach · Ruston / Point Defiance

  Owen Beach is the rebuilt saltwater beach and promenade inside Point Defiance Park, with shoreline walking and gravel beach access to Commencement Bay.

  BeachSwimmingWalking

  On the water: check conditions, tides and required safety gear before you go.

• Family Recreation · Facility

  Step into 1850s living history at Fort Nisqually

  At Fort Nisqually Living History Museum · Ruston / Point Defiance

  Fort Nisqually is a reconstructed 1850s Hudson's Bay Company post inside Point Defiance Park, with costumed interpretation and historic buildings to walk through.

  Walking

• Nature Activities · Self-guided

  Stroll Wright Park and the Seymour Conservatory

  At Wright Park & Seymour Botanical Conservatory · Stadium District

  Wright Park is a historic 27-acre park with wide lawns, mature trees and the Victorian Seymour Botanical Conservatory, so you can combine an easy walk with an indoor plant house.

  WalkingGardening

• Classes & Workshops · Workshop

  Take a glass workshop at the Museum of Glass

  At Museum of Glass · Downtown Tacoma

  Hands-on glass workshops taught at the Museum of Glass on the Thea Foss Waterway, alongside the museum's live Hot Shop. The museum publishes which workshops are running, who they suit and what they cost.

  GlassblowingWorkshopClass

• Outdoor Adventures · Guided experience

  Walk Old Town Tacoma on a self-guided history route

  At Job Carr Cabin Museum · Old Town

  The Job Carr Cabin Museum publishes self-guided walking routes through Old Town Tacoma: an all-ages Old Town Scavenger Hunt, and a longer route that goes deeper into the neighbourhood's history. You walk it on your own, at your own pace, using the museum's own guide.

  Guided tour

• Hiking & Walking · Self-guided

  Walk or run the Point Defiance forest trails

  At Point Defiance Park · Ruston / Point Defiance

  Point Defiance Park has miles of forest trail and shoreline path, so walking, trail running and long loops are the easiest thing to do here. Check the official park page for current trail closures before you go.

  WalkingTrailHikingRunning

• Glassblowing · Facility

  Watch live glassblowing in the Hot Shop

  At Museum of Glass · Downtown Tacoma

  The Museum of Glass is built around a working glass studio, where visitors can watch artists blow and shape glass from the amphitheater seating. Confirm current studio schedules on the museum site.

  Glassblowing

• Classes & Workshops · Workshop

  Woodworking and boatbuilding at the Heritage Boat Shop

  At Foss Waterway Seaport · Downtown Tacoma

  Foss Waterway Seaport runs a working wooden boat shop on the downtown waterfront, with classes for all skill levels — from family craft sessions and intro adult woodworking to boatbuilding and marine technology — plus open shop time for your own project after safety training. Pre-registration is required; see the Seaport's page for the current schedule and fees.

  WorkshopClassBoating

  On the water: check conditions, tides and required safety gear before you go.