TACOMA TREKKERExplore Tacoma

Museums

Downtown Museum Trek

A museum-focused day in downtown Tacoma, arranged by walking distance.

Confirm hours and bookings directly with each stop before you go.

At a glance

Length
Full day
Typical cost
Admission plus food
Getting around
walking
Family
Good for older kids; several museums have hands-on areas.
Accessibility
All museum stops have accessible entrances and lifts; the walk between them is paved and flat.

The route

  1. 1

    Union Station

    Start

    Morning

    The restored federal courthouse and former rail station is the natural starting point of the museum district.

    Next: A two-minute walk to the history museum.

    Directions
  2. 2

    Washington State History Museum

    Museum

    Morning

    Give this one a couple of hours if you like detail.

    Next: Cross Pacific Avenue to the Bridge of Glass.

    Directions
  3. 3

    Chihuly Bridge of Glass

    Walk

    Midday

    Three glass installations along a short pedestrian crossing.

    Next: The bridge leads straight to the Museum of Glass.

    Directions
  4. 4

    Museum of Glass

    Museum

    Midday

    Hot shop demonstrations run through the day — check the day's schedule on arrival.

    Next: Walk back across the bridge for lunch.

    Directions
  5. 5

    Harmon Brewing Co.

    Lunch

    Early afternoon

    Sit-down lunch within the museum cluster.

    Next: Two blocks north on Pacific Avenue.

    Directions
  6. 6

    Tacoma Art Museum

    Museum

    Afternoon

    Northwest painting, studio glass and rotating shows.

    Next: Ten-minute walk north-west toward the theatre district.

    Directions
  7. 7

    Children's Museum of Tacoma

    Optional

    Late afternoon

    Worth adding if you are travelling with young children.

    Directions

Notes

Downtown Tacoma has an unusual concentration of museums within a few blocks of each other, so this Trek is arranged purely by walking distance. Start early — two of the stops need well over an hour each — and use the middle of the day for the outdoor sections between them. Admission prices and closed days differ at each museum; check each one before you go, and ask about combined tickets at the door.

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