Fifteen years ago, downtown Tacoma was not exactly an artsy kind of place. Over time, the downtown area has blossomed and now has galleries, museums, and public pieces of art all bringing color and life to a once-industrial downtown. Artwork along the main drag of Pacific Avenue and its surrounding streets ranges from murals to metal sculpture, but famed glass artist Dale Chihuly (born and raised in Tacoma) has the most solid showing of any artist.
Downtown Tacoma is not very large, making it perfect for a walking tour. The following stops highlight Chihuly's artwork, but you will see a great more along the way as well.
Tacoma Art Museum
Start your walking tour at Tacoma Art Museum, which is centrally located in downtown. There is a parking lot behind the building. You will have to pay to park here, but rates are reasonable. You have the option of only peeking inside and seeing a few pieces of Chihuly's art if you do not want to pay admission. You can also venture into the gift shop for free and here see Chihuly's latest studio editions (smaller, more affordable versions of his large-scale and highly expensive artwork), as well as merchandise concerning the artists in the museum. Tacoma Art Museum also features information on the Ear For Art: Chihuly Glass Cell Phone Walking Tour, and you can pick up guides for this in the main lobby.
If you want to tour the museum, there is an admission fee. Be aware, though, that the Pierce County Library offers a free pass for this museum, but the pass has to be checked out so it is not always available. Free admission is also offered from 5 to 8 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.
Tacoma Art Museum
1701 Pacific Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98402
253-272-4258
Union Station
When you leave Tacoma Art Museum, go out the front entrance next to the gift shop onto Pacific Avenue and turn left. The next stop is Union Station, just a block up the street. The historic Union Station is a fascinating building in its own right. The building was completed in 1911 and was a major train station for the Northern Pacific Railroad until the 1980s. Today, the City of Tacoma owns the building and it serves as the entrance to the federal courthouse. It is accessible to the public, but you will have to go through a security check. Once inside, you can view several impressive exhibitions of Chihuly glass, including a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling, colorful pieces of glass along the upstairs windows, and a full wall of the artist's paintings also upstairs.
Union Station
1717 Pacific Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98402
253-863-5173
Bridge of Glass
Just between Union Station and the Washington State History Museum is a walkway that leads behind these buildings to the Bridge of Glass. This is by far the preeminent art installation in Tacoma, but also serves the very practical purpose of linking the area along Dock Street to Downtown as they are divided from each other by the freeway. Walking along the bridge, you will see a ceiling filled with glass artwork, a wall of beautiful vases, and two towering pillars of blue. Additionally, you can also get some of the best views of downtown Tacoma from the Bridge and of Mt, Rainier in the distance.
Museum of Glass
The Bridge of Glass will lead you directly to the Museum of Glass, a museum focusing on glass artwork of all sorts. Exhibitions constantly bring in new artwork, but this museum tends to have a particularly modern emphasis. The hot shop here is definitely the highlight of the museum, with seating for up to 200 visitors. You can see how the glass-blowing process happens whenever the hot shop is open, but it is usually closed between 1 and 2 p.m. for lunch. The Museum of Glass also has a number of hands-on activity rooms that are a great thing to do for families with kids, but can be fun for adults as well.
Museum of Glass
1801 Dock Street
Tacoma, WA 98402
253-396-1768
Traver Gallery and Vetri Gallery
Next door to the Museum of Glass are two small but excellent galleries. The two galleries are attached to one another, but have slightly different atmospheres. The Traver Gallery has a number of larger-scale glass artwork on pedestals and feels more like a modern art museum, while Vetri is bright and airy and has smaller pieces that show off the more playful side of glass art, including studio editions by Dale Chihuly and other local artists. At Vetri, you can also find glass beads, jewelry, books, and other items that make excellent souvenirs of your tour.
1821 Dock Street
Tacoma, WA 98402
Traver: 253-383-3685
Vetri: 253-383-3692
University of Tacoma Library
Return to the Bridge of Glass and cross back over to downtown Tacoma for the next stop on the tour. The University of Tacoma library has a single piece on display, but it is impressive: a 23-foot-tall chandelier hanging from the ceiling of its lobby. After you cross the Bridge, cross Pacific Avenue and the University of Washing campus is right in front of you. Head to the back of campus to find the library.
University of Washington - Tacoma
1902 Commerce Street
Tacoma, WA 98402
253-692-4440
The last stop of this tour is a restaurant and tavern called The Swiss, located behind the U.W. campus. The Swiss is in a building dating to 1913 that was originally a social hall for Swiss immigrants. Original exposed-brick walls create a cool atmosphere to this dimly lit place. Above the bar, you can see eight Chihuly pieces. This area also usually has wall art on display from local artists. The Swiss is an excellent place to stop for lunch or dinner after your tour, but be aware that people under 21 are not allowed inside as it is a tavern.
The Swiss
1904 South Jefferson Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98402
253-572-3160
To return to your car at the Tacoma Art Museum, follow Jefferson Avenue the opposite way that you came and it will bend back to Pacific Avenue in front of the museum. Alternately, you can retrace your steps back to Pacific Avenue and return to the museum that way as well.