I was super early for my haircut appointment, so I decided to go to the gas station next to the…read morebarbershop and grab myself a Celsius energy drink, the sparkling strawberry passion fruit flavor to be exact.....TMI????? Anywho, the gas station receptionist started small talk with me and made mention of several iconic attractions around puget sound that I should indulge in. One of them was the Tacoma Narrows Bridge pedestrian walkway, so immediately following my haircut, I decided to head over. She even gave me specific parking instructions in order to avoid hazards. I found that location, parked, and entered the walkway through a small break between the fence line. The walkway consists of a two-way walk, run, and bike travel path divided by a Highway Style Guard Rail system. On the way there, there's a very nice scenic view of Mount Rainier from the bridge for those who are into the mountain aesthetics. For me, the engineering and architectural skills that go behind manufacturing such an amazing structure are more gratifying. Also, I may find it more fascinating due to constructing several small-level bridges in the past. As for the water, I've seen on several platforms like Threads, where a lot of the patrons rant and rave about the hydrodynamics of the Narrows, but I am no expert in the mechanics of water current nor am I stimulated by it presently. It was the twin suspension bridge complex for me. Overall, the experience was top-tier and peaceful.

Do not change lanes if driving westbound due to grates on the surface. Vehicles will lose traction…read more Signs are clearly posted. Fine costs $136 if caught by police. Continue driving straight and stay in your lane while on the bridge. If driving eastbound or traveling to Tacoma, drivers are allowed to switch lanes because there are no grates and drivers must pay a toll. Cameras take photos of vehicle license plates that avoids toll pay. Have $5.50 cash ready to pay worker in the toll booth. Change will be given if needed. There's also Good to Go pass for commuters that saves money. Or pay via mail. I've always wondered where workers use the restroom because booth is tiny and vehicles are traveling fast. There are people riding bicycles, ebikes, and runners utilizing both sides of the bridge for exercise.

Here is something new. A courthouse with huge colorful Chihuly glass art decoration hanging from…read morethe ceiling right in the middle. How cool is that! First of all, the ancient building itself is quite a masterpiece. I love the big Rome style round roof with beautiful decorations. The rustic red brick and green sculptures reminds you of those old ages. Its old name 'UNION STATION' is still painted at one side of the building reminding people of its old glorious days. The first thing draw your eyes is the huge glass art piece hanging from the ceiling in the center. You can always a Chihuly piece from others by its distinctive beautiful colors and Medusa hair shape. Usually you expected to see one in fancy mall, hotel or museum, but not in a federal court house. You got to admit it sure added some color to this place. And at the second floor there is another Chihuly art piece, lots of color as well, and kind of like herd of tadpoles swimming in a pond. Downstairs is the cafeteria, restroom and some historical exhibitions. The soda machine here is quite cheap, only 50 cents for a can. Over the window you can see the glass museum cross the highway. Please note that bring your Id when visiting the place, because the guard will check it. It's a federal courthouse after all.

Nice piece of history, revamped into the courthouse. Staff was great and let me explore.read more

This is a famous Tacoma landmark - a glass bridge that performs its job well as a pedestrian bridge…read morewith a touch of beauty from the glass artwork instillation that lines the sides of the bridge. It's a great alternative to visiting the Museum of Glass for people who are short on time or arriving during closed hours (this bridge is open 27/7), yet still want to experience some beauty in their lives. This bridge connects the Thea Foss Waterway and the Museum of Glass. When I visited, it was quite hot and the sun was beating down. This illuminated the three amazing Chihuly glass installations, but I wished that there was more than a little covered area on the bridge to protect me. Oh well, they do say that beauty is pain, don't they? I saw that there were multiple photographers on the bridge to take in the peaceful surroundings. Definitely don't miss this in your visit to Tacoma.

On our drive north, we made a quick stop at the Bridge of Glass, and it was worth the 15-minute…read moredetour. Parking was easy, and it was the perfect place to stretch our legs while enjoying some beautiful public art. We didn't have time to visit the Museum of Glass, so I was glad we could still experience some of Chihuly's work with this free outdoor exhibit. From the bridge, it also looked like the nearby courthouse features Chihuly glass, but unfortunately, we didn't have time to explore further. If you're passing through Tacoma, this is an easy, free stop that's well worth it. It's a great way to experience a bit of Pacific Northwest art and it's perfect for a few memorable photos before getting back on the road.

Inside city easy access no problem with parking ,free parking many trails in the forest or on the…read morebeach beautiful rose garden you feel in this park like you are away from the city

Such a nice park with so many hikes and trails. It has many gardens. This time around I enjoyed the…read moreRose garden. The beach was closed last time we were here so it was nice I got to experience it this time. I love coming here, this was the first time coming without Atom. I will continue our road trips up North in honor of Atom.

A garden that's one of Tacoma's hidden gems. There's completely free parking and free entrance…read more This area is perfect for relaxing or even for photoshoots. For photographers, there's the garden, a parking area nearby with few cars for photoshoots, the gorgeous water view, and Mount Ranier in the background. I'm here in June and the flowers are currently in full bloom! It's a relaxing atmosphere with some bits of shade scattered here and there. If you're going in the summer, bring a hat or sunglasses! It's very very sunny. Stop here for a mini date in the park! :)

An outstanding beautiful flower garden within Point Defiance Park. Located immediately upon entry…read moreof the park. Totally worth a visit. On this visit the focus was on the fuschia section. The many different fuschia flowers were stunning. Close by were the dahlias. Different colors and textures. Stunning!! The rose garden is enclosed inside iron gates/ be careful entering and exiting as the gates are heavy. A public restroom is nearby. Loads a close green grass areas for picnics if you'd like. I highly recommend this garden!! Do it. See beautiful flowers and SYOY!

This is a fun way for the kids to learn about a very narrow and specific part of the history of the…read morearea. Of course, it is not a very important or interesting part of local history. It's always disappointing to see European intruders' subjection of land, animals, and people glorified in this way. But, if this type of history interests you, they've done it well. We took our 5 and 8 year old and had a discussion about the fort in the wider context of history and whether it represents changes that were positive or negative for the people living on this land.

Went to Fort Nisqually for the Queen Victoria's birthday celebration. The weather started out fine…read morebut turned into a rainy day complete with hail, lightning and thunder. We took up shelter in Store #2 which has the blacksmith shop currently. We had the chance to talk to many of the volunteers and staff during our visit. I have a little of knowledge regarding the local history, which I tend to keep to myself, and was shocked by the sheer volume of historical information provided by the volunteers and the staff, all was accurate to what I knew (I have read some of Dr. Tomie's diaries and the book "Company of Adventures" among other local historical books/ information. I questioned the blacksmith on one of his statements based on a historical reference I had read. Long story short, he was aware of the reference, and we discussed how accurate what I had read was. I was honestly shocked to find out he was a volunteer. This type of interaction was not unique to one volunteer. There was an individual with a straw top hat who was also incredibly knowledgeable, the carpenters were first rate just hitting on the tip of the ice berg here. Overall, phenomenal place to visit, I wish the more volunteers and staff were present during non-event days as well, but I will be going back. I understand they have a list of people volunteering and staff available in the gift shop so one can determine who is there before paying to enter. Couple of thoughts: - depending on when you go through, remember some of the staff/ volunteers may have something they are working on. If they ignore you when you first show up in their "space", remember they may have something happening that needs immediate attention. Don't be impatient. Watch what they are doing and ask questions. This is supposed to be an interactive experience, not necessarily an entertainment. - "Be curious" to quote Ted Lasso. - Depending on who is in Store #2 (blacksmith shop), ask about the "family courting candlestick". Interesting story there - I failed the "Blacksmith IQ test". See if you can do better...

The architecture is beautiful. We went for the Southeast Asian voices exhibit, which was really…read morewell done. I love all the artifacts and the displays were varied and interesting. The model train set provided a unique view of Tacoma. This is a great place for kids too

What a wholesome experience for the entire family! 5 floors of different type of Model trains while…read moreyou go through the states history as well. If you are here for the train displays with your kids, you need to cover floor 1 as the last stop. Floor 1 has play area with Legos and Toy train tracks and the toddlers don't want to go anywhere else! Super friendly staff at each display who are eager to interact with the kids and the adults. I missed it last year, now, we might end up coming here every year!

Such a cool museum! I never have enough time to look at all the cars and read about their history…read more The first floor is a rotating exhibit whole the door floors below are permanent. It's so cool seeing the designs of cars across decades and manufacturers, and how that defined the soul of not just a subset of people at the time but culture (mostly American culture). I also enjoy the little movie theater they have as a nice break from walking and starting at static cars. The oddest but rather niifty car I saw was this German amphibious car. Bummed they don't still make this! Would be perfect around lake Washington! Is recommend this museum to anyone, young or old, male to female. It's a welcoming space that lets you enjoy at your own pace and has never seemed too busy when I've gone. The people there are friendly and the Justin itself hosts lots of fun events both for the community and members. There used to be a cafeteria up top overlooking the special exhibit but I believe this is now upgraded as a Korean fast casual place. I didn't get to try it last time but wouldn't mind trying it out next time I'm wandering the museum. The gift shop has a fun selection of items too. Cards and prints by local artists and photographers, car related toys and useful gadgets, clothing, trinkets, souvenirs... Fyi, As a member you get 10% off in the shop.

Always a fun time !…read more Car enthusiast, a must ! We loved the first floor display, it changes from time to time. Recommend following the recommended walking route. Start at top right hand side walk ramp down and loop back up! Plenty of bathrooms, parking, cafe, & gift shop!

This is a gorgeous and intriguing museum that I highly recommend - although be advised that right…read morenow they are renovating. They will re-open their main galleries in the fall of 2026. To help soften the blow, they have lowered admission price in the interim. The hot shop is also still open and you can watch live glass making there. There are a few exhibit cases on view. There are lots of fun works that kids' designed that are also on view on the main lobby and down the hall. We went for a glass making class, which was tons of fun. I'm sure attendance varies widely - ours was not crowded. The person monitoring the class, Audrey, was friendly; she explains everything and then you have at it. She is there to help, which includes cutting glass pieces to suit whatever design you are making (this probably depends on the style of glass you are making). FYI the gift shop is really nice and is available even if you don't go into the museum. You can purchase works by glass artists who have been at the museum - so it's more than your average gift shop.

This is a cool museum. Unfortunately most of it as closed but gave us a discount. We came an hour…read morebefore closure and saw everything. The glass making studio was cool to watch. The bridge in the back was quite a walk over so had to be picked up baby history museum.

My husband and I were married at the Pt Defiance Pagoda in 1999. This weekend our daughter had her…read morewedding there too. It was a great experience. Booking it was quick, easy and reasonably priced. The staff was well informed and really helpful. The celebration went perfectly and the guests loved the venue. We had a great time reminiscing too.

Point Defiance park is an amazing place with a variety of places to walk and engage in activities…read more There's a small section of a Japanese garden which includes the pagoda. They somewhat recently put the water feature back in so it's looking pretty nice right now. Not worth a special trip, but if you're enjoying the park you might as well swing by! Have an event? It actually might be worth it to rent it out on the account the surrounding area is lovely.