Not bad, but quite small. If you've been to the Seattle Museum, you might be disappointed. There is designated parking, so don't get towed. The staff is nice. Overall, it's not bad, but it's not great. read more

Tacoma Art Museum - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

I was able to visit this museum for free on the third Thursday of the month. There was also a workshop studio and I created a nice journal cover. It was a great experience. Please come and create your own adventure. read more

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Came on a slow weekend morning and it was perfect. Although this is a smaller museum, it packs quite a punch. I really appreciated the flow and how you can start at the second floor and then magically find your way down to the first. A lot of the exhibits are very much anchored in its state and town's history which I greatly appreciated as someone visiting from out of town. I learned so much! One thing I will note is the Haunted exhibit. There's a piece that is an audio-visual projected onto a wall. Cute, until the screaming starts. While it was relevantly disturbing and added spooky texture to the larger exhibit, because the museum is small and all interconnected by long hallways, those screams echoed and followed us into the other exhibits. We laughed it off but it's definitely something to consider if you're very easily spooked. Like I'm just calmly looking at some cool Chihuly glass and then "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" read more

In case you've missed it, upstairs at the museum is a balcony which looks out over commencement bay and provides a breathtaking view of Mount Tahoma/Rainier. You can also step outside and enjoy the fresh air on a sunny day. I enjoy the museum, they've got an unusual and unique jewelry collection and some beautiful art, but it's the architecture I love most of all and the opportunity it provides to sit quietly upstairs with a book or laptop and enjoy the peace, quiet, and beauty. read more

A real eclectic batch of art. Fun time and right downtown. Easy parking. Comfortable atmosphere.

Picked up an art museum free pass at the library on Friday in prep for this weekend of cold weather. Stopped in today (Sunday) a little after they opened at 10- parking was free on Pac Ave. we were greeted warmly at the front entrance and given a quick explanation of current exhibits. Surprisingly it was pretty empty with the entire first gallery all to ourselves and one docent! Toddler loved the art and climbing on the benches and generally loved the spaces and stairs and sculptures. It was our first time visit and it was a great option for us today! We loved how the galleries had a very organized way to wander through them and enjoyed the view from the Microsoft Overlook (where we also had a snack) before leaving. Walking through took a little over an hour without stopping to read too much (again, kid art museum visit speed). We look forward to coming again and making this a stop when we have visitors, too. read more

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While they do have a few interesting exhibits, this is one of the only non Blue Star Museums in the area, which means prepare to pay for both parking and entrance. But unlike the other nearby museums, this one is small. Basically, you're paying a lot more for less things to do with your time. The cafe is ok. If you can wait, there's a number of better places to get your fix that are within walking distance. read more

This was my first time visiting the museum. I had signed up for a class but it turns out I came on the wrong day! The staff were so amazing , offering me a refund and admission to visit while i was already there ( I drove from Seattle. My gratitude to you all. I will be back for sure! read more

Not very big but stunning! The building is beautiful and the view from the deck once you reach the top is worth it all! The chihuly glass was stunning and the Nirvana pieces had pictures that I had never seen before! read more

Walking through the streets of Tacoma you can stumble upon many a new and interesting thing, be it a new city art installation or exciting new restaurant, one of those gems of Tacoma is the Tacoma Art Museum, a great hub of art for the community. Offering many different types of artwork from carved statuary, marble and bronze pieces, new and old canvases, and a hands on exhibit experience, this museum offers a wonderful and wide array of beautiful pieces and new experiences for everyone. A great place for young and old, visitors will find themselves taken away to new places through the artistic expressions of artists throughout the years. Though you will have to pay a small fee to get in, the price is worth it. I will definitely be returning to the museum and recommending the Tacoma Art Museum to anyone looking for a wonderful and exciting experience. Take your kids too, they'll love the exhibits and stories that are attached to some beautiful artwork. The hands on art installation is a must for those creative minds. read more

Enjoyed the large collection of Native American paintings. Dry large collection of glass and local artists. It has some interactive exhibits. You can cover it in one hour. read more

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Very small and a lot of staff constantly walking and standing in the way. It is worth checking out, especially on the free locals Thursday events but you only need to budget an hour to see it all unless you really like to linger. I didn't try the cafe but it seems that it is the highlight of this museum based on the other reviews here. read more

It's smaller than I thought, but you can tell there's is a lot of work and thought put into the exhibits. The art are nicely displayed and there are staff around to ask questions. There's a lot of space to maintain social distancing and admiring the art. I wish there were more exhibits opened. Parking is $2 an hour or $12 for the whole day. The exhibit took us around an hour. read more

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Such a beautiful Art galley! I really enjoyed my visit here which happened to be the opening day for the Simpsons exhibit. Because of this they had free donuts and coffee. This new exhibit is great because it shows the guidelines and steps that the artists follow when drawing for this cartoon. They have lots of funny moments from the show posted throughout this exhibit. There is art here everyone can enjoy. They have historical, impressionist, and modern pieces. They have a exhibit dedicated to glass art too. On the top floor they have a little library and an outdoor seating area that has a great view of Mount Rainier. Only reason I wouldn't give it 5 stars is it's a bit expensive for not being a large art galley. You pay to park it's only $2 but then tickets are around $20 a person. read more

Tacoma Art Museum - New Simpson's art exhibit! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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This is an amazing hub of community, creativity, curiosity! Makes me wish I lived in Tacoma!

The Tacoma Art Museum is okay. It seems like an awfully small art museum. It doesn't seem to take long to get through it at all. With that said the exhibits that they bring in are solid. TAM brings in a fair amount of diverse art from paintings, sculptures, and such. If memory serves this is a participating museum where on the third Thursday of each month it is a free museum day. To me that is a great program to have once a month! Otherwise any typical day the entrance fee is $15. To me that is just a bit steep for what you get but I guess it all boils down to how bad you want to see a certain exhibit. There are some permanent art sculptures here that are actually quite fascinating visually! There are a number of art museums in the Seattle-Tacoma metro area, not including art galleries so that fact that Tacoma has it's own art museum is actually pretty cool! read more

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This museum only needed an hour of parking, but it was nice to have a shaded lot. This museum had showcased glass and Native American art and more. We very much enjoyed the exhibits and would recommend this place. read more

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While the museum was lovely, the exhibits were beautifully put together, and most of the employees were friendly, nice, knowledgeable, it only takes one bad apple. The employee working the store was rude and seemed to be having a bad day. When asked a question they responded with an undeserved attitude. It's employees like that, that make a person not want to return. Which is sad because I saw a lovely painting I wanted to purchase, with "customer service" like this, I won't be returning. read more

Great place for events, really have professional staff and alots of parking space. Downtown Tacoma and easy to find.

This is a gem for the City of Tacoma! (probably the most under appreciated city on the West Coast) The museum has a strong collection of art, much trending to Northwest themed, that belies the size of city it represents. This museum would be a star in NY, LA or Chicago. There is growth in the museum's future as an expansion is nearing completion. I can't wait to see what comes forth in that! read more

Can't really go wrong with an art museum. Staff were super nice, place was clean, it was easy to navigate, there was a gift shop, food, and even a craft corner. it was a bit of a drive but totally worth it. Will have to go back when they change out the shows read more

This museum is significantly smaller than the SAM, but I thought we came at a good time nonetheless. I was thoroughly fascinated by the Andy Warhol flower exhibit and the Dale Chihuly one too. I had no idea Chihuly hailed from Tacoma, so that was a nice surprise and learning about the Tacoma Dome design back in the day was educational too. Upon entering the museum from the front entrance, there's a huge dog made out of cardboard that greets you. It's pretty amazing that the whole thing is made out of cardboard, some kind of nails, and something else. The thing is HUGE. The museum was pretty empty for a Saturday afternoon. I expected more visitors since it was rainy and the weekend, but maybe people just didn't want to pay $10 per adult. That was pretty pricey, but it's the price of historic art so that's not a huge deal. I do wish there were more exciting exhibits at one time though. You also have to pay for parking which is $2 per hour. Pretty standard. read more

Tacoma Art Museum - Chihuly - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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As a solo adult it was a decent activity to pass time. I enjoyed what was there and the staff were very friendly. My 2 cons are, the price is kind of high for not much to see or do, and alot of the building was empty/not accessible. If they added more to all that empty space then the 20$ would be worth it. I wont be coming back but for a 1st and only time i am satisfied. Plan for 30-45 mins. read more

A nice, compact, regional art museum. Don't underestimate the value of a smaller, less crowded museum where you can take your time and really immerse yourself in works. Regional art is often neglected or overlooked by larger urban museums, and it is fascinating to see what local artists have been creating for generations. Staff are friendly. Gift shop hadn't much to offer, and the cafeteria food was unfortunate. read more

A very beautiful facility, nestled in the City of Tacoma. We had parked down stairs, there is paid parking and we tend to over pay paid parking in the event we had stayed longer. The paid parking machine downstairs is by the door that lead you to the elevator entrance, in the event you park far, just know you have to trek back to your car and place your paid parking ticket in there (pays to know your license plate number). We took the elevator up the the main level, fortunately enough they're only two buttons to press, so it would be nearly impossible to get lost. At the front desk we found out veterans (they require documentations, but who carries a DD214 around) get in for free with the people they are with, so we got to go in for free! The adult prices were $18.00. There is a coat rack and lockers behind reception, I would recommend taking your valuables with you, not worth someone stealing your coat with something important in there. Our first exhibit was Chihuly glass, they have a small collection, it's very nice. I've been to the Chihuly museum in Seattle, this is 100% the tone down version. Next to that was the French Impressionist which only goes until January 5, 2020. I was looking forward to Monet and Degas paintings, absolutely brilliant. From there we headed into the Immigrant Artist and the America West, the highlight was probably the Georgia O'Keefe painting of one of 40 paintings of her patio door (lol). read more

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This museum is pretty cool, better than the Seattle Art Museum to be honest. I enjoyed all of the exhibits displayed in July 2022. The staff were friendly and there is so much open space. Worth the visit if you're in Tacoma. There is a current exhibit honoring and acknowledging native land, people and culture - which was great for me to see as a native person. I would encourage the museum store to have that same honor and acknowledgement with the items being sold, instead of "native inspired" having items made by native artists and small business bc native art is boycotted by big brands all the time and do not honor the native peoples they have stole those designs from. read more

Came here with my date on a Thursday morning so it wasn't busy at all. Parking is easy enough in the pay lots behind the museum albeit a little confusing since there is a private lot and the TAM lot adjacent to one another. Student pricing and 1 regular adult was $26ish dollars, which is a little high for me personally. You get this sort of admission pin you clip to your collar though as admission evidence, which is interesting. The exhibits I saw included work on the American frontier experience, Chinese railroad workers of the 1800s and lighly touched on Chinese exclusion in the 1900s, works commissioned by the RR companies to document scenery in the Northwest and a smattering of native american work. The exhibits were well taken care of and the venue easy to navigate. I guess I would have appreciated some more interaction from the staff walking about. Perhaps offer tidbits of info. on the exhibits. Overall an ok museum to visit, but depending on your level of interest in this type of venue may not be worth the drive, parking cost and admission. On another note conveniently the glass museum and glass bridge are also nearby TAM so you can check those out afterwards or before. read more

Tacoma Art Museum - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

We saw the 30 Americans exhibit recently and the Norman Rockwell exhibit a few years ago. You couldn't get two more opposite exhibits and that's what's awesome about the TAM. Great, diverse exhibits in a beautiful, highly explorable space. Worth the drive from Seattle for sure! read more

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I enjoy the Tacoma Art Museum, including the modern clean line style of the museum itself. But the thing about Tacoma Art Museum is that on every visit - I feel after I've strolled through all the exhibits - that I just haven't seen enough, wishing there was more art. I peek around upstairs to see if perchance there's a gallery I have missed. I'm greedy, I know. The glass-walled inner courtyard, filled with brightly colored and richly patterned Ma Chihuly's floats, always attract my attention and gaze before I enter the galleries. I just found out the floats are put out in the spring and pulled back in for the winter. My favorite piece on this particular day was "Marie Watt: Lodge". It really struck a chord inside me. Take your shoes off, enter, and partake in the delight of this exquisitely cozy and inviting den. Inside the lodge, a little black and white hologram plays on the rock-like surface of one wall. Stalactites and stalagmites everywhere, made from felten wool. Actually, most everything in the lodge is felten wool, which looks like bison fur to me. I understand it to be a painstaking manual process to make felten wool. The Best of the Northwest exhibit runs until March next year. I was glad to see paintings by Jacob Lawrence, Mark Tobey and Morris Graves. Glass will always be the biggest deal at TAM, noting the deep ties between Dale Chihuly and the museum. Some of Chihuly's finest pieces are on exhibit at TAM, and the Sea Forms will always be my favorite. But you know, I can't help but thinking - that nearby there's the Glass Bridge and the Musuem of Glass - perhaps other media besides glass mightn't take up some of the space in TAM - like more photography exhibits, just as an example. That'd be nice. read more

They have lots of room with lots of museum stuff and even a big cardboard dog but really, I expected more Chihuly (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=dale%20chihuly&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CEUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chihuly.com%2F&ei=490VT4G2MYfniALKyLW0DQ&usg=AFQjCNG9MrISOBxmtEN2aHW6w7MqwsW60w). He was born here so I expected this museum to offer an unparalleled exhibit of his fantastic glass art. I guess now you have to buy the ticket for the Museum of Glass (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=museum%20of%20glass&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CEkQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.museumofglass.org%2F&ei=9eAVT6_pONHJiQLqv5DTDQ&usg=AFQjCNFilVtDfZVWhPP7ByyP5k5ADrPaqA). And since you're walking around and getting hungry, head up to the Swiss and see more of Chihuly while enjoying a cool draft on tap and great fish 'n chips (http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-swiss-tacoma#hrid:WdVTBJ1h3CqIC6JN-ilU8g). Honestly, nothing of note struck me as remarkable after the one Chihuly room until a docent pointed out an exterior exhibit area with floors angled to reflect a design that gives an impression of an "eternal wave". And anything with a wave in it is cool by me. It's not obvious and the docent told us that she didn't see the wave until the architect pointed it out to her years later. Maybe a sign would help. If the docent hadn't been there, we'd have never known. See more Chuhuly at the Union Station just next door (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=union%20station%20tacoma&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CDYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.unionstationrotunda.org%2F&ei=N1kWT7jFLrL-iQKX2-nzDw&usg=AFQjCNGNg47nX5tMH3zdok5xJ0n4kxYYvQ), past the large cardboard dog and the gift shop. read more

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Sigh..... I specifically drove to Tacoma to see the Tacoma Art Museum. When I got there I paid to park and got my camera all ready to have an experience like the one I had at the Seattle Art Museum. I am very surprised that it costs $10 for a ticket and it took me less than 7 minutes to see the entire museum which consists of about 3 moderately sized rooms. And one of the rooms was closed since they were adding an installation when I went, so I was informed by the ticket taker that the price was half price (since basically there was nothing to see) I think the exhibit that was open was a collection of native american pictures and on the other side of the room there were glass sculpture. So I didn't see the flow or cohesion. I really thought for Tacoma, there would be a lot more to see. The building looks so huge and then you're like whomp whomp wtf. I really didn't have my hopes up when I went, so although I was disappointed, I wasn't completely let down. I just went to the tea shop near by and that made everything better. read more

I enjoyed the Monet and Degas exhibit along with many Native American artists from New Mexico, particularly Santa Fe and Taos. They also had pieces from the Glass Museum which were also wonderful. I was not too keen on the Simpson's exhibit, but it was cute. The only reason I am giving the TAM a 3 rating is on parking. I bought the 2 dollar ticket, and stayed over by 15 minutes and got a 40 dollar ticket when I left the museum. For this reason I will not return. First of all museums should be free like they are in Europe, and parking should be free as well. read more

Very nice museum. Love the glass work by the artist Dale Chihuly. I saw an exhibit that featured artists who were immigrants to the United States. This is what immigration is all about - - bringing talent into this country and making it so much better! Nice. read more

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Fabulous cafe! Best quinoa salad yet! Terrific service. Great coffee. Zachary is super cute, too. read more

Tacoma Art Museum - Entrance to the cafe - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Free admission today thanks to Bank of America and Alaska Airlines! THANKS!!! My new favorite art museum. It is a beautiful, bright space. With a little bit of everything. Well worth seeing. Not far from the glass museum. Also a must see. read more

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The staff was friendly and super helpful. I will say I was expecting a bigger museum with more to be see. But with that being said it was still nice and well put together. Just think perhaps adding a bit more would make it even better. read more

What a pleasant surprise this was! Using the Museums on Us discount care of Bank of America where the first weekend of the month is free for BoA cardholders, we got our first taste of TAM. Most people, I imagine, come for the Chihuly exhibit, but the rest of the museum is well worth a visit, too. Western and Native American art was on display, a worthwhile exploration of diverse perspectives on the 19th century. The place was barren when I arrived mid-day Sunday, and neither curated nor audio tours were offered. Still, roaming around a sun-lit museum on a weekend without having to doge other museum-goers is nothing to complain about. read more

Tacoma Art Museum has come a long way since I first visited it at it's previous location in an old bank building! USA today has named it as one of the top 10 Great Places to See Art in Smaller Cities. As someone who has a passionate interest in art it is easy to see why. This is a museum that carefully hones its mission and delivers the goods with pinpoint accuracy. To quote TAM's website: "the museum has developed a national reputation for presenting art in a thought-provoking yet accessible manner, with a strong commitment to Northwest art through its acquisition and exhibition programs. In addition to dynamic exhibitions, nationally touring shows, and historical retrospectives, TAM serves the diverse communities of the region through innovative programming and learning opportunities for all ages, including free community events." "The museum's collection of more than 5,000 works emphasizes the art and artists of the Northwest and broader western region. Highlights of the collection include: --The largest retrospective museum collection of glass art by Tacoma native Dale Chihuly on continued view; --The largest collection of studio art jewelry by Northwest artists; --The Haub Family Collection of Western American Art, one of the nation's premier western American art collections, with approximately 300 works spanning 200 years. The Haub Family Collection is the first major museum collection of western American art in the Pacific Northwest region; --Over 120 works from the Washington Art Consortium's Safeco/Liberty Mutual Collection of Northwest art; --Key holdings in 19th century European and 20th century American art; and one of the finest collections of Japanese woodblock prints on the West Coast. Most recently, TAM has received a major bequest from Becky Benaroya to build a new wing to house the extensive art glass collection which she is donating to the museum. It is a true testament to TAM's mission that the Benaroya collection is to be housed in Tacoma! read more

The museum mostly showed temporary exhibits like the travelling still life paintings from Houston's Museum of Fine Art and the commissioned Zhi Lin works about the Chinese Reconciliation with the part of one work going to a local park (see www.yelp.com/biz/chinese-reconciliation-park-tacoma). Both were nicely curated. Not surprising with Chihuly-influenced Tacoma, the permanent works were glass art, but much better presented and lit than at the Museum of Glass. Allow 45 minutes to visit this site. The museum was my second favorite museum that is part of the Tacoma Museum Pass. The museum's collection is also shown next door at Union Station (see www.yelp.com/biz/chihuly-at-union-station-tacoma). On display in the historic domed train station are five Chihuly works - four glass sculptures and painted drawings paneled like a patchwork quilt. The former station is the current lobby of a courthouse. Admission is free, but ID must be shown to enter like in most government buildings. Access does not require going through the metal detectors. read more

I do care for art. Tacoma, not so much usually. But, I've learned I have to admit that some things in Tacoma are great, and without a doubt, coming here was my first hint that I might need to re-think my judgements. I've seen some of the best art exhibits here, even a few controversial ones that would have raised an eyebrow even in Seattle or a bigger city, and Tacoma showed them with pride. I loved that, even if I didn't love some of the comments I heard around them, the employees have always been courteous and friendly, something I truly appreciate when I'm there to really enjoy the exhibit, I need my space and time without feeling pressured to move along. I'm duly impressed and think it's worth a trip over to see this beautiful space, the lovely selection of art and upgrade your opinion of Tacoma, this museum proves it deserves it. read more