Tacoma · Washington
Discover the best of Tacoma
Restaurants, waterfronts, museums, neighborhoods, events and local favorites — independently researched and curated for exploring Tacoma, Washington.
Browse Tacoma by category
Areas
Explore Tacoma by area
Neighborhoods and nearby communities we've walked and written up in full.
Tacoma neighborhood
Downtown Tacoma
Museum row, restored theaters and the T Line running the length of it.
Explore Downtown TacomaTacoma neighborhood
Old Town
Tacoma's first neighborhood: a dock, a small beach and a seafood counter over the water.
Explore Old TownTacoma neighborhood
Proctor District
One walkable intersection built around a Saturday market, bakeries and independent shops.
Explore Proctor DistrictDestination district · Tacoma
Sixth Avenue
The city's casual eating and evening strip, walkable end to end.
Explore Sixth AvenueTacoma neighborhood
Stadium District
Steep streets above Commencement Bay, historic houses and Wright Park at the bottom.
Explore Stadium DistrictAdjacent city · not part of Tacoma
University Place
A separate city west of Tacoma: Town Center, an apple orchard park and the Chambers Creek shoreline.
Explore University PlaceSignature feature
Explore Tacoma by T Line
Restaurants, museums, neighborhoods and attractions near Tacoma's T Line stations — 12 station guides, each covering what is genuinely within walking distance of the platform.
Places
Places worth discovering
Restaurants, coffee, parks, museums, hotels and shops researched one at a time — with sources on every place page.
Editorial IllustrationAttractions · Thea Foss Waterway
Museum of Glass
Working glass studio and waterfront galleries on the Thea Foss
Editorial IllustrationRestaurants · Downtown Tacoma
Wooden City
Dinner-hour American cooking and a late bar on Broadway
Editorial IllustrationCoffee · 6th Avenue
Bluebeard Coffee Roasters
Roaster and cafe at the downtown end of 6th Avenue
Editorial IllustrationParks · Point Defiance
Point Defiance Park
Tacoma's 760-acre peninsula park — free to enter, with the zoo, Fort Nisqually and Five Mile Drive inside
Editorial IllustrationRestaurants · Old Town
Northern Fish Old Town
A seafood counter with over-water deck seating on the Old Town waterfront
Editorial IllustrationShopping · Downtown Tacoma
King's Books
Independent new-and-used bookstore on St Helens Avenue
Editorial IllustrationParks · University Place
Chambers Creek Regional Park
The 930-acre Pierce County shoreline park that surrounds Chambers Bay
Editorial IllustrationHotels · Downtown Tacoma
Hotel Murano
Downtown hotel built around a studio-glass collection
Experiences
What do you feel like doing?
Start from the decision rather than the category. Each one opens the guide that answers it.
Waterfront TacomaTwo flat shoreline miles, the piers worth stopping at, and where to eat at the end.Museums & cultureThe glass-and-museum corridor downtown, in the order that actually works on foot.
CoffeeRoasters, corner cafés and the window seats locals keep going back to.Food & diningWhere we send friends to eat, by neighborhood and by occasion.Parks & outdoors760 acres of forest and saltwater beach, plus how to plan a day around it.
A weekend hereTwo days in Tacoma without backtracking across the city.On foot
Explore Tacoma on foot
Editor-walked routes with distances, terrain and step-free notes.
1.4 miles · Easy
The Museum Mile
Five institutions and the Bridge of Glass on one flat corridor between Union Station and the Museum of Glass.
4 miles round trip · Easy
Ruston Way shoreline
Two flat miles of Commencement Bay waterfront with Vashon Island across the water.
2.6 miles · Hilly
Stadium & North Slope historic loop
Victorian and Craftsman blocks, Wright Park, and the castle above Commencement Bay.
Guides
Plan your Tacoma day
Editorial IllustrationFood & Drink · 12 min read
The best restaurants in Tacoma
A working list of the dining rooms Tacoma sends people to — organized by the district you will actually be standing in.
Outdoors
Ruston Way: the complete guide
Two flat miles of Commencement Bay shoreline, the parks and piers along it, and where to start so parking does not ruin the walk.
Outdoors
Point Defiance Park: the complete guide
Old growth, a five-mile scenic drive, a beach, a zoo, a living-history fort, and a ferry dock — inside one park. Here is how to prioritize.
Attractions
Tacoma Art Museum: a visitor's guide
What is actually in the collection, how long it takes, and how it fits with the rest of the museum corridor.
Explore the Tacoma map
Every place, walking route, T Line station and area we cover, plotted on one map.
Independent local discovery
Our recommendations aren't sold. We research Tacoma places ourselves and keep changing visitor information under review. Our editorial standards.
The Tacoma dispatch
Every Friday, receive:
- Weekend events worth leaving the house for
- New restaurants and openings
- Hidden gems from the editors' notebooks
- Seasonal activities as they come into range
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