Tacoma, WA Road Trips

Tacoma adopted its name after the nearby Mount Rainier, called təˡqʷuʔbəʔ in the Puget Sound Salish dialect. In the late 19th century, the city was chosen to be the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad, influenced by its deep-water harbor at Commencement Bay, which became Washington's largest port. The city gained notoriety in 1940 for the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which earned the nickname "Galloping Gertie" due to the vertical movement of the deck during windy conditions. Tacoma has a negative reputation among some long-time Washingtonians, owing at least partly to its industrial port district along the interstate, with (now-closed) paper mills contributing to the "Aroma of Tacoma". These negative vibes are out-of-date, as its arts and culture scene is staring to rival that of the much-larger Seattle to the north. 1 The Tacoma Regional Convention & Visitor Bureau, 1515 Commerce St (in the lobby of the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel). Visitor guides, maps and brochures on area attractions are available. (updated Jun 2023)

1 Point Defiance Park (From I-705, take Schuster Pkwy to N 51st. Turn north on Pearl St into the main entrance. Served by the #11 and #41 buses). A 700-acre city park in the north end, featuring old growth forests, gardens, the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Owen Beach, Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, as well as a playground, picnic areas and countless hiking trails. (updated Mar 2025) 2 Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, ☏ +1 253-591-5339. Fort Nisqually, the first European settlement on Puget Sound, was a bustling center of trade that expanded into a large-scale agricultural enterprise. (updated May 2015) 3 Foss Waterway Seaport (Working Waterfront Maritime Museum), 705 Dock St (from I-705 take Schuster Pkwy, turn right at 4th St), ☏ +1 253-272-2750. W-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su noon-4PM. The Foss Waterway Seaport celebrates & exhibits Tacoma's rich maritime heritage—past, present and future. Located on the waterfront in a century-old wooden wheat warehouse, built for cargo arriving by rail and departing by sail ("where rails met sails") during the early years of Tacoma. (updated May 2015) 4 LeMay – America's Car Museum (ACM), 2702 East D St (across East D St from the Tacoma Dome. Entrance at south end of building), ☏ +1 253-779-8490. Daily 10AM-5PM. Guided tour daily 11AM, lasts 75-90 minutes. More than 400 cars are on display in this densely-packed four-story museum. Vehicles of note include a 1948 Tucker, of which less than 21 are on public display, and the Flintmobile used in the 1994 Flintstones film.

1 Tacoma Convention and Trade Center, 1500 Commerce St (Commerce & S 15th St, it is accessible by Link Light Rail), ☏ +1 253-830-6601. TBA by event. For most travelers there may be an event scheduled at the convention center that may be of an interest. For other travelers the scheduled event is what they came to Tacoma for. Admissions vary by scheduled event. (updated Dec 2019) 2 Tacoma Musical Playhouse, 7166 6th Ave (6th Ave & S MacArthur St), ☏ +1 253-565-6867. Tu-F 10AM-6PM. Runs musical plays throughout the year, using local talent. This group has grown to become one of the South Sound's biggest draws, so buy your tickets early for the popular shows. (updated Jun 2023) 3 Tacoma Rainiers, 2502 S Tyler St, ☏ +1 253-752-7707. The local Triple-A West minor league baseball team plays at Cheney Stadium. $7.50–$28.50. (updated Jun 2023) Tacoma Defiance. USL Championship soccer team, and the official reserve team for Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders FC. This team plays in Starfire Stadium in Tukwila. (updated Jun 2023)

6th Avenue has some affordable restaurants. Most of the suggested venues below are along 6th Ave between Sprague and Union. Sixth Ave divides north from south so some of the listed establishments in the below may be in the north or the south side of 6th Ave. 1 Primo Grill, 2701 6th Ave (on 6th & N Oakes (moved into where the Tattoo Parlor used to be)), ☏ +1 253-383-7000. Su-Th 4PM-11PM; F Sa 4PM-midnight. Moderately priced, Italian/Mediterranean, lunch & dinner. 2 Asado, 2810 6th Ave (on 6th & S Pine), ☏ +1 253-272-7770. M-W 11AM-10PM; Th 11AM-midnight; F 11:30AM-1:30AM; Sa 4PM-1:30AM; Su 4PM-10PM. Pricey Argentinian dinner. 3 Gateway to India, 2603 6th Ave (on 6th & N Fife), ☏ +1 253-552-5022. M-F 11AM-9PM; Sa Su noon-9PM. Inexpensive Indian lunch & dinner. They serve lunch buffet 4 Shakabra, 2618 6th Ave (SE corner of 6th & S Oakes), ☏ +1 253-572-2787. M-Sa 7AM-4PM, Su 8AM-4PM. Casual breakfast spot with hearty English-style breakfast dishes such as egg dishes, sausages & pancakes all day, plus burgers & sandwiches at lunch. (updated Aug 2016) 5 Southern Kitchen, 1716 6th Ave (on 6th & S Sprague next to Bucky's Auto Repair), ☏ +1 253-627-4282. M-Th 8AM-8PM; F Sa 8AM-9PM; Su 8AM-7PM. Inexpensive Southern/Soul lunch & dinner. 6 Wild Orchid, 3023 6th Ave (on 6th & N Cedar), ☏ +1 253-627-5889. M-Sa 11AM-9PM; Sa Su noon-9PM. Inexpensive pan-Asian lunch & dinner. 7 Silk Thai, 3401 6th Ave (6th Ave and N Warner, across from Mt Zion Church), ☏ +1 253-756-1737. Mid-priced, lunch & dinner, delicious Thai dishes.

1 Airport Tavern, 5406 S Tacoma Way, ☏ +1 253-212-0709. Su W Th 4PM-midnight; Tu F Sa 4PM-2AM; closed M. Pinball, brews, pool table, and intimate venue for live shows. Although they don't serve grub, they do take food orders. They also serve as an entertainment venue in South Tacoma with various local bands playing throughout the year. (updated Nov 2019) 2 The Church Cantina, 5420 S Tacoma Way (S Tacoma Way & 54th St), ☏ +1 253-292-0544. Tu-Su noon-2AM. (updated Nov 2019) 3 Engine House 9 or 'E9', 611 N Pine St (in an old firehouse building up on N Pine from 6th Ave), ☏ +1 253-272-3435. M-W 11AM-midnight; Th 11AM-1AM; F 11AM-2AM; Sa 8:30AM-2AM; Su 8:30PM-10PM. In the trendy 6th Avenue area. A great beer list and karaoke on Thursdays make this bar very popular with college students from the local University of Puget Sound. 4 McMenamins Elk's Temple Brewery, 562 Broadway (Broadway & 7th St. Up the street from the antique shops along Broadway), ☏ +1 253-300-8747. (updated Sep 2020) 5 The Mix, 635 St Helens Ave (NE corner of S 7th & St Helens Ave). Daily 2PM-2AM. In Downtown's St. Helens Neighborhood caters to a mostly gay crowd. On weekend nights The Mix is packed with 20- and 30-somethings having a good time. 6 Club Silverstone, 739 St Helens Ave (SE of St Helens Ave & Court C), ☏ +1 253-404-0273. Daily 11AM-2AM. Tacoma's largest gay nightclub, in the Theater District in Downtown Tacoma. During the week the club is low-key but on the weekends the club gets busy with dancing all night long. 7 Tacoma Wine Merchants, 21 N Tacoma Ave, ☏ +1 253-779-8258.

1 Comfort Inn Tacoma Dome, 2611 East 'E' St (E 26th & E St, between Tacoma Dome and Freighthouse Square), ☏ +1 253-272-7737. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. In between the Tacoma Dome and Freighthouse Square and in close proximity to Amtrak, the bus stations and downtown. (updated Aug 2018) 2 Hotel Murano, 1320 Broadway Plaza, ☏ +1 253-238-8000. 3 Courtyard Marriott - Tacoma Downtown, 1515 Commerce St (across from the Great Tacoma Convention Center), ☏ +1 253-591-9100. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. The hotel is connected to the historic Waddell building. The Waddell building's ground floor features the Pacific Grill, run by famed chef, Gordon Naccarato. Above Pacific Grill are 2 luxury suites. On the lower level of the hotel is the new Pacific Grill Events Center that host many events year-round. 4 Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tacoma Downtown, 2102 South C St (C St & S 21st, a couple of blocks up the hill on S 21st from Pacific), ☏ +1 253-272-2434. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. (updated May 2015) 5 McMenamins Elk's Temple Hotel, 562 Broadway (Broadway & 7th St. Up the street from the antique shops along Broadway), ☏ +1 253-300-8777. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. The Elks Temple includes 45 king guestrooms, each appointed with a private bathroom, wifi, television and usb ports. Threads of local history are woven throughout the rooms – and the entire structure – through art and written stories. (updated Sep 2020) 6 The Tree House, 402 S 'i' St (S 'i' & 4th St, overlooking Wright Park.), ☏ +1 253-403-8510.

The 1 Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac) (SEA IATA) is the nearest airport for commercial flights. It is 25 mi/40 km north of Tacoma. The airport serves much of the greater Seattle Metropolitan area and the Pacific NW. Options besides taxi/limo or rental car are: Sound Transit. Bus route #574 is a daily express bus between Lakewood, Tacoma, Federal Way, Kent, SeaTac light rail station and the airport. ShuttleExpress, ☏ +1 425-981-7000. Operates shared and private shuttle services between the airport and hotels & residents within the Tacoma-Seattle-Bellevue-Everett corridor and its vicinity. Catch them at the 3rd level of the parking garage. During the morning commute hours (7-10AM), it may not be best to take this transportation if you go to downtown Seattle unless you have a lot of baggage to take care of; the more spacious Link Light Rail trains will get you there for about the same duration or even quicker. Walk-ins are allowed for trips from the airport (shared vans only), reservations necessary for trips to the airport. Downtown from $18. Capital Aeroporter, toll-free: +1-800-962-3579. For areas mainly south of the airport (Tacoma, Olympia, Auburn, Kent, Chehalis, Centralia, Shelton). Bremerton-Kitsap Aeroporter, (scheduled stop) Ben Dew Clubhouse @ 6501 6th Ave (smaller tavern in front of the larger Grocery Outlet and Mary's Auto Repair Bldg), ☏ +1 360-876-1737. Connects the airport to Tacoma, Gig Harbor and the Kitsap Peninsula.

The area's roads are more or less on a grid system, numbered based on their distance from Tacoma's city center. Nearly all streets run with the compass directions. "A" St, one block east of Pacific Ave (SR-7), divides east from south while Orchard St divides south from west. 6th Ave and Division Ave divide north from south. The numbered roads run east-west, parallel to 6th Avenue, while the named roads run north-south (except for one corner in the North End where everything is rotated by 60°). Pierce Transit, ☏ +1 253-581-8000. Operates local and regional public transit bus routes in Pierce County. Communities within the county served by this operator's routes include Fife, Gig Harbor, Lakewood, Puyallup, Steilacoom, Tacoma. (updated Jun 2023) Sound Transit, toll-free: +1-888-889-6368. Has regional public transit routes including Sounder trains, Link light rail, and express bus in King County (e.g. Bellevue, Federal Way, Kent, Renton, Seattle), Snohomish County (e.g. Everett, Lynnwood), and within Pierce County (e.g. Puyallup, Lakewood, Tacoma). (updated Jun 2023) Tacoma LINK A light rail/streetcar line that runs between Freighthouse Square (near the Tacoma Dome and the train station), downtown, Tacoma General Hospital, and St Joseph's Hospital on Hilltop with a stop that serves the Washington State History Museum / University of Washington, Tacoma area. Trains run every 10-20 minutes, and the fares are free.

While Tacoma's crime problem has improved over the past decade, the city still has a high crime rate relative to other Northwest cities. Much of the crime is concentrated on the Hilltop and Eastside neighborhoods and the hotels along S Hosmer/Steele St between 8400-9900 blocks, particularly at a boarded up hotel on 8820 S Hosmer St and its surrounding areas. The Stadium District area towards the north end has the lowest crime rate in the city and Downtown has a low crime rate compared to downtown areas of other cities (including Seattle), however visitors should be cautious as in any urban area. Visitors should also be careful when entering the surrounding suburbs of Lakewood, Spanaway and Parkland. Crime problems in Lakewood sometimes run over into nearby Parkland. As always when traveling alone or at night, avoid poorly-lit areas with little foot traffic.