point defiance park
Over 100 years old, Point Defiance Park (http://metroparkstacoma.o...) features old growth forests, gardens, the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium (http://pdza.org), Owen Beach (http://metroparkstacoma.o...), Fort Nisqually Living History Museum (http://metroparkstacoma.o...), and Camp 6 Logging Museum (http://camp-6-museum.org/...), as well as a playground and countless hiking trails.
museums
Tacoma is home to a variety of museums:
Washington State History Museum (http://wshs.org/)
Tacoma Art Museum (http://tacomaartmuseum.org/)
Museum of Glass (http://museumofglass.org/) - you can cross to or from this museum on the Chihuly Bridge of Glass (http://chihuly.com/bridge...) - and no, the bridge is not made of glass - it's 500 feet long, over Interstate 705, with glasswork exhibits.
Children's Museum of Tacoma (http://childrensmuseumoft...)
Fort Nisqually Living History Museum (http://metroparkstacoma.o...)
Working Waterfront Museum (http://wwfrontmuseum.org/)
LeMay - America's Car Museum (http://lemaymuseum.org/) Hundreds of cars in the collection are on display. Vehicles of note include a 1948 Tucker, of which less than 21 are on public display worldwide, and the Flintmobile used in the 1994 Flintstones film.
other
The Seymour Botanical Conservatory (http://metroparkstacoma.o...), within Wright Park (http://discoverparks.org/...).
Union Station (http://w3.gsa.gov/web/p/i...) and its Dale Chihuly glass exhibits (http://chihuly.com/instal...). Next to the Washington State History Museum.
University of Washington Tacoma (http://tacoma.washington.edu/) - located in an historic business district near downtown. A suggested walking tour (http://tacoma.washington....) is available. UW Tacoma is across the street from the Washington State History Museum.
Brown & Haley's Outlet Store The (https://brown-haley.com/o...) near the factory most famous for Almond Roca® candy.
A new convention center (http://tacomaconventionce...) opened in late 2004.
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, the gateway to Gig Harbor, Poulsbo, Hood Canal, Port Townsend, and the Olympic Peninsula, was recently remodeled to include a second span which now requires a $4 toll for those returning to Tacoma (http://wsdot.wa.gov/proje...). The original bridge, built in 1940, and known as "Galloping Gertie", is well known because of its collapse (http://ketchum.org/bridgecollapse.html.)