Where to Go with Kids in Tacoma, Washington

Close to Seattle, but a visit-worthy city of its own, Tacoma is especially attractive to family travelers with car-crazy teens — or anyone who loves automobiles. And travelers of any age will delight in the stunning creations of Dale Chihuly and works by other glass artists from around the world.

Begin by crossing the free Chihuly Bridge of Glass, a pedestrian walkway over Interstate 705 decorated by massive glass artwork by Tacoma native Dale Chihuly, the world’s most prominent glass artist. One of these is the Seaform Pavilion, its ceiling made of more than 2,000 3-D glass objects and forms, a mesmerizing fantasy of colors and shapes.

At the other end is the 80-foot Venetian Wall, displaying 109 Chihuly sculptures, including some of the largest. At the center, the Crystal Towers catch and refract daylight through translucent blue crystals that change with varying light conditions. For a completely different experience, return to see the bridge lighted at night.

The bridge ends at Museum of Glass, a showcase for glass artistry from around the world, and includes an exhibit of more Chihuly works.

Tacoma isn’t all about glass. America’s Car Museum began as a personal collection and grew to more than 300 automobiles spanning a century of automotive design and technology. Exhibits explore different themes, such as Route 66, and the family zone is a place for kids of all ages to learn about cars through hands-on activities. Visitors can sit behind the wheel of real cars, learn how cars work by exploring a chassis with exposed parts or customize a vehicle on a touchscreen.

On the third Saturday each month, free family programs encourage visitors under 18 to explore the world of automobiles and their relation to engineering, art and science through design and building activities.

In Point Defiance Park, a good place for a family picnic, nearly 30 acres is devoted to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. The lush Asian Forest Sanctuary includes eight different habitats where Sumatran tigers, tapirs, Clouded leopards, gibbons and Siamang live among waterfalls and bamboo forests. The two aquariums feature creatures of the Pacific and South Pacific.