Three Ways to Spend a Perfect Day in Tacoma

I think Tacoma is one of the best-kept secrets in the Pacific Northwest. While some might have notions about “Grit City’s” industrial reputation, this vibrant city is home to an abundance of family-friendly adventures. Whether you want to explore museums, wander beautiful beaches or just get out of your regular playground rut, Seattle’s southern neighbor has something for everyone. As the famous slogan goes, “You’ll like Tacoma!”

Itinerary 1: Learn something new

Downtown Tacoma is home to an impressive museum district where you and your crew can choose your own adventure and learn about different aspects of Pacific Northwest arts and culture across six different locations. A day of museum exploring is an especially good plan for those springtime rainy days when we need everyone to have fun indoors. Be sure to check each website to find hours of operation, visitor details, family programming and free admission times each month.

We love going to the Washington State History Museum and learning interesting things about the people and events who’ve shaped our state. Every Saturday, you can pick up an activity guide where you can pretend to be a historian as you explore different exhibitions. Once a month, there’s also a free story time for all ages.

The Tacoma Museum of Glass and Tacoma Art Museum (TAM) are the perfect places to flex creative muscles and find inspiration for my little artists. I appreciate how these museums can accommodate my wiggly ones as we create our own masterpieces at the TAM Studio. And, we’re always blown away (almost literally) watching live glass-making in the open Hot Shop. We’ll be sure to swing by on April 29 for the new exhibition called Glass Art for Early Learners for even more opportunities for hands-on exploration.

My kids are big transportation fans and they love the Foss Waterway Seaport and LeMay Car Museum for their all-ages fun by land and sea. They love climbing aboard boats and pretending to be fishermen looking for salmon and spotting the life-size whale overhead. Of course, they love heading to the LeMay family zone to “test drive” race cars and see all the parts of a real engine.

No museum roundup would be complete without mentioning the Children’s Museum of Tacoma. This is a go-to for my littles who always have fun splashing at the water table, testing their balance in the undulating climbing structure and using new tools in the art room. While this isn’t the biggest kids museum we’ve been to, it’s a great place for just-enough to do without requiring a parent marathon. Bonus: it’s always pay as you wish!

When we’re ready for a break, we’re lucky that we don't have to go far to find options for a delicious fuel-up. Seven Seas Brewing is a large open space with couches and long tables. They have a kid-friendly canteen serving smash burgers and grilled cheese. Camp Colvos Brewing's pizza is one of our favorite slices in town and has indoor and outdoor dining areas. Covered in chandeliers and stained glass, The McMenamins Pub at the Elks Temple feels like a castle and has a large kids menu with something for even the pickiest customers.

When we need space to run after spending time inside, we like heading over to Wright Park, a 27-acre arboretum that provides the perfect pit-stop for playground fun. Both younger and older kids will find equipment to keep them busy, including slides at multiple heights, swings for all ages and a spider web spinner. You can’t miss the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory just up the hill, which houses more than 250 species of tropical plants and a rotating display of blooms. This lovingly-tended greenhouse is always free, so you can spend as much or as little time as your brood allows!

Itinerary 2: Enjoy the waterfront

Throw strollers, scooters or bikes in the car and head to Point Ruston. We like to let those wiggles out from the drive into town by making our first stop at stairs and slides, affectionately called chutes and ladders. When we’ve had our fill, we like to pop right over to local favorite Dune Peninsula. The kids love running the pathways, spotting whales and boats and climbing tall grass mounds all while taking in gorgeous views of the Puget Sound. Science fiction fans will recognize the name, based on famed-author and Tacoma native Frank Herbert’s acclaimed novel “Dune.” 

After exploring the peninsula, we follow the path all the way to the bottom to enjoy the Point Ruston playground and take a snack or bathroom break. We sometimes forget to bring our own wheels, so having Wheel Fun Rentals nearby is great so we can continue cruising along the Ruston Way waterfront (open every day starting April 9).

The Ruston Way waterfront follows a two-mile long path dotted by several small parks along the way. We like taking in views of scenic Commencement Bay. Ram Restaurant & Brewery is on the way, which is a great spot for a family-friendly sit down.

When we’re feeling like indulging ourselves, we’ll head up the stairs from the playground for tons of lunch or dinner options including Farelli’s Pizza or WildFin, and we always make sure you leave room for dessert at Ice Cream Social!

Itinerary 3: Adventure outside

Surrounded by old-growth forest, Point Defiance Park is a Tacoma jewel providing sweeping views of the Puget Sound. With hiking trails, beaches and a zoo/aquarium, we’re always guaranteed a great time.

The Rhododendron Garden is a kid-friendly trail network that offers an easy loop for little legs with limited hike capacity. The kids like stomping over moss-covered logs and watching as the light streams through the trees, highlighting the rhododendron colors and gauzy mist around them.

When we’re wanting to stick to wheels, Five Mile Drive is an excellent spot for strollers, scooters, and bikers alike. This pedestrian loop has lots of space for everyone to ride with some gorgeous viewpoints along the way. We’ve had some luck catching whale-sightings from the top of this loop!

Owen Beach is my personal favorite spot in Tacoma and I find any excuse to grab our shovels and go. When my kids aren’t digging up rocks and dipping their toes into chilly water, they’re climbing and sliding in a fun beachfront play area. All the amenities are close by, including clean bathrooms, open picnic tables or covered pavilions and a snack bar (open 11 a.m.–7 p.m. daily). We love to bring a blanket so we can picnic on the beach while the kids run around. If you’re lucky, you’ll get clear views of Rainier and spot the ferry going to and from Vashon Island.

The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium can be its own day entirely! But if you want to squeeze it in, we love feeding the goats and playing on the playground here. There are touch tanks in the aquarium and we always try to spot our favorite zoo pals, the polar bears.