Tacoma Art Museum

See the best collection of Pacific Northwest Art at Tacoma Art Museum.

Tacoma is 40-minutes south of Seattle, and home to some great museums, including the Tacoma Art Museum.

The Tacoma Art Museum has a strong focus on Pacific Northwest Art from the late 18th century to today. Almost three-quarters of the museum's 5,000 artworks fall into this category.

There are also some notable French impressionist pieces from Degas and Renoir, including the famous "Heads of two young girls" (1890) by Renoir. Many of these paintings were bequeathed to the Tacoma Art Museum in its earliest days, by local families who had made their fortunes in the lumber industry.

The Tacoma Art Museum is at 1701 Pacific Ave (check hours & admission). There's an undercover paid parking lot at the museum.

5 best things to see at Tacoma Art Museum

1. Browse 5,000 works from the Pacific Northwest Art Collection, including paintings, ceramics, glass works, native art and jewelry. See historic artworks from the Women Painters of Washington founded in the 1930s, and photographs from the Seattle Camera Club founded in 1924.
2. Experience the grandeur of America's rugged western frontier in oil paintings from the 1850s to today. See pioneers, indian chiefs and cowboys, captured in America's most iconic landscapes like Yellowstone, the Grand Teton, Mount Rainier and Columbia River.
3. Feel a wave nostalgia for scenes from American Prints and Drawings, 1930 to 1960.  Get a glimpse of the lives of American workers toiling away in farming, ranching and heavy industry in these beautiful prints at the Tacoma Art Museum.
4. Learn about exquisite Japanese Woodblock Prints. See the work of Japanese master print makers from the 1600s to late 1800s, with idyllic scenes capturing flowers, birds, landcapes and geishas.
5. See classic European oil paintings from the 1800s to the early 1900s.  The collection of Spanish, British and German paintings includes "Heads of two young girls" (1890) by Renoir, and "Dancers" oil paint on silk by Degas (1879). 

Enjoy a meal at the Tacoma Art Museum

Stop for lunch at the Tacoma Art Museum cafe, or choose from a wide selection of excellent restaurants on Pacific Avenue; including Indochine, The Harmon, El Gaucho, Melting Pot, Matador, and Pacific Grill.  The new Point Ruston development on the waterfront also has a selection of trendy restaurants.

Other things to do in Tacoma

Some other excellent museums on Pacific Avenue in Tacoma include the Tacoma Glass Museum and Washington State History Museum.  The $60 million LeMay Car Museum is near the Tacoma Dome and features the largest private car collection in North America. 

Beautiful Point Defiance Park has a Zoo, Japanese Garden, Nisqually Fort and miles of forested trails with magnificent water views.  The FREE Tacoma Children's Museum is fantastic for kids.