Tacoma History

Tired of not having anything historically relevant to talk about in Tacoma on Independence Day? Boy, do we know how... Read More

Well before the online era, promoters and performers went to great lengths to capture the attention of Tacomans. A look back at some of the creative lengths businesses, and the city itself, have gone to as catalogued and in the Tacoma Public Library's online archives... Read More

Just inside 5415 So. Tacoma Way you'll find wall art from a Chinese restaurant, graffiti from the building's medicinal marijuana growing days, a modern apartment, and a small glimpse of what was once the Realart Theater. Read More

In 2009 rumors began to circulate that Never Never Land's statues were being stored in a secret underground location. Three years later Sharon Styer, a Tacoma resident who'd seen the storybook characters just before they all disappeared from Point Defiance, jumped at the chance to take a one-time-only tour beneath downtown. Read More

From the 'you can't make this stuff up files' comes a look back at the 1955 Tacoma Home Show, where there was plenty for guests to see at the College of Puget Sound's field house (now the University of Puget Sound). Read More

Every 60 years or so the tale of Tacoma's electrified version of the Loch Ness Monster manages to find a way to be told once more. Read More

Judging by photos from decades past, all-out Father’s Day pampering is a time-honored Tacoma tradition. Here we take a look at snapshots of what Father’s Day has been like in Tacoma history, including a birthday note for a cat named Tricia. Read More

There was no marketing genius behind turning Tacoma Self Storage into Tacoma “Elf” Storage 11 years ago. It wasn’t a ploy by the company to get free press, or even an enthusiastic holiday reveler looking to spread cheer—it was a happy little accident caused by our feathered friends. Read More