Community Highlight: Tacoma Recreation
Tacoma, Washington offers a diverse range of recreational activities that cater to both outdoor enthusiasts and culture lovers. Nestled on the shores of Puget Sound, the city's stunning waterfront provides ample opportunities for boating, fishing, and kayaking. Point Defiance Park, one of the largest urban parks in the U.S., offers miles of hiking trails, beautiful gardens, and a zoo and aquarium. Tacoma also has many parks and multiple community centers serving the community. From exploring the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest to immersing oneself in local community events and centers, Tacoma offers a rich and varied recreational landscape.
Community Centers:
STAR Center
STAR Center offers a variety of activities and amenities including: Fitness, Metro Arts, Treetops Playgrounds, rental spaces and preschool & Pre-K. Learn More
People’s Community Center
Offers fitness, metro arts, swimming pool, basketball, drop-in pickleball, rental spaces, and teen center. Learn More
Eastside Community Center
Offers fitness, metro arts, youth afterschool at Eastside, Swimming pool, Open gym, pickleball, rental spaces, and mountain bikes. Learn More
Center at Norpoint
Offers fitness, metro arts, swimming pool, drop-in pickleball, and open gym basketball along with a variety of rental spaces. Learn More
Parks:
Titlow Park
Titlow Park is a large grassy flat park located near a lagoon and Puget Sound at the base of 6th Avenue. The park is 75 acres. The extensive beach frontage and estuary lagoon serve as the focal point to park visitors. Other site amenities include tennis and basketball courts, playfields, trails, sprayground, playground and picnic areas. The historic Titlow Lodge, formerly the Hotel Hesperides, constructed in 1911 is a central feature of the park. Learn More
Wright Park
Wright Park is ideal for a leisurely stroll or taking your kids to the playground or sprayground. This 27 acre arboretum is home to a rich collection of more than 600 trees. Learn More
Wapato Park
Wapato Park lies in a beautiful setting of lake and forest. Features include a walking trail around the lake (.9 miles), a playground, a dog park, picnic shelters, and an impressive, historic pergola. Learn More
Explore More Tacoma Parks HERE
Other Recreation:
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (PDZA) is the only combined zoo and aquarium in the Pacific Northwest. The 29-acre zoological park was established in 1905, and attracts about 700,000 visitors a year. It is nationally accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), which ensures rigorously high standards of animal welfare, veterinary care, conservation, education and more. The Zoo sits within 700-acre Point Defiance Park, offering spectacular views of Mount Rainier, the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. PDZA is operated by Metro Parks Tacoma, the oldest independent park district in Washington. Learn More
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is a facility of Metro Parks Tacoma, an independent government agency creating healthy opportunities to play, learn and grow since 1907. Meet native Northwest animals on walking paths or premium tours. Play on the nature-inspired Kids’ Trek playground. Spend the day enjoying the sights, walking in the forest, and reconnecting with wildlife. Learn More
Fort Nisqually Living History Museum
Fort Nisqually Living History Museum’s Mission: Engage a diverse regional audience with Puget Sound’s first globally connected settlement through historic preservation, experiential learning, and interpretation.
Fort Nisqually, the first globally connected settlement on the Puget Sound, was established in 1833 by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a fur trading outpost. The decline of the fur trade meant that Fort Nisqually’s focus shifted to commercial agricultural enterprises with the establishment of the Puget Sound Agricultural Company (PSAC) in 1839. Based at Fort Nisqually, the PSAC raised cattle, sheep, and horses along with crops such as wheat, barley, oats, and peas across the 160,000 acres claimed by the company. By 1855, the date the museum portrays, this British establishment was surrounded by American territory and faced increasing pressure from settlers who wanted the farmable land for their own use. The Hudson’s Bay Company sold its holdings to the United States government, withdrawing from Washington Territory in 1869, and Fort Nisqually became the homestead of the last manager, Edward Huggins. Learn More
