Twice the Charm
The Tacoma area has a number of venues that serve as gathering places for business and as local attractions.
No matter what the event, at the LeMay: America’s Car Museum, attendees mingle amidst the shiniest collection of automobiles around. The Showcase Gallery accommodates as many as 500 guests, and the Board Room works well for a private meeting of 50 or fewer in an intimate setting. But hosting an occasion among one of the museum’s collections can’t be replicated anywhere else. Schedule an evening of competitive racing on simulators or with slot cars for a memorable team-building exercise.
Named for iconic car collector and local resident Harold LeMay, the museum opened in the summer of 2012. At one time, LeMay may have had 3,000 vehicles, a number that got him into the “Guinness Book of World Records.” Many of the cars in the museum belonged to LeMay, but others were added to this four-story exhibit.
A must-see while in Tacoma, the Museum of Glass has become an architectural symbol of the city. Its upside-down ice cream cone shape, visible from nearby freeways, houses the world’s largest hot shop, where you can watch modern glass artists shape molten lava into works of art. Small groups can try their hand at glassblowing under professional guidance.
The outdoor plazas that nuzzle up to the Thea Foss Waterway have reflecting pools and unparalleled glass art, making them ideal for receptions. Indoors, a theater, a grand ballroom and a boardroom all welcome different types of events.
Lakewold Gardens, which is open to the public, has certain restrictions on times and days for rentals. Finding a time that is available for a midsized group retreat or conference means the guests can stroll through the colorful, quiet gardens and ponder what they’ve heard in their meetings.
Groups can rent the entire Lower Wagner House, which includes a sunroom, a living room, a dining room and a veranda; individual rooms are also available for rent. For events after 4:30 p.m. only, the whole house can be rented; it accommodates 125 people.
Another local treasure, the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium offers a variety of venues for picnics, meetings, and corporate retreats. Events can be hosted at the Education Center; the Family Pavilion, home to an antique carousel; the Red Wolf Picnic Site; or the aquariums. Staff biologists can bring a resident animal, like an aardvark, a giant African millipede, a kestrel or a laughing kookaburra, to your group and talk about how it adapts for survival.
Guests with no diving background can swim with the zoo’s sharks in an immersion cage equipped with surface-supplied air. Both divers and nondivers can learn about shark conservation efforts, and nondivers can watch divers through a window located below the shark tank.
Attractions Worth a Visit
Majestic, snow-capped Mount Rainier offers a bounty of summer activities such as horseback riding, disc golf, hiking, mountain biking and fishing. From mid-July to late October, all the roads and lodges are open and the area is gushing with colorful wildflowers.
Take a ride on the Mount Rainier Gondola at Crystal Mountain for the thrill of a lifetime. At the top, dine in a high-end restaurant, take a guided hike with a ranger or just savor the view.
Another once-in-a-lifetime adventure can be had at the Heritage Distillery in Gig Harbor, Washington, just over the Narrows Bridge from Tacoma. Heritage is the only place in the country where you can legally distill your own spirits with its My Batch classes. After bottling them, you can either take the bottle home with you or buy a cask so you can age your spirits at home. Tastings are available at Heritage’s two locations in Gig Harbor, one on the waterfront and the other where all the action happens.
No matter what the group wants in the way of venues, Tacoma offers attractive options at an attractive price.
“We have lots of flexibility,” said Potvin-Bird. “This is a great place to come, to make events successful. Our meeting venues, accommodations and activities are modestly priced, which allows visitors to experience more.”
Tacoma, Washington
Location
Northwest Washington
Access
I-5. Seattle-Tacoma (SeaTac) International Airport is 20 miles north
Major Meeting Spaces
Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center, Hotel Murano, Washington State Fair Events Center
Hotel Rooms
2,800 citywide
Offsite Venues
The LeMay: America’s Car Museum, Museum of Glass, Lakewold Gardens, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Heritage Distillery
Contact Info
800-272-2662
www.traveltacoma.com
