The Tacoma History Museum is preparing to welcome visitors into a new permanent home after remaining closed since April for its move. A public grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 2122 Commerce St.
The museum is settling into the historic Hunt & Mottet warehouses in the Brewery Blocks, near the University of Washington Tacoma campus and Washington State History Museum. The location also sits along the Prairie Line, giving the organization a home surrounded by reminders of the railroad and warehouse activity that helped shape the city.
The building dates to 1907 and once served the Hunt-Mottet Company, a major wholesale hardware business that supplied industries including logging, farming and mining. Its preserved industrial character makes it an especially fitting setting for a museum dedicated to Tacoma’s past.
Visitors at the opening can explore a new Tacoma exhibit featuring 20 artifacts selected to offer snapshots of the city’s history. The museum will also introduce people to its educational programs and research resources.
Opening-day activities will include history-themed board games, a collaborative art project asking what Tacoma history means to local residents, cookies and tea, and a sidewalk sale of books about the area. Limited-edition Tacoma Historical Society stickers will be available while supplies last.
The move gives the Tacoma Historical Society its first permanent home since the organization was founded in 1990. Grand-opening details are available from the Tacoma Historical Society here.
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