TAM Is Becoming an Adults-Only Wonderland for One Night

Tacoma Art Museum is preparing to become something much stranger than a quiet collection of galleries.

On Saturday, September 26, TAM will dim the lights and transform the museum into an adults-only Wonderland filled with music, cocktails, interactive art and what organizers promise will be a healthy measure of delightful chaos.

The 21-and-older event runs from 8 to 11 p.m. Two themed bars—the Red Queen and the Mad Hatter—will serve specialty cocktails throughout the evening, while visitors can create their own imaginative headwear inside the Mad Hatter Millinery.

The experience will extend beyond drinks and costumes. DJs and immersive soundscapes will create changing moods throughout the museum, while interactive artwork, games and unexpected performances encourage visitors to do more than quietly observe what is hanging on the walls.

Organizers are deliberately keeping some of the evening’s encounters under wraps. Pop-up performances, playful characters and other surprises will appear throughout the building, giving guests reasons to explore its galleries and curious corners rather than remaining in one place.

Food will also follow the Wonderland theme, with what TAM calls “curious bites and sweets” available during the evening. The combination makes the event closer to an immersive nighttime experience than a conventional museum reception.

Wonderland takes place from 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday, September 26, at Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Avenue. Admission is limited to guests 21 and older, and tickets are listed at $75. Complete event information is available from Tacoma Art Museum, and Visit Tacoma–Pierce County..