Things to do in the Tacoma Stadium District
Tacoma is much bigger than I expected it to be, but ever since we moved here it keeps drawing me back. It is made up of quite a few districts. There is tons to see and do inside each area so I’m going to share a few of my favorites inside the Stadium District!
Why is it called the stadium district? This historic landmark now turned high school is called “Stadium High“. You may recognize it from the 1999 film “Ten Things I Hate About You“. It is a gorgeous building with lots of history. If you’d like to see inside the school and places where the movie was filmed, Pretty Gritty Tours offers a tour for $25 per adult. Check out my blog post about our tour of Stadium here.
Right down from the stadium is the biggest park you’ll find in Tacoma, Wright Park. It is not quite as big as Central Park in NYC but it will take you a good twenty minutes to walk the perimeter (depending how many times your pooch stops to pee). The park has everything you’d want: picnic tables, benches, a playground, splash pad, statues, basketball courts, restrooms, and plenty of wide open green space.
There are so many different types of trees and flowers in the park, it is gorgeous to walk through any time of year. Majority of the trees and plants have plaques with the name of the species on it. You can make it a learning activity for the kids to remember the different types next time you come. In the spring the little daisies and dandelions dot the grass in hundreds, it makes for gorgeous photos.
In the front of the park you’ll even find a large greenhouse. This is the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory. Admission is free and donations are welcome. The Conservatory is open Tuesday through Sunday 10 am to 4:30 pm. Dogs on a leash are welcome.
Inside to the left is a gift shop and you can find coloring sheets and a scavenger hunt paper for the kids. Aurora had fun searching for the different types of plants. It is a bit toasty inside since it’s a greenhouse, but it is a fun little oasis to visit, especially on a rainy day. You’ll find anything from a four foot Aloe Vera plant, to a chocolate tree, to a Venus fly trap.
If you start walking back towards Stadium High, you’ll find a new shopping plaza and apartments. It features some favorites like Starbucks, and a local chain called Anthem Coffee. I’m a die hard Starbucks girl but I was curious about Anthem so we went to check it out. I grabbed a caramel macchiato and a lemon bar. They were about the same prices as Starbucks but they do offer a full lunch menu. The atmosphere inside with upbeat and there were lots of apartment kids in here on their laptops. This is just one of the many locations around Tacoma.
Across the street from Anthem you’ll find Tease Chocolates. Locally owned and operated, this is a boutique sweet shop. We grabbed a box of the Flower Chocolate Truffles and a chocolate covered pretzel. A little pricey for the box of chocolates but it was worth it, so good!
If you have your pooch with you while you’re walking around, make sure to check out Mud Bay. They are a locally owned pet store with a few locations in the area. The staff is very welcoming and if you tell them you’re new to the area they’ll give you a welcome note with a coupon. They always have treat samples available and they frequently have events. On Easter we took Muffin to an Easter egg hunt they were having in store.
Next door to Mud Bay is Rhein Haus. Rhein Haus is not just food, but fun too. Inside you can find a restaurant, a bar, and you can play Bocce Ball for free or Putt Putt golf for $5 per person. It’s not huge but it’s a great place for an indoor activity for the kids. Rhein Haus is known for its extensive selection of German beers on tap. I’m not a beer person but I can tell you they have a ton to choose from.
The food is pretty good as well. I got a burger because I wasn’t brave enough for the sausage. Travis tried the Jagerschnitzel and it was a pretty good beef German dish. I’m going to have to go back and try the soft baked pretzel.
Finding the fun everywhere life takes us!
Love, Olivia Michelle
