Tacoma’s artistic gem, the 75,000-square-foot International Glass Museum (1801 Dock St., 253/572-931, www.museumofglass.org, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Sat., noon–5 p.m. Sun. Memorial Day–Labor Day, closed Mon.–Tues. Labor Day–Memorial Day, $10 adult, $8 senior, $4 child) in downtown Tacoma, covers two acres along the waterfront, encompassing galleries and exhibition spaces, an enormous hot shop studio where you can watch artisans blow and cast glass, a theater for multimedia presentations, museum shop, and café.

A highlight is the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, a 500-foot-long pedestrian bridge created by native son Dale Chihuly. The bridge takes you through a tunnel of brilliant light and color and crosses I-705, connecting the Glass Museum with the History Museum.

Adjacent to the Glass Museum is another large glass sculpture called Water Forest that is the creation of artist Howard Ben Tré. Admission is free on the third Thursday of the month, when the museum is open until 8 p.m.