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• Singer and actor Bing Crosby (1903 - 1977) was born in Tacoma.
• Dale Chihuly, who is internationally renowned for his work in glass, is also a Tacoma native. His work is featured at places like the Glass Museum, the Tacoma Art Museum, Union Station, University of Washington, Tacoma and The Swiss Pub.
• Gary Larson, creator of "The Far Side" cartoon, grew up in a blue-collar household in Tacoma.
• Union Station, built in 1911, began as the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The landmark depot was designed by Reed & Stem, the architects who created New York's Grand Central Station.
• The landmark Stadium High School, remodeled to become a school in 1906, was originally intended to be one of the finest luxury hotels on the Pacific Coast when construction began in 1891.
• The first Tacoma Narrows suspension bridge, the Galloping Gertie, collapsed due to wind-induced vibrations on Nov. 7, 1940, after just a few weeks of operation.
• Bob's World Famous Java Jive, a concrete building in the shape of a teapot, has been serving drinks in South Tacoma Way for over 75 years, and is a historically registered site.
• Tacoma’s Karpeles Manuscript Museum near Wright Park features some of the rarest and important documents in history.
• Our Tollbooth Gallery is the world’s smallest gallery dedicated exclusively to experimental video and fine arts. The Tollbooth was once a TV-Tacoma information kiosk that had long since been abandoned and abused. It now features artworks for the public.