The Children's Museum of Tacoma was established in 1985 by parents, teachers, and community leaders dedicated to creating unique resources for families in Tacoma and the South Puget Sound Region. The Museum opened in 1986 as a non-profit organization and remained in its original downtown Tacoma location for 10 years, rotating single theme exhibits every 18-months.

Due to excellence in education, programming, and hands-on exhibits, the Museum earned a reputation as a cornerstone for early learning. As a result, the Museum's physical location and size could no longer accommodate the community's demand for its services. In 1996, the Museum's Board of Directors voted to relocate to the Theater District's historic Kress Building, here the Museum featured both single and multiple-theme exhibits and an array of complementary programming in its 3,800 square foot, storefront location.

The museum outgrew its home a second time and relocated in January 2012 to a new, larger space. Combined with the introduction of Pay as You Will admission, the new location allows us to increase capacity, audience, and access; promote fun, learning, and the wonder of childhood; and demonstrate innovation, playfulness, and excellence.

The Children's Museum of Tacoma celebrates the power of play in the lifelong journey of learning.

At the Children's Museum of Tacoma we celebrate the power of play, every day. Seven days a week we engage our youngest children, and their adult caregivers, in self-directed and facilitated play in their own neighborhoods and in our museum. 

Why? Because it's the natural way children learn. Play increases children's school readiness and offers them great social and emotional benefits.

By focusing on what we know to be true - children learn through their play - we can create stronger starts for more children.

The museum is proud to be the first nonprofit children's museum to be by donation only- making our museum truly accessible for all of our community's children.

Board Members

AJ Treleven
Allison Campbell
Carla Santorno
Carol Mitchell
Chris Mack
Derek Woodworth
Dori Young
Holly Bamford Hunt
Hollie Connelly
Isabel Muñoz-Colón
Jerry Heemstra
Kate Borgen
Kent Roberts
Kim Fisher
Mallory Delabar
Mike Stewart
Molly Raybuck
Nicki Keener
Larry Majovski
Linda Collins
Tim Kotnour
Tory Lamb
Vanessa Anderson