Sponsored by Visit Tacoma–Pierce County
About the sponsor: Visit Tacoma–Pierce County is the official destination marketing organization for Tacoma and Pierce County, inviting visitors to experience the true Pacific Northwest through mountain scenery, waterfront access, creative culture, and welcoming communities.
Heading to Washington State for the 2026 soccer matches? Tacoma and Pierce County offer the Pacific Northwest experience people imagine. Big landscapes. An iconic mountain. Saltwater shoreline. A city with artistic flair, coffee, and craft beer. And enough room to slow everything down.
For a few electric hours, the game will have your full attention. The chants. The tension. The shared anticipation that comes with watching something unfold live. But only a tiny part of your trip happens between the whistles, so how do you make the most of what happens outside them?
That’s where Tacoma and Pierce County step in. Just south of Seattle, Tacoma and Pierce County offer a calmer, more complete way to experience the region. Stay close to the action but far from the frenzy, ideal for travelers who want more than a quick highlight reel.
Discover Tacoma and Pierce County
An Iconic Mountain
Mount Rainier is not just nearby; it shapes life in Pierce County. On clear days, it appears at the end of city streets or rises beyond farmland, always commanding attention. At Mount Rainier National Park, visitors find alpine meadows, waterfalls, old-growth forests, and trails that range from gentle walks to full-day adventures.
The mountain experience extends well beyond hiking. At Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, native animals roam natural habitats, offering an up-close look at elk, bison, wolves, and bears. Nearby, historic steam trains and rail cycles travel forested corridors and river valleys, trading speed for scenery and proving that slowing down can be the experience.
Easy Waterfront Access
The Pacific Northwest experience is incomplete without water, and Pierce County delivers it with ease. Along the Salish Sea, visitors can kayak calm inlets, walk connected waterfront paths, or enjoy a meal with ferries and distant peaks drifting through the view. Ruston Way offers room to move, pause, and come back again tomorrow. In Gig Harbor discover a peaceful waterfront village that’s across a bridge, but feels like a coastal getaway.
Here, water shapes the day’s rhythm. Paddle in the morning. Explore the city in the afternoon. Watch the light soften over the bay before dinner. Discover waterfront access and activities.
Art and Museums Await
Tacoma is a city where art does not stay neatly inside museum walls. Downtown’s Museum District anchors the creative core, bringing together the Tacoma Art Museum, Museum of Glass, and Washington State History Museum in a compact, walkable area. Glass art, shaped by the legacy of Dale Chihuly, runs through Tacoma’s DNA and appears throughout the city, from libraries and public plazas to pedestrian bridges glowing with color.
That creative story expands at the LeMay-America’s Car Museum, where automotive history, design, and innovation are celebrated in a striking modern space near the waterfront. Together, these institutions reflect a city shaped by craft, industry, and imagination.
Public art, preserved industrial spaces, and working waterfronts give Tacoma a texture that feels lived-in rather than staged. Explore the cultural side of the city.
Farms & Small-Town Charm
Beyond the city, Pierce County opens into fertile valleys and small communities that add an unexpected Americana edge. In the Puyallup Valley, farms welcome visitors for seasonal experiences that connect people directly to the land. Agritourism here is hands-on and personal, with opportunities to visit working farms, browse markets, and enjoy food grown just down the road.
Nearby towns like Sumner, Puyallup, Orting, and Buckley balance historic main streets, independent shops, and a pace that encourages wandering without an agenda. These communities ground the county’s big scenery in everyday life.
A Calmer Place to Call it a Night
After full days of exploring, Tacoma and Pierce County offer something travelers increasingly value: rest. Lodging options range from full-service hotels to cozy cabins, mountain lodges, and short-term rentals tucked into quieter communities. Whether you want to wake up near the water, close to downtown dining, or surrounded by trees, there is space to slow down.
Staying here means fewer crowds, easier mornings, and nights that feel restorative rather than rushed. Find places to stay.
The Pacific Northwest, All in One Place
Tacoma and Pierce County bring together the defining elements of the Pacific Northwest in a way that feels balanced and unforced. Mountain. City. Waterfront. Farmland. It all fits, and it all leaves room to breathe. Come for the game, or skip it entirely. Either way, this is a place that rewards curiosity, invites you to slow down, and makes staying a little longer feel like the right call.
Start planning your trip by choosing a curated itinerary that meets your travel style at Visit Tacoma–Pierce County.