The West Coast Waterfront Strike shut down nearly 2,000 miles of coastline for three months in 1934, leading to the creation of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union’s (ILWU), with its own worker-controlled hiring halls. Join UW Tacoma alumnus and labor organizer Zachary Pattin to discuss how creating these hiring halls influenced the character and > Continue Reading

In honor of our current exhibition A Thousand Words' Worth, we are hosting a MUSEUM BOOK FAIR! Join us for a full day at the museum with Washington-based authors, illustrators, and publishers. Listen to  author talks, make your own zine, type or write a letter to mail, see interactive storytelling in the galleries, and a enjoy > Continue Reading

FREE and open to the public Where do writers get their ideas? How do they solve writer's block? How much research does it take to write a novel? Find out answers to these questions and more at a casual Q & A with Snow Falling on Cedars author David Guterson, who is featured in the exhibition A Thousand > Continue Reading

Learn about the forced incarceration of people of Japanese ancestry during WWII. Make paper cranes in remembrance. Join the community in a procession to Union Station, the site of forced evacuation. The museum is crowd-sourcing content for a future exhibition on this subject, and the Japanese community is invited to bring photographs and documents from > Continue Reading

McMenamins Elks Temple, the Washington State Historical Society and the Tacoma Historical Society bring you Eyes of the Totem. This 1926 visual masterpiece was filmed in Tacoma and Steilacoom, when Tacoma housed a Hollywood-quality film studio! Hear the story of how Tacoma became the home of a major motion picture studio during the 1920s. See a > Continue Reading

Does your child love trains? See our model train, play with toy trains, and learn about Washington’s rich railroad history at this family-friendly event. Join other families in the galleries with a museum facilitator. Make something of your own to take home!

FREE to play, all ages welcome! Test your history trivia knowledge with the Washington State Historical Society, City of Tacoma Historic Preservation Office, Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, and Tacoma Historical Society. Facts, fun, and prizes aplenty! Team up or battle on your own for the title of History Trivia Champ. Food and beverages will be > Continue Reading

Now in its 14th year, IN  THE SPIRIT Contemporary Native Arts exhibition is a summer favorite. This juried exhibition features work in a variety of mediums created by Native artists from throughout the Northwest and beyond. Celebrate the artists and and honor the award winners at a special ceremony on opening night. Hear from the artists and learn > Continue Reading

Elks Temple History Pub: Shipwrecks, Legends, and Lost Treasures Presented by Scott Williams, Archeologist FREE and open to the public, all ages welcome. The north Oregon coast abounds with tales of mysterious shipwrecks, lost castaways, pirates, and sailing vessels. Join Scott Williams to hear historical and archaeological evidence for shipwrecks and survivors pre-dating European and > Continue Reading

Join Indigenous educator Owen Oliver (Quinault/Isleta Pueblo) for our "How Does a Place Get a Name" workshop, October 19th from 6-7:30pm. In the workshop we will explore how a place gets a name and what the names of specific locations can teach us about values held by communities. Participants will consider how we can use > Continue Reading