For more than a century, the citizens of Tacoma have valued Point Defiance Park as a forested refuge and an urban oasis. The community treasures its history and ecology as the crown jewel of the city’s public spaces. Ancient forest continues to cover the majority of the park’s 700-plus acres. Attractions of the past, a saltwater swimming pool, riding stables and an amusement park delighted earlier generations though they are now long gone.
The first boathouses, early zoological collections and gardens near the park’s entrance date back to the 1890s and now greet visitors in modern form. Today’s park amenities are designed to foster appreciation for the rich historic and environmental heritage of “Tacoma’s Great Pride” and serve an estimated two million visitors annually.
Historic images from both private and public collections highlight this memorable “walk in the park” through a beloved civic preserve.
Highlights of Tacoma’s Point Defiance Park include:
• Tacoma’
• Handsome Ferneries, Golden Glories and a Velvet Sward
• A Splendid Collection of Birds and Animals
• The Forest, Hard Times and a Fort
Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or online.
Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places. Have we done a book on your town? Visit arcadiapublishing.com.
