The Washington State History Museum, located in downtown Tacoma, Washington, opened to the public in August 1996. The museum was
built as part of a revitalization of downtown Tacoma, including the restoration of Union Station and the development of the
University of Washington Tacoma campus. Since 1996, the neighborhood has also welcomed two museums, Museum of Glass and
Tacoma Art Museum, as well as multiple shops and restaurants.
This architectural masterpiece, designed by architects Charles Moore and Arthur Andersson, encompasses 106,000 square
feet of exhibition, event, and meeting spaces. The design, the result of an architectural competition, was inspired by
Tacoma’s historic Union Station and by the warehouses of the district. The museum’s rolling arches and concave amphitheater
mirror the forms of the railroad terminal located to its immediate north, while its brick facing and the volume of the
building match the warehouse buildings nearby.