Events and Programs
Model Railroad Operators' Hours
First Saturday of every month, 11 AM-4 PM
A model train passes over a bridge in the History Museum's model railroad display,
the largest permanent model train display in the state. (Washington State Historical Society)
The Puget Sound Model Railroad Engineers (PSMRE), the all-volunteer organization which operates
the History Museum's permanent model railroad exhibit, holds a special Operators' Hours on the
first Saturday of every month. Operators' Hours is an opportunity to watch the masters at work
and ask questions of the model railroad experts!
Using a fast clock (a clock six-times faster than normal) PSMRE members operate the trains according
to schedules followed by Northern Pacific, Great Northern, Union Pacific and Milwaukee Railroad
companies in Tacoma in the 1950s. Each train is operated by a conductor, with a dispatcher on radio in
another room to control the mainline. See priority passenger and scheduled freight trains, as
well as local freights, and train make-up and break-down in the yards.
Coffee and Lecture with the Curators: Arts & Crafts in the Pacific Northwest
September 11 > 9:30-11:30 AM
Join us for coffee with Larry Kreisman and Glenn Mason, curators of the The Arts & Crafts Movement in the
Pacific Northwest exhibit and authors of the acclaimed book of the same title. From
architecture to applied arts and regional flavor, Kreisman and Mason explore the birth of the
bungalow and the distinctive elements of the Arts and Crafts style. Refreshments served. Program included in Museum admission.
River of Promise Book Presentation and Volunteer Information Session
September 21 > 11 AM-2 PM
FREE
Join us for a Lewis and Clark themed presentation with David Nicandri, author of the book
River of Promise: Lewis and Clark on the Columbia. Following the book discussion, we
will provide a general information session about volunteering at the History Museum.
Learn about roles volunteers play at the Museum and how you can become involved.
Conversations Re: Tacoma
Picking up where last fall’s “Conversations Re: Tacoma” discussions left off, the next installments will
address sustainability.
The Value of Vision
September 23 @ 6 PM
University of Washington Tacoma Carwein Auditorium
To purchase registration,
click here. Students are
FREE w/ID; advance registration is $7.50. Tickets at the door will be $10, if available.
Does Tacoma have a vision, a story or a plan? When changes to Tacoma’s urban fabric are proposed, how
are decisions made? This panel discussion will explore how communities develop. Looking at Tacoma as well
as other cities approach to urban redevelopment decisions and policies, we will discuss the differences
between a plan, a narrative and a vision for a city. We will examine one Tacoma neighborhood in the midst
of developing a direction toward achieving the goal of becoming a “Livable Community”.
Speakers:
Randy Cook, TCF Architecture, AIA Southwest Washington
David Boe, Tacoma City Council, Boe Architects
Anne Wessel, University of Washington, Tacoma
Moderator: Ryan Mello, Tacoma City Council, Cascade Land Conservancy
Sustainable City: The Future Is in the Past
October 21 @ 6 PM
Washington State History Museum
Check back to purchase registration online. Students are
FREE w/ID; advance registration is $7.50. Tickets at the door will be $10, if available.
The creation of new, attractive urban spaces relies on good, non-automotive mobility options.
Ironically, American cities used to rely on an infrastructure of inter-city and inter-urban rail, street
cars, biking and walking. Thus, the guide to what will work best in the future has already proved utile
in the past. In this forum three experts in sustainable transportation will analyze historic
conceptualizations of mobility with a view towards how that vision from the past can become a prescription
for a more livable urbanity.
Speakers:
Al Runte, author
Andrew Austin, policy associate, Transportation Choices Coalition
Diane Wiatr, mobility coordinator/urban planner, City of Tacoma
Moderator: David Nicandri, director, Washington State History Museum
A Model for Sustainability: Adapting Old Buildings to New Uses
November 18, 6:30-8pm
Castle Hall, Knights of Pythias Temple, 926 ½ Broadway, Tacoma
Check back to purchase registration online. Students are
FREE w/ID; advance registration is $7.50. Tickets at the door will be $10, if available.
A case study on three pivotal structures in the Theatre District: the Winthrop Hotel, Old City Hall,
and the Elks Lodge. The Winthrop project has been mired in controversy and indecision for a number of
years, the Elks is on the brink of redevelopment, and Old City Hall languishes on the real estate market.
Acknowledging that the redevelopment of all three properties will revitalize the area, this session will
explore varying perspectives on the situation and attempt to identify a common vision for moving forward.
Speakers:
Kathleen Brooker, executive director, Historic Seattle
Moderator: Peter Callaghan, columnist, The Tacoma News Tribune
Mark Hinshaw, director of urban design, LMN Architects, Seattle
Grace Pleasants, director, The Heritage Collection
Journey to Captain Cook's Alaska with David Nicandri
August 5-19, 2011
Join director David Nicandri in 2011 on a 14-day luxury Alaska cruise.
During the trip, he'll host private discussions and share findings regarding his
next research project: Captain Cook and the search for the Northwest Passage.
Crusing round-trip from Seattle on Holland America's ms Amsterdam.
Ports of call: Seattle, WA; Inside Passage Scenic Cruising; Ketchikan, AK; Tracy Arm, AK;
Skagway, AK; Sitka, AK; Anchorage, AK; Homer, AK; Kodiak, AK; Hubbard Glacier Crusing;
Juneau, AK; Victoria, Canada.
Contact Kathleen Tansey at (253) 630-7755 or kathleen@travelcenter4u.com
for more information.