Tacoma's Point Defiance Park

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."