Secret Tacoma: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Secret Tacoma is a celebration of the best parts of Tacoma. This book is a champion for a city with an underdog reputation. The city wasn’t always the underdog, though. Tacoma was once the most important city on the west side of Washington, and it served as the terminus for the transcontinental railroad’s northern route. Now you can discover all the hidden clues about this wonderful city’s past. From outlandish mansions to the largest private collection of cast iron in the world, there are so many hidden parts of Tacoma that should be cherished. Discover why there is a Liberty Bell hidden in a bush and a coffee pot-shaped building that used to have monkeys inside. Tacoma once hosted some of the most exciting innovations, like the world’s longest wheat warehouse and the first police crime lab in the nation. It also welcomed visionaries like Mark Twain and George Francis Train, the man who inspired Around the World in 80 Days. All of these incredible people left behind clues and hidden hangouts today, like the abandoned bathhouse beneath a family restaurant; you just need to know where to look to find them. This book is your treasure map to Tacoma’s best secrets.

Chris Staudinger is a native of Washington State. Hailing originally from the east side of Washington, he fell in love with Tacoma and started a tour company there in 2016. For the first 10 years of his professional career, he was a travel writer for Expedia, USA Today, BBC, and more. With his wife and two kids, he continues to travel the world and cover the most interesting hidden locations he can find.