Point Defiance Ambassadors - The information kiosk has been relocated to the front of the Pearl Street entrance to the park. Two ambassadors will also be on hand to greet visitors, answer questions and gather user feedback Fridays thru Sundays from 11 am-7 pm.
Mobile Messaging - Receive messages about Point Defiance Park events and activities on your mobile phone by texting the word 'PointD' to 27138.
Report potential wildlife crimes
Department of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement asks that park visitors report any suspicious activity by calling 9-1-1 and stating that they are reporting a potential wildlife crime at Point Defiance Park.
Report injured wildlife or those that appear to have died from unnatural causes
Monday-Friday 8-5:
- Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife: 360.902.2936 (press 1 for enforcement)
- City of Tacoma Animal Control: 253.627.7387
- Metro Parks Tacoma , Marina Becker: 253.202.5966
Weekends and before 8 AM and after 5 PM on weekdays:
- Washington State Patrol: use 253.536.6210 for WSP (dispatch for DFW)
- City of Tacoma Animal Control: 253.627.7387
- Metro Parks Tacoma , Marina Becker: 253.202.5966
Park visitors are also reminded not to feed any wildlife. Human food can not only be unhealthy for animals, it attracts them away from their natural habitat leaving them more susceptible to both accidents and malicious activity. Feeding animals in parks is a violation of the Tacoma Municipal Code, section 8.27.130.
Point Defiance Park
The next 100 years...
protecting the legacy
Master Plan
Visit Discover Parks to find quick links to directions, bus stops and local amenities within 1/4 mile.
In 2008, Point Defiance Park was voted the Best Park in Tacoma and the Best Place to Take Kids in Tacoma by readers of the Tacoma Weekly.
Trail Map
Restroom Schedule
Photo courtesy Kelly Englert
Point Defiance Park
Point Defiance Park (5400 N Pearl St.)
The park is open from sunrise to approximately half an hour after sunset.
- Gardens and Old Growth Forest
- Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
- Five Mile Drive
- Hiking and Running Trails
- Off Leash Demonstration Area - Opened Oct. 8, 2009
- Pagoda
- Lodge
- Owen Beach
- Kayak Rentals
- Fort Nisqually
- Boathouse Marina
- Art in the Park
- Anthony's Restaurant
- Go-Karts & Batting Cages
- Camp 6 Logging Museum
- Accessibility
- Master Plan and Bond Projects
- Point Defiance Flower & Garden Show
Print Point Defiance Park Map 
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Historical Information
President Andrew Johnson originally set aside Point Defiance Park as a military reservation, although it never was home to military operations. A bill authorizing Tacoma to use the reserve as a public park was approved in 1888 by President Grover Cleveland.
Visitors in the 1890s came by streetcar to stroll through the new gardens and dense forest. An octagonal waterfront pavilion was completed in 1903. Park visitors gravitated toward the beachfront where they could rent a boat, eat ice cream or clam chowder, picnic and enjoy the view. The southern end of the park became a seaside resort known as Nereides Baths by 1907, offering a heated saltwater bathing pavilion on the bluff above the boathouse.
In the 1920s, an added two-story building served as a restaurant and ballroom. After 1935, it also was used as an aquarium and a boathouse. The aquatic animals have since moved to a modern aquarium within the zoo grounds. The Boathouse Marina was built in 1988-90 following a 1984 fire.
The Lodge, the oldest standing structure originally built in the park, was finished in 1898. It served as the park superintendent's home until 1980. The Pagoda was completed in 1914 as a streetcar station. It became a bus waiting area in 1938 and was remodeled in 1963 as a center for flower shows and social gatherings. The Pagoda and Lodge were refurbished in 1988 and are now popular rentals for meetings, receptions and weddings.
For more information about Point Defiance Park contact info@tacomaparks.com.
Historic info on Never Never Land
Last Updated: Jul 13, 2010 2:05 PM