# Chihuly Bridge of Glass

A 500-foot pedestrian overpass linking Museum of Glass to downtown, with Chihuly glass built into the walkway.

Canonical URL: https://tacomairl.com/places/chihuly-bridge-of-glass/
Section: places
Area: Downtown
Published: 2026-10-25
Last fact check: 2026-10-25
Status: Not marked closed; check official information
Location: Downtown waterfront, above I-705
Official information: https://www.museumofglass.org/visit

The Chihuly Bridge of Glass is a **500-foot pedestrian overpass** that connects [Museum of Glass](https://tacomairl.com/places/museum-of-glass/) to downtown Tacoma and the cultural corridor along Pacific Avenue. The museum describes it as a partnership between Dale Chihuly, the City of Tacoma and the museum itself.

You walk across it. That is the whole attraction, and it takes about ten minutes — which is exactly why it works as a stop rather than a destination.

## What you see

Glass, in several forms, set into the bridge itself. One side of the walk is a long wall of windowed cases filled with vessels in every colour Chihuly's studio uses; sections of the route are covered, and the museum's cone stands behind you as you cross.

The museum's own directions suggest taking the stairs up and around the Cone before you finish a visit, which turns the crossing into a loop back to the entrance.

## Practical

The bridge is a public pedestrian crossing rather than a ticketed attraction, and neither the museum nor the city posts opening hours for it. Treat it as part of a daylight walk rather than a late-night plan.

Access from downtown is from Pacific Avenue near the museums; from the museum side, the stairs and the Cone are part of the route.

## Where it fits

The bridge is the hinge of the downtown museum day. [Museum of Glass](https://tacomairl.com/places/museum-of-glass/) is at one end, the [Washington State History Museum](https://tacomairl.com/places/washington-state-history-museum/) and [Tacoma Art Museum](https://tacomairl.com/places/tam/) are along Pacific, and the [Children's Museum of Tacoma](https://tacomairl.com/places/childrens-museum-of-tacoma/) is a few blocks further. Our [rainy Sunday guide](https://tacomairl.com/guides/rainy-sunday/) uses it as the walk between museum stops, and the [Pantages Theater](https://tacomairl.com/places/pantages-theater/) and [Rialto Theater](https://tacomairl.com/places/rialto-theater/) make it an evening.

Image: https://tacomairl.com/images/chihuly-bridge-of-glass.webp
Alt: A pedestrian deck beside a long wall of glass cases filled with colourful Chihuly vessels, with a covered walkway on the left and the waterfront beyond.
Image credit: Photo: Visitor7
Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bridge_of_Glass_(Tacoma,_Washington).jpg
Image rights: CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)
Photo details: https://tacomairl.com/photo-details/chihuly-bridge-of-glass/

## Sources

- [Museum of Glass: bridge length, partnership and route to downtown](https://www.museumofglass.org/visit)