Tacoma Armory

The Tacoma Armory is a brick drill hall on Yakima Avenue, the kind of building that reads as military architecture from the street: a long, crenellated roofline and a footprint built to move crowds.

Since 2022 it has been Tacoma Arts Live’s permanent home, after the Roberson family gave the building to the organisation. It has no season of its own; it is a hall that hosts whatever fits: craft markets, film festival screenings, arts workshops, dance, community dinners.

What is inside

The armory rents out a 20,000-square-foot parade floor, the smaller Eleanor Roosevelt Room, studio spaces and offices. That mix is why the building can hold a Sunday market and a touring film festival in the same month.

Because it is a rental hall rather than a programmed venue, what you get depends entirely on who booked it. Check the organiser’s listing — our events calendar is the fastest place to see what is on — before turning up.

Practical

There is no regular public open time. Ticketed events and markets set their own hours, and Tacoma Arts Live handles rentals and ticket questions on (253) 346-1723.

Nearby

The armory is on the Hilltop edge of downtown, a walk from Tacoma Art Museum and the Pacific Avenue museums. For a full day out, pair a market here with the Chihuly Bridge of Glass and Museum of Glass, or with the Washington State History Museum if the weather has turned. Our rainy Sunday guide covers the indoor downtown loop.