On Saturday I was exploring the Museum District in Tacoma and we stopped to take a group photo near Union Station. A delightful security guard stopped to offer to take a photo with all of us in it. And then he told us about the often overlooked Liberty Bell in Tacoma. It is located down a staircase next to Union Station and tucked around the corner. It is available for ringing and makes a lovely tone.
Tacoma Weekly did a great article on how the bell got there.
The Union Station Link Stop is situated on the median on in the center of Pacific Avenue between South 19th and South 21st Street in the Museum District in proximity of the University of Washington, Tacoma Branch and Tacoma’s School of the Arts. Presently the Link runs 1.6 miles, though there are expansion plans. The public art in the foreground represents shipbuilding in the area’s past. Below is another photo of the station and a few other near by shots.
I’ve been past Union Station at 401 South Jackson Street, Seattle, many a time, but today I actually went inside. It was lovely and reminded me of large stations in Philadelphia and New York City. Constructed in 1911 as a train station, it looks much the same today. The property ceased being a train station in 1971, was placed on the Historic Register in 1974 and was renovated in the late 1990s. The hall can be rented out for events.
One of the workers saw me snapping some photos and said that she loved working in such a beautiful building. Of course to off set that nice moment, some guy asked me for $0.50 to make a phone call!
I was out and about unusually early this morning and just loved the light on Union Station at 1717 Pacific Avenue. The station was constructed in1911 by the architectural firm of Reed and Stem (who also designed Grand Central Station in New York City) and was originally used as a passenger station. In 1974 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was abandoned in 1984 and in 1990 – 1992 it was renovated for use as a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. The statue out front is called New Beginnings and was sculpted in 1984 by Larry Anderson.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_%28Tacoma,_Washington%29
http://www.unionstationrotunda.org/
And here is one more photo taken 5/2/14
