By evening, the lights come up along 6th Avenue and St. Helens Avenue, and people drift between bars, clubs and late-night kitchens. Some nights are built around a show at a small South Tacoma venue; others are just a slow dinner that turns into a few drinks in the Stadium District.
Tacoma's nightlife is spread across a handful of distinct pockets rather than one central strip, so the shape of your evening depends on which part of town you head for. It suits visitors who are happy to move between neighborhoods, and who prefer a low-key bar or a live-music room to a single large nightlife district.
Where to go out in Tacoma
1. 6th Avenue
This is the city's best-known going-out strip, with a cluster of bars and a student crowd drawn from the nearby University of Puget Sound. It suits a casual night of beer and conversation rather than a big night out.
Engine House 9, known as E9, occupies an old firehouse building up on N Pine from 6th Avenue and is noted for its beer list and Thursday karaoke. It sits in the 6th Avenue area and is popular with college students.
2. St. Helens Avenue and the Theater District
Downtown's St. Helens neighborhood is where you go for a busier, later night, including the city's main gay venues. The Mix, at the corner of S 7th and St. Helens Avenue, draws a mostly gay crowd and is described as packed with 20- and 30-somethings on weekend nights. Club Silverstone, further along St. Helens Avenue in the Theater District, is described as the city's largest gay nightclub, low-key during the week and busy with dancing all night on weekends.
3. South Tacoma Way
This stretch south of downtown is the pick for live music in small rooms. Airport Tavern, on S Tacoma Way, offers pinball, brews, a pool table and an intimate space for live shows, with local bands playing through the year. It does not serve food, but takes food orders.
The Church Cantina is also on S Tacoma Way, near 54th Street, and keeps late hours into the early morning.
4. Stadium District
Quieter and more grown-up, this neighborhood suits a slower evening of wine and small plates. Tacoma Wine Merchants, on N Tacoma Avenue, is a cozy European-style wine bar with more than thirty wines by the glass, plus cheese plates, panini, soups and salads.
5. Proctor District
Proctor is a neighborhood hangout rather than a nightlife destination, and works well for an early evening. Top Pot Doughnuts, at N Proctor and 28th Street, is a weekend favorite with locals, though it closes in the late afternoon rather than running late.
6. Broadway
Broadway, up the street from the antique shops, has its own evening draw. McMenamins Elk's Temple Brewery sits at Broadway and 7th Street.
7. Breweries and taprooms
Breweries function as social venues in their own right here, and a night can be built around one or two of them rather than a bar crawl. The beer list is often the main attraction, as at Engine House 9.
8. Live performance and sport
Some evenings are organized around a ticketed event instead of a bar. The Tacoma Musical Playhouse on 6th Avenue runs musical plays through the year using local talent, and popular shows sell out early. The Tacoma Rainiers play Triple-A baseball at Cheney Stadium, and the Tacoma Defiance play USL Championship soccer at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila. The Tacoma Convention and Trade Center on Commerce Street hosts events whose admission varies by event.
How a night out unfolds
Timing in Tacoma is flexible. Bars around 6th Avenue and downtown generally run into the early hours, with several open until 2AM, and the Church Cantina opens at noon and runs to 2AM Tuesday through Sunday, closing on Mondays. Some places start earlier in the day and finish earlier, so it is worth checking hours before you commit to a late stop. Live music and club nights concentrate on weekends, when venues such as Club Silverstone get busy with dancing, while weeknights stay quieter.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Halloween, October 31
- New Year's Eve, December 31
- New Year's Day, January 1
- Thanksgiving Day, in November
- Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, December 24 and 25
Frequently asked questions
Where do people go for a late night in Tacoma?
Downtown's St. Helens neighborhood and the Theater District run latest, with venues such as The Mix and Club Silverstone open until 2AM. South Tacoma Way also keeps late hours.
Which part of town is best for live music?
South Tacoma Way, where Airport Tavern hosts local bands through the year in an intimate room. Ticketed performances also run at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse on 6th Avenue.
Is there a gay nightlife scene?
Yes. The Mix on St. Helens Avenue caters to a mostly gay crowd, and Club Silverstone in the Theater District is described as the city's largest gay nightclub.
Can I go out without drinking?
Yes. You can build an evening around a Rainiers game at Cheney Stadium, a show at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse, or an event at the Tacoma Convention and Trade Center.
Check the hours of the places you plan to visit, then map an evening that moves between a couple of neighborhoods at your own pace.