Our museum team is on assigment in Tacoma, WA this week and hit the jackpot on day one in terms of treasures that tickle our fancy.
When in Tacoma, we always stop in at the Washington State History Museum to visit our buddies, Dave and Dandy, the now-taxidermied oxen that pulled the covered wagon pioneer Ezra Meeker used on his journey across the country in the early 1900s to mark and memorialize the Oregon Trail.
We also spotted an artifact we’ll add to our growing list of food items so special and so memorable that they’re never thrown away.
For a limited time, the museum is displaying a cake made in 1950 to mark the 104th birthday of Hiram Gale, the Pacific Northwest’s last Civil War Veteran.
So many cars!
Tacoma, WA is home to two first-class car museums: LeMay – America’s Car Museum and the LeMay Collections at Marymount.
Both honor Harold E. LeMay, who was the owner of one of the largest private automobile collections in the world at the time of his death in 2000.
LeMay – America’s Car Museum, is located in downtown Tacoma and hosts changing exhibitions alongside permanent exhibits feartuing more than 300 classic cars, trucks and motorcycles from all eras. The museum also has racing simulators and a slot car track.
LeMay Collections at Marymount is on the edge of Tacoma on the grounds of a former boys military academy.
This is where LeMay kept most of his collection and the buildings and grounds now display more than 1,500 vintage vehicles along with a wide variety of other memorabilia. I spotted boat motors, salt and pepper shaker, toy cars, jukeboxes, neon signs, gas pumps and much more. In addition to well-organized displays of vehicles, the grounds feature gardens and walking paths.
