Tacoma With Kids: Museum of Glass

Read Part 1 of our day in Tacoma

Here is a short video clip from our visit to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, the full story is below

On the way into Tacoma, we drove past the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, a cool pedestrian bridge (loaded up with Chihuly art glass) that connects the downtown area with Tacoma's Museum of Glass. E was fascinated, and luckily for me, he begged to walk across.

E walking across the bridge to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma

The huge art glass displays on the bridge were interesting, though I admit that most art glass is just "eye candy" for me, and I'm rarely as drawn in as I would be by a painting, drawing, photograph or sculpture. The kids enjoyed looking at the glass sculptures in an environment where they could go at their own pace and act like kids.

Art glass on the bridge to the Tacoma Museum of Glass

When we finally arrived at the museum balked at the idea of going inside on such a pleasant day. I finally promised that they could leave after 5 minutes if they didn't like the museum, a risky bet given that adult admission is $12 (kids are free).

Luckily, the bet paid off. Once inside, the kids enjoyed exploring the small gallery space (just the right size for short attention spans). The colorful art drew their attention, and small "please touch" exhibits gave them an outlet for their curiosity. The highlight, though, was the Hot Shop where a visiting artist created works of glass art as we looked on. To my great surprise, the kids sat and watched for at least 30 minutes before the heat and inactivity overcame them.

We took a break from the Hot Shop, and visited the museum's Education Studio, where the kids were invited to create their own Native American bentwood box (a project that related to the Museum's display of glass bentwood boxes. The kids colored and glued contentedly until the studio finally closed. That gave me a much needed break too, and I was happy to sit and play with baby Eilan while they amused themselves

D creates her own Native American bentwood box at Tacoma's Museum of Glass

When the studio finally did close, I tried to gently steer the kids towards the Cafe for a quick snack. The creative time in the studio had been just what they needed to recharge, though, and instead they steered me back into the Hot Shop. I admire their enthusiasm, but frankly there's a reason it's called a "Hot Shop," and wearing a baby in a sling doesn't help cool things down!. Still, I'll do anything to encourage the idea that museums are fun and interesting, so I sweated in the sidelines while the kids watched more molten glass get shaped into interesting and colorful artwork.

Today's outing was hot, tiring, and an unqualified success. We had all the usual hiccups - squabbles over the stroller, spitup on my shirt, and more, but the kids got to do something totally new, and that helped make all of us happier.

Bedtime, one of my biggest worries on any trip, went more smoothly than I anticipated. Ever since baby Eilan was born, the E and D have been sleeping in the same room together. I'm not sure why, perhaps they sense that it will be harder then ever to get us to cuddle with them at night or perhaps they're learning to get more comfort from one another now that my own arms are so often filled with a newborn. Whatever the reason, though, the novelty of being in the same room (although not the same bed) has worn off, and after I put Eilan down to sleep in the hotel crib, I snuggled up in between the big kids and sang them lullabys until they drifted off as well.

Filed Under: museums-with-kids travel-stories

2 comments | Posted on August 31, 2009 | Save to del.icio.us

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