A woman is locked in her North Tacoma home's attic. At first, she is perturbed, and a bit claustrophobic. Before long, however, she discovers there are many aspects to her attic that she had previously overlooked. She explores old trunks, spilling over with such items as an invitation from the 1935 Tacoma Schwingfest; the 1969 tie worn by Joseph H. Blissenbach of the First National Bank on South Tacoma Way; the fireman's hat of Capt. Amil Krantz of ye olde Engine Co. No. 3 at North G and McCarver; a copy of the Dec. 5, 1948 Parade magazine; Lt. Raymond Greenleaf's model of the Narrows Bridge from the 1950 Tacoma Flower Show; the original signed proclamation by Mayor Harold M. Tollefson declaring May 8-14, 1955 "Clean up, fix up , paint up" week in Tacoma; a handwritten memo from Mayor Tollefson's wife asking "what the hell ‘paint up' means?"; a tuba from the 1947 Tacoma Community Chest Parade; and other historic Tacoma items. She breathes in what, at first, seemed to her to be the musty smell of dead things, but which she now realizes is the rich aroma of history. Eventually, she dies of starvation. Lesson: Let the Tacoma Historical Society explore your attic. You may find them at the grand opening of their new space in the Provident Building. Besides chatting up old things over punch, the Society will unveil their debut exhibit, "Out of the Attic: Curiosities from the Collection of Tacoma Historical Society," which showcases rare items rescued from oblivion by the society. 

TACOMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY GRAND OPENING, 5-7 p.m., Provident Building, 919 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, free admission, tacomahistory.org