There was once a great city of the South Sound called "Tacoma."  It marked the end of the Northern Pacific rail line.  It rivaled another emerging metropolis to the north, known to ancient historians as "Seattle."  At some point, however, the people began to leave, drawn to bedroom communities in the west, and the new mercantile behemoth to the south dubbed the "Tacoma Mall."  And so the great warehouses were emptied, the department stores razed or abandoned, the office buildings staffed by ghosts.

But there are rumors that life is returning to the old city, at least in isolated pockets.  And these pockets beckon to those who are driven to explore and  discover what wonders may have been left behind or what new wonders may have spawned.  I recently returned to the remnants of Tacoma's downtown and discovered one such example of resurgence: Tacoma's Museum District along the ancient avenue called "Pacific."

The district's centerpiece is itself a survivor of the city's ancient past.  Explorers will see that Tacoma's great railroad station - Union Station - has retained its place in the Tacoma skyline, today serving as a federal courthouse.  Its main rotunda is open to the public, who can view a permanent exhibit of glass art by Tacoma native Dale Chihuly - whose works, explorers will also discover, are much displayed in the Museum District. 

The copper-domed courthouse's Romanesque architectural style has even produced offspring along Pacific Avenue.  Next to Union Station is the home of the Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Ave.  Permanent features of the sprawling museum facility include a recently opened history lab learning center, where visitors are invited to use artifacts and research tools to solve "history mysteries," and a working model railroad, as well as various themed displays on Washington state history.  Currently on special display through April 14 is an exhibit that traces the course and history of the Columbia River.  Call 253.272-WSHS or visit www.washingtonhistory.org for more information.

Other new landmarks have appeared in the district.  One is the Tacoma Art Museum, which moved from its old home to 1701 Pacific Ave., just north of Union Station.  TAM brought with it its permanent collection of Dale Chihuly glass works as well as an array of more than 3,000 other works - ranging from 19th-century European and 20th-century American paintings, modern American works, and Asian art.  Currently on display is an exhibition of photographs of Latin American artist Frida Kahlo called "Images of an Icon" and an exhibition of photographs of the American Southwest by Paul Strand.  For more information, call 253.272.4258 or visit www.tacomaartmuseum.org.

The final stop in my own exploration of Tacoma's Museum District proved to be the most daunting.  Before I began my trek across the Bridge of Glass, which links the Union Station-history museum complex with the nearby Museum of Glass to the east, the weather had turned foul.  I was well prepared for challenges to my survival, of course.  (Well, my car coat had a hood at least.)  I completed my trek across the 500-foot pedestrian bridge, passing under the celebrated Seaform Pavilion, then past the Crystal Towers, and the Venetian Wall - all of which display more Chihuly creations.  Eventually I reached the museum under its otherworldly spiral tower at 1801 Dock St.  Inside I found the vast amphitheater environment, where live artists demonstrate the process of molding molten glass into works of art.  For me, however, that experience would have to wait. After braving the storm on the bridge, my first stop was the Museum Café and an espresso.  And I was wishing that I had parked in the museum garage.  For more information, call 253.284.4750 or visit www.museumofglass.org.