Shop Tacoma’s Best: Unique Finds, Antique Treasures & Bookworm Delights

Everyone loves shopping when it’s for something they want. That means the best places to shop should, theoretically, have the broadest swath of paraphernalia to choose from right?

Wrong. The best places to shop have the best value for high-quality goods. This tells us that the best places to shop must be able to appeal to everyone and have the best value for high-quality goods.

The best part is that the research has been done and all the best places to shop in Tacoma, Washington have been composed into a perfect little list for you. Instead of stumbling around to figure it out, which is something fun to do as well, this list was created to make you aware of all the best places to help you organize the perfect shopping itinerary for your visit.

Getting Classic at the State Fair Favorite

It’s spelled super weird, but Puyallup (pronounced “pew-al-up”) is the place to really experience a unique shopping locale. It’s a one-of-a-kind spot that has some serious unique appeal. The fact it hosts the State Fair every year makes it home to the state’s amazing history. You get to embrace the old while shopping for things that will be new to you.

To make the time even better, you can enjoy the Art Walk between each store. Then there’s the food too. There are plenty of local food stands that will fuel your adventure for the evening.

If all else fails, a more typical shopping location can be found in the Willows Shopping Center or South Hill Mall. This will add some variety to your day at Puyallup.

Photo courtesy of https://www.traveltacoma.com/regions/tacoma/downto…

Go Antiquing on Broadway

Maybe it’s because I just recently read The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, or maybe it’s because old things are kind of cool; regardless, antiquing is a super interesting and fun activity. Antiquing is an even better pastime when you are traveling, though it can be difficult to transport larger pieces.

Nonetheless, if you’re traveling around, then you can get a story you never expected about a location’s past by learning about the antiques that are there. There’s no better place to do this in Tacoma, Washington than on Antique Row on Broadway. Home to tons of different shops touting antique furniture, art, and even vintage toys and games to keep the child in your soul happy too.

Photo courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/TacomaAntiqueRow/

Specialized Gifts and Goods

Everyone has seen the uber-famous “I <3 NY” shirts at this point. That was such a successful campaign that it has now become a constant in the public consciousness. It might even be illegal to not buy some sort of memorabilia with that slogan on it for your friends or family when you are in New York City.

This is kind of an idea that is embodied by the Pacific Northwest Shop. They have clothes, memorabilia, gifts, and goodies galore that celebrate all that is the Pacific Northwest. Another unique element is the food. Everyone loves a good snack, and Pacific Northwest Shop has the special stuff you can’t get elsewhere in the world.

All this equals a must-see one-stop shop when you’re in Tacoma.

Book-Tok Approved Shopping

Before books were super popular, we reading fans had to socialize in person. It was disgusting.

We just wanted to sit in a giant cozy chair next to a fire with the snow outside forcing us to be locked inside reading a great book and sipping hot cocoa.

Then the pandemic opened everyone’s eyes to how exciting reading is really. It kind of got insanely popular and earned its own section of TikTok, known as BookTok. This helped a lot of independent bookstores really gain popularity, which has been good for the book industry as a whole. But that’s a whole different topic.

The purpose here is to help out my fellow booklovers that are visiting Tacoma. The place to do this is the largest used bookstore in the world: Tacoma Book Center. It’s a warehouse-looking building that is literally stuffed wall to wall, floor to ceiling, and even with a few racks outside, of nothing but books. It’s truly a booklover’s paradise and worth a visit for everyone simply because of how impressive it is.

Photo courtesy of https://www.yelp.com/biz/tacoma-book-center-tacoma

Bonus Bookstore!

I won’t dig into this one too much, but King’s Books is a must-visit for anyone interested in books and literature. The selection, though not as big as the aforementioned Tacoma Book Center, is massive. But the biggest driver to visit has to be the beautiful little book cat that is wandering the store.

Go for the books, but stay for the kitten.