Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations

Bridge of Glass

A beautiful footbridge with over 2,000 glass sculptures along the walls and ceiling. 

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There is a beautiful pedestrian bridge above the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington, covered in colorful glass works by Dale Chihuly, a world-renowned glass sculptor and Tacoma native. 

The bridge is like walking through a Chihuly museum, made all the more unique since the colorful exhibits change with the light depending on the position of the sun. The glass shines brightest on a sunny midday, and gives off a romantic glow at sunrise and sunset.

The 500-foot Bridge of Glass connects the Museum of Glass on the Foss Waterway to the cultural attractions downtown, spanning over the interstate and railroad tracks. It’s broken up into three different installations of Chihuly’s work.

At the center, two turquoise crystalline towers rise 40 feet tall, and glow blue when illuminated at night. The Seaform Pavilion is covered by a ceiling decorated with over 2,000 glass pieces resembling an array marine life, giving the impression you are walking underneath the ocean. The third installation, the Venetian Wall, is an 80-foot-long wall displaying 109 Art Deco-esque glass vase sculptures.

Know Before You Go

The bridge is open 24 hours a day, free of charge. You can access it from the steps outside the Museum of Glass (park in the museum garage), or from Pacific Avenue on the other side between Union Station and the Washington State History Museum.

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August 30, 2018

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