Discover Wonder

Step into Tacoma's shadowy past at Notorious Crimes of Tacoma. Have you heard about the 1951 vice raids—the kind of story that doesn't just make headlines, it rearranges a whole city's sense of itself? In this gripping lecture, Patty Mannie—4th Generation Tacoman and longtime Tacoma historian—guides you through the scandal, the secrets, and the shockwaves. From bootleggers and bordellos to a former city attorney who died in a mysterious fire, these aren't just "crime stories"… They're the hidden chapters Tacoma whispers about when the lights go low. After the talk, stick around for a live Q&A, where you can press in, ask the hard questions, and follow the threads wherever they lead. For anyone curious about the darker underside of local history… and what it reveals about a city, a people, and the stories we try to forget.

What if a neighborhood's story isn't written by headlines but by the people who unlocked the door each morning? Join Tacoma historian Patty Mannie (4th generation Tacoman) for a vivid lecture on Stadium High School, Wright Park, and the distinctive entrepreneurs who shaped the Stadium Business District. You may not recognize the names Mrs. Lois Scholl, Harold Allen, and Mrs. Lucy Darling. Most don't. And yet their impact still lives on—in the businesses they built, and in the way they encouraged others to build, too. Come hear the compelling, often-overlooked stories that helped form this district's identity—how it grew, who carried it, and what it took. After the lecture, we'll open the room for a live Q&A—bring your questions, your curiosity, your "Wait… is that why?" moments. Because history isn't just back then. It's what you're standing on right now. What might you notice once you know their names?

Ever feel downtown Tacoma whispering? Come hear "Downtown Tacoma's Alluring History." Streetcars once rolled out from the transportation barn, carrying the city forward. A child was christened on the girders of the Rust Building—steel and blessing, high above the street. And yes… some buildings are haunted. In this gripping lecture, Patty Mannie—4th Generation Tacoman and longtime Tacoma historian—guides you through the history of Tacoma, and will tell you where the ghosts still tend to reside. After the talk, stick around for a live Q&A, where you can press in, ask the hard questions, and follow the threads wherever they lead.

What if Tacoma was built twice…once in lumber and brick—and again in courage? Join Tacoma historian Patty Mannie (4th generation Tacoman) for a vivid history lecture on "The Women Who Built Tacoma" about the female entrepreneurs who saw what could be… and built it anyway. Meet Bethel Schneebeck. Miss Alice Humble. Elsbeth Haering. Strong women. Business owners. Well ahead of their time. Not waiting to be invited into the room—creating the room. Come hear the compelling stories of how these women shaped the Tacoma we live in now—through vision, risk, persistence, and a kind of quiet defiance that still echoes in our streets and storefronts. Because when you learn their stories…you start to see the city differently. After the talk, stick around for a live Q&A, where you can press in, ask the hard questions, and follow the threads wherever they lead.

Why is Tacoma… so sweet? Like, actually sweet. Not "nice people" sweet—we mean candy. The kind that melts and sticks and brings you back to being eight years old in half a second. Tacoma Confectioners — Why Tacoma is So Sweet is a delicious history lecture on the surprising truth: Some of America's iconic candy stories begin right here. Mars Candy Company. Brown & Haley. Marcoe Candy. Johnson Candy. All started in Tacoma. In this gripping lecture, Patty Mannie—4th Generation Tacoman and longtime Tacoma historian—guides you through what was happening in this city that made sugar into legacy? Who were the men and women who mixed, wrapped, shipped, and dreamed? What did it take to turn a small local operation into something that still lives on today? After the talk, stick around for a live Q&A, where you can press in, ask the hard questions, and follow the threads wherever they lead.

What if Christmas isn't something we invent each year…but something we inherit? Christmas in Tacoma is a warm, story-filled history lecture tracing how the city has celebrated the season for over 140 years. In this history lecture, Patty Mannie—4th Generation Tacoman and longtime Tacoma historian—guides you through the years of Christmas in Tacoma. From a booming Christmas tree business—evergreens moving like quiet commerce—to carolers carrying harmony down dark streets—to snowy evenings that turned Tacoma into a postcard you could actually live inside. You'll hear how traditions formed, how neighborhoods gathered, how people found light in the long nights. Not perfect. Not always easy. But real. And oddly beautiful. After the talk, stick around for a live Q&A, where you can press in, ask the hard questions, and follow the threads wherever they lead.