By Maureen Drucker

The old adage people who live in glass houses should not throw stones strikes a special resonance in many of us. In our commonsensical world one can imagine more houses with glass than glass houses. Proudly Tacoma has been able to lay claim to a glass house since 1908. It is a Victorian-style glass conservatory with 3,500 pans of glass and a 12-sided dome located in Wright Park. After its recent renovation and reopening in February, it becomes another glass cornerstone making Tacoma’s urban core.

Everyone who walks through the glass doors at the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory has their senses assaulted by the sweet perfume and breathtaking beauty of the flowers. Additional drama is provided by the light of streams through the glass and sparkles off the waterfall and its pond as glistening koi and goldfish move slowly near the rocks and greenery.

The elegant steamy green atmosphere is filled with hundreds of exotic plants nestled along side orchids, ferns, figs, clivias, and bromeliads. Seasonal displays mark the different times of each year. Come spend a rainy day, or a sunny day, under glass. Whatever the weather, it is a glorious place to be. The Conservatory is located in Wright Park at 316 South G Street and is open from 10:00am – 4:30pm Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is free and there is a delightful gift shop.

Cross the street and visit the Karpeles Manuscript Museum where there is a free exhibit through April on the conservatory’s close to a century of history. The exhibit includes old photographs of early Tacomans pulling up to the conservatory in horse-drawn carriages. But more about this “best kept secret” museum in our community at another time.