University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The University of Puget Sound is a private university in the North End of Tacoma, Washington, known for its brick Tudor-Gothic buildings arranged around green quads. Founded in 1888, it started downtown and moved to its current campus in 1924, so a walk through it is also a walk through a century of the city's growth.

The story behind it

The school was founded on March 17, 1888, by the Methodist Episcopal Church as The Puget Sound University. The plan was to build it in nearby University Place, but classes began in downtown Tacoma instead. Its first graduating class had just four students.

The name changed in 1914 to the College of Puget Sound. In 1924 it moved to North Tacoma, to a new campus of only five buildings. Over the following decades the brick halls went up one by one and were set around quads. In 1960 the school took back its original title and became the University of Puget Sound again.

What to look for

• The brick Tudor-Gothic style of the halls, which gives the campus a cohesive, almost collegiate-storybook look.
• Jones Hall, the old administration building, which anchors the heart of the campus.
• The residence halls of the South Quad, where you can see how the campus is organized around open green courtyards.
• The mix of building ages: only five buildings stood here in 1924, so almost everything around you has grown up since.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 30 to 45 minutes to stroll the quads and look at the buildings without rushing.
• Daylight is best, since the brickwork and the open lawns look their finest in good light.
• This is a working campus with students living and studying here, so keep voices low and respect any posted signs. Check current access rules before planning to go inside any building.
• The surrounding North End streets are pleasant to walk, so combine the campus with a longer wander through the neighborhood.

See it on a quest

Ghost Hunt in Tacoma is a good way to see the campus because you reach it on foot as one stop on a longer route through the city. The app tells you about the place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Tacoma Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. passes the university too, so you see it as part of a self-guided walk with a mystery theme. The app gives you the background on each stop and you solve a puzzle on the spot, with no guide and no group to join. One ticket covers the whole group.