Tacoma’s historic homes tour returns to the North End for its 27th year
Tacoma’s historic homes tour returns for its 27th year on May 2 and 3.
This year’s tour, managed by the Tacoma Historical Society, features three churches and five homes in Tacoma’s North End – most of which have never been accessible to the public before. The stops include residences that once belonged to people like Henry Rhodes, best known for the Rhodes Brothers department store that once dominated downtown.
Historical society managing director Jessica Smith said she’s excited for attendees this year to see the homes for their history and for the personal touch that their current residents have added.
“One of the really cool things about it is that this year we have several homes in which all of the renovations and restorations that are being done are being done by the homeowners themselves,” she told The News Tribune. “So it’s a really cool kind of labor of love that these homeowners have put in, and you really get to see the care and the unique story and style.”
Also on the list of homes are the Robert L. Lee and Augustus E. Scharff homes, “twin” homes adjacent to each other that were built in 1892, according to Bill Baarsma, president emeritus of the Tacoma Historical Society. Baarsma said the homes that tend to be on the tour typically have been owned by wealthy families in Tacoma’s history, mansions that are complete with servants’ quarters for the staff who worked at the house.
The Lee and Scharff homes, however, were considered “starter” homes for professional, working families – and as such don’t have the same opulence and space for staff to reside.
“These two, the Lee and Scharff homes, are right next to each other, and they were built for the professional class of people that didn’t have servants – the bank tellers, lawyers and others,” Baarsma told The News Tribune.
Smith said the two homes were built at the same time, so they mirror each other in floor plan and structure, but the homeowners have chosen to decorate them in different ways.
Baarsma said he was excited that the historical society is making the tour a permanent annual tradition – after a brief pandemic-related hiatus. The 2025 historic homes tour was the first tour the group hosted after a five-year pause.
He encouraged Tacomans to join the tours, describing a visit to these historic homes as akin to a “religious experience.”
“You sense the people who lived here and the people that helped build the city, and you’re kind of almost like a part of it, and that makes this experience, I think, really cool,” Baarsma said.
This year’s historic homes tour will take place on May 2 and 3. Early tickets are available at $30 for members and $35 for non-members, and day-of tickets are available for members at $35 and non-members at $40. Visit tacomahistory.org/hometour to learn more.
