For decades, it was one of the best-known secrets in Tacoma, a hidden gem in a small corner near the Tacoma Dome’s exhibition hall entrance where local sports history was preserved. Filled with photos, gear, and other memorabilia from Tacoma sports teams, for the Shanaman Sports Museum, now the Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Museum, being housed inside the dome seemed like the perfect play. After all, what better place could there be to find local sports history than an indoor multi-purpose arena that frequently hosts sporting events?
Yet as time marched on, it appeared this perfect play would go down in the history books as another distant memory for sports fans. Amid the chaos that was the COVID-19 pandemic, this beloved museum found itself shuffled from one potential home to another. Now, as the museum approaches its 30th anniversary, it finds itself sitting in storage, seemingly sitting as a player without a team that’s been benched for the past five years.
However, as with any season change in the world of sports, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon as the museum’s President, Marc Blau, and the dedicated Board of Directors are currently in the works to secure a new home. Promising a fresh start and a renewed opportunity to celebrate the rich sports history of Tacoma-Pierce County, its new location could once again make the museum a vibrant hub for sports enthusiasts, ensuring that the legacy of local sports continues to inspire athletes for generations to come. Suffice it to say, it seems the Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Museum is gearing up for a comeback, and they’re definitely bringing their A-game.
On the Startling Line of History: The Creation of the Tacoma Sports Museum
Tacoma’s sports history is as rich and storied as a legendary rivalry. From its humble beginnings with the city’s first recorded sporting event, a horse race in 1858, to the establishment of Tacoma’s first baseball team, the Invincibles, in 1874, Tacoma’s sports legacy has since played out on fields, courts, and arenas across the region.
Simply put by the late Dan Walton, who chronicled the local sports scene for decades as sports editor of the Tacoma News Tribune, “Name your sport, and Tacoma has it.”
Yes, from horse racing to golfing, rodeo to lacrosse, boxing to roller derby, and, of course, all-time favorites like baseball, basketball, and football, Tacoma has hosted them all. Through each play, the city’s sporting legacy has been woven with threads of victory, defeat, passion, and perseverance. For the City of Destiny, all these historic games, plays, and legends have become a tale as old as time, meant to be shared with the world as they inspire generations of athletes to come. This is where the city’s first sports museum comes into play.
In the late 1950s, civic booster and sports enthusiast Morley Brotman began championing the construction of a new convention center in downtown Tacoma. Sadly, for the savvy businessman/photographer, his vision was years ahead of what eventually would become the Tacoma Dome.
Still, through his continued advocacy and calls to the public in support, proposals to build a domed stadium in the city were submitted to voters in various ballot measures in 1967, 1972, and 1976. During each ballot, Brotman spearheaded fundraising campaigns in the hopes of securing public approval of a mini-dome stadium. Though all were rejected, ultimately, the ball was already rolling, and once Seattle completed the Kingdome, campaigners in Tacoma began to push for “a dome of our own.”
With renewed interest from the community level, the Tacoma Athletic Commission (TAC) held a Morley Brotman Night in 1980. At that time, they raised $25,000 for the public relations campaign for the potential dome bond issue as voting was held again on its creation. Incredibly, a vote on a $28 million bond measure was approved and funded the construction of the Tacoma Dome. After years of hard work, measures were finally taken to bring Brotman’s vision to life. However, tragically, the visionary himself passed away on April 22, 1980.
Since that year’s voting proved successful, the $25,000 raised was put into a special trust fund overseen by the TAC and earmarked for a sports museum. The Tacoma Dome was completed in 1983, but throughout the rest of the decade, there was only talk of a sports museum, but nothing had yet to materialize. Eventually, in 1988, the aforementioned Marc Blau and Clay Huntington decided to tackle the project together, spending about a year working on it behind the scenes by arranging for an architect, working out an agreement with the City of Tacoma and the Tacoma Dome management, and looking into potential financing.
The project received its first major funding from the Cheney Foundation, whose Executive Director, Elgin Olrogg, enthusiastically embraced the idea. The $35,000 contribution from the Cheney Foundation provided a crucial starting point. Building on this momentum, the Elbert Baker Foundation pledged $50,000, and Roy Kimbel’s successful fundraising efforts attracted additional support from various foundations, businesses, and individuals. Ultimately, a generous $100,000 donation from Fred Shanaman Jr., made in honor of his parents, solidified the project’s financial future, as well as its name.
A Look Back: Three Decades of Athletic Excellence Shines at Shanaman Sports Museum
In October of 1994, the non-profit, volunteer-driven museum opened as the Shanaman Sports Museum, intending to recreate the history of sports in the community by chronicling the evolution of each sport through written and visual display. When it opened, the museum debuted with three key components: a display of magnificent artifacts and sports memorabilia featuring photos, gear, and souvenirs from Tacoma teams, a video documentary that provided an overall flavor of the city’s sports heritage, and finally, a publication of a commemorative book Playgrounds to the Pros, written by Blau along with authors Doug McArthur and Caroline Gallaci, which provided greater details on various events, individuals, and team accomplishments.
Among the collection of almost-forgotten sports history was the museum’s showcase of artifacts from the Tacoma Indians, the city’s only professional football team that took to the field as a one-year wonder, playing for a single season in 1946. A Tacoma Rockets hockey jersey from the 50s is another feature in the collection, as is a championship robe worn by boxer “Irish” Pat McMurtry. Distance runner Doris Brown Heritage’s running spikes are also prominently displayed along with Gretchen Kunigk-Fraser’s parade sweater worn in the 1948 Winter Olympic Games. Another highlight is a soapbox derby from the 1960s and the national baseball championship trophy the Stanley Shoemen team won in 1956.
Gold medals in rowing? Yes! A baseball signed by Babe Ruth during an exhibition game in 1924 was another highlight commemorating his visit to play in the Tacoma City League All-Star Game at the Stadium Bowl. Also displayed are Olympic gold medals in rowing in 1956 and 1960, along with Pacific Coast League championship rings from the Tacoma Giants, Cubs, Yankees, and Rainiers. And Ken Still’s impressive pro golf tour career is also prominently displayed.
The museum also featured memorabilia from more recent local athletes who went pro, such as Seahawk Jermaine Kearse, who graduated from Lakes High School, former Curtis High School Viking Isaiah Thomas, whose shoes and Boston Celtics NBA jersey were on display and former Bellarmine Prep hurler, Jon Lester, whose Boston Red Sox jersey is prominently displayed.
Beyond just sports memorabilia and autographs, the museum boasted exhibits on a diverse array of 35 sports, ranging from archery and curling to fencing, figure skating, volleyball, soap box derby, midget auto racing and even marbles on the school playgrounds. It also has preserved over 2000 souvenir programs published for various games, capturing the excitement of iconic football and basketball rivalries like those between Stadium and Wilson high schools and UPS and PLU and documenting boxing matches and high school swim meets. These programs were meticulously archived for research purposes and digitized, allowing visitors to explore an extensive collection of sports photos from Tacoma’s past online, which can still be accessed here.
Another unique feature is “A Glimpse Into the Lives of Local Sports Figures,” where personal scrapbooks are scanned and posted on the website for the public to enjoy. It is a feature that allows that individual to tell their story through newspaper clippings and photos in a unique format. Some of the scrapbooks in the collection include Doris Brown Heritage, Herman Brix, Clint Names, Marv Harshman, Marv Tommervik, and many other iconic athletes.
In its prime, the Shanaman Sports Museum was a bustling hub of activity, attracting thousands of visitors eager to learn more about Tacoma’s sporting heritage. Of course, things were a lot different back then. Initially, when they opened, the Tacoma Dome was home to college football and high school football games and the WIAA State Championships, Tacoma Stars Soccer, Tacoma Rockets, and Tacoma Sabercats Hockey. Over time, many of these teams and games went away, ultimately taking the fans with them.
After 23 years in operation, the museum was down to only about 3,000 visitors a year as of 2018. When the Tacoma Dome planned extensive renovations that same year, the museum was given the pink slip, seemingly sealing its fate to the archives.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Museum Celebrates its 30th Anniversary in Storage
This October in 2024 marks 30 years highlighting the impact of sports on Tacoma’s community, yet it’s a challenge to honor such an achievement when these priceless treasures are now hidden away.
“It is a bit of a damper on our 30th anniversary when we are unable to share all the incredible artifacts that are in storage with the public since we don’t have a place of our own,” admitted Blau.
Items that date back more than 120 years now sit, hidden from view, fading from public memory since its closure. Just as Tacoma had once needed a dome of their own, the Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Museum now needs a home of their own. Already, attempts were made to secure the museum a home at a proposed new soccer stadium at Heidelberg Field, but unfortunately, all the funds dried up, affected by the pandemic.
Yet, as with any great sports story, there’s always a chance for a comeback. The Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Museum, despite its current state, is not out of the game just yet. The Board of Directors is working tirelessly behind the scenes, collaborating with a group that aims to establish a new venue in Tacoma. This potential new home promises to be a beacon of hope, where the rich tapestry of Tacoma’s sports history can once again be celebrated and shared with the community.
As the museum celebrates its 30th anniversary, there is a renewed sense of optimism and perhaps a reason to celebrate after all, as upcoming meetings have been scheduled with the hope of the museum possibly finding a home. And with the community’s support and its team’s unwavering dedication, the museum is poised to make a grand comeback. The legacy of Tacoma’s sports history will not fade into obscurity. Still, it will continue to shine brightly, reminding us of the power of passion, resilience, and the enduring love of the game.
