The Tacoma Art Museum went dark for the weekend after staff abruptly evacuated, following a second-hand warning that someone was coming to attack the building. Public programs were paused while police dug into the report, which investigators later determined was not credible. The museum said it planned to welcome visitors back the following Wednesday morning.
According to The News Tribune, employees cleared the building after staff received a report that someone was "coming to shoot the place up." The museum posted on Facebook that it would be closed for the weekend. Tacoma Police Department told the paper there was "no known threat to the public" and said investigators reviewed the information before deciding it did not amount to a public danger.
Exhibitions and collections
The brief shutdown sidelined access to galleries currently showing the exhibition listed by the Tacoma Art Museum as Project NW: Ralph Pugay, which is scheduled to remain on view through May 17, 2026. The institution’s Tacoma Art Museum collections information notes that more than 5,000 artworks are held in its care, many created by Pacific Northwest artists, highlighting what was temporarily offline during the closure.
Police and museum response
Tacoma Police Department told The News Tribune that investigators found no immediate public danger and described the tip as not a known threat to the public. The museum’s social media post, as cited by the paper, said the warning had been shared only internally with staff and was ultimately deemed not credible.
What visitors should know
The museum announced it would reopen on Wednesday, March 18, at 10 a.m., and urged visitors to double-check its website or official social channels for any schedule changes. Staff thanked the community for its patience while police reviewed the report and reiterated that the safety of visitors and employees remains the museum’s top priority.
