Float gate opens at 7:30 am; locked at 10 pm

Overnight moorage is prohibited. The boat slips are for short term (not transient) moorage – there is no electricity available.

• Fishing from the dock is prohibited. Neighboring Les Davis Pier and Point Defiance Pier were both designed to serve as our public fishing piers.The citizen committee which worked with the City on the redevelopment of Old Town Dock advised that there is a natural conflict both with barbs and human flesh between casting and hand powered boats, and also with fishing line and motors, and that this dock’s use should be operated to support water to shore access, as well as scenic vistas for those walking Ruston Way.
• Diving from the dock is prohibited. Ruston Way features a sea wall and dive steps located west of Les Davis Pier designed to provide safe conditions for water exploration away from the hazards of lures and boat motors.

Click on the image above to enlarge the Old Town Dock droplets artwork.

Droplets is an illustrated scavenger hunt—a challenge to discover the history, importance and beauty of this location. Each of the 24 vignettes is like a window, providing a glimpse of the sheer number of true stories that have unfolded on or near this site over the years. Old Town Dock has been host and witness to a wide variety of industries, events, neighborhood dynamics, natural history, celebrations, tragedies and everyday narratives—all on one small patch of land. These stories are as commonplace as raindrops, yet as precious as the water that sustains and defines our city.

To view each Droplet, visitors must embark on an active, playful search around Old Town Dock. As to the location of each piece—well, you’ll have to discover that for yourself. Some medallions are hidden in plain sight, while others are a puzzle to solve. How many Droplets can you find? The Droplets were designed by Tacoma artist Chandler O’Leary.

Old Town Dock was first built in 1873 and served the shipping industry until trade operations moved to the Tideflats. After that it quickly transitioned into a popular public space. It was closed in 2008 after an engineering study found it to be too weak for pedestrians. After five years and $2.3 million in renovations, it reopened May 15, 2013.