What is Greentrike?
Greentrike is a nonprofit that advocates for and models equitable access to playful experiences for children, youth, and families — because play is essential for learning, joy, and a thriving community.
Greentrike powers children’s museums, programs, and initiatives for early leaning and play in Pierce County. Founded as the Children’s Museum of Tacoma in 1985, the organization later transitioned into Greentrike in 2019 after growth that made the organization more than a museum.
Today, Greentrike operates the Children’s Museums of Tacoma and at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, featuring a first-in-kind donation-based admission model known as Pay As You Will.
Greentrike powers Play to Learn Pierce County, Preschool Powered by Play, Expanded Learning Opportunities, Cares Kits, and the Monarch Diaper Bank.
History of the Children’s Museum of Tacoma
The Children’s Museum of Tacoma was established in 1985 by parents, teachers, and community leaders dedicated to creating unique resources for families in Tacoma and the South Puget Sound Region. The Museum opened in 1986 as a non-profit organization and remained in its original downtown Tacoma location for 10 years, rotating single theme exhibits every 18-months.
Due to excellence in education, programming, and hands-on exhibits, the Museum earned a reputation as a cornerstone for early learning. As a result, the Museum’s physical location and size could no longer accommodate the community’s demand for its services. In 1996, the Museum’s Board of Directors voted to relocate to the Theater District’s historic Kress Building, here the Museum featured both single and multiple-theme exhibits and an array of complementary programming in its 3,800 square foot, storefront location.
The move in January 2012 to a new, larger space at 1501 Pacific Avenue – combined with the support of early learning programs and Museum access – fulfills objectives of the Museum’s Strategic Plan. Our current priorities include:
• Proactively Measure Impact and Improve Fiscal Sustainability
•Increase Audience, Access, and Capacity
• Advocate for and Lead Child-Centered, Systemic Change
Since the Museum’s move to 1501 Pacific Avenue in 2012, the organization has seen exponential growth and exciting thought leadership. With the addition of two Preschool classrooms, and a dedication to advocating for children in the community, the Children’s Museum of Tacoma became Greentrike in 2019, operating the Children’s Museums of Tacoma and at JBLM, Play to Learn, and Preschool Powered by Play.
LOCATION
Our Administrative Offices are located at 1501 Pacific Avenue, Suite 202, Tacoma, WA 98402.
The Children’s Museum of Tacoma is located at 1501 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma WA 98402.
The Children’s Museum at JBLM is located at 2275 Liggett Ave, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, 98433
MISSION AND VISION
At Greentrike, our mission is to honor children and youth and champion play. Everything we do begins with our image of the child. We believe children and youth are creative, capable, compassionate, inquisitive, authentic, and leaders.
Equity Statement
At Greentrike, our vision is a just and joyful community. We acknowledge that systems of institutional racism and inequity dishonor the lives of children, youth, and families. We are committed to building an antiracist and inclusive organization so every person feels welcomed and engaged in our spaces and programs. We recognize this is a continuous journey and, to fulfill our highest aspirations, we commit to dismantling barriers to a just and joyful community.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are on the traditional homelands of the Puyallup Tribe (Tacoma, East Pierce, Lakewood)/Nisqually Tribe – (Lakewood, Steilacoom, JBLM) of the Coast Salish people. The Puyallup/Nisqually people have lived on and stewarded these lands since the beginning of time, and continue to do so today. We recognize that this land acknowledgement is one small step toward true allyship and we commit to uplifting the voices, experiences, and histories of the Indigenous people of this land and beyond.