2013 U.S. Go Congress

History - President Andrew Johnson originally set aside Point Defiance Park as a military reservation, although it never was home to military operations. A bill authorizing Tacoma to use the reserve as a public park was approved in 1888 by President Grover Cleveland. Gardens - Thematic gardens, including a Japanese Garden, Rose Garden and Northwest Native Garden provide a wide variety of horticultural experiences for visitors. Pt. Defiance Pagoda - Inspired by Japanese architecture when it was built in 1914, the Pagoda is the focal point of Point Defiance Park’s Japanese Garden. Surrounded by a Japanese garden featuring pools, a waterfall, a footbridge, sakura cherry trees, and an authentic Shinto shrine and Tori Gate presented by Tacoma’s Sister City in Kitakyushu Japan, the Pagoda serves as a venue for garden shows, classes and community celebrations. This rare historic site is also available for rental as a scenic setting for weddings, family gatherings and corporate events. Pt. Definance Rose Garden - Point Defiance Park has more than an acre of rose gardens, the oldest of which was established in 1895. The site includes a garden of miniature roses, arbors of climbing roses, a picturesque wishing well and quaint gazebos. The Rose Garden in Point Defiance Park offers two reservable wedding sites: The Big Border and the Rose Garden Gazebo The Big Border - This beautiful formal garden features a grassy area. During the summer months it is surrounded with a colorful border of flowers. It is located between the Lodge and the Rose Garden Gazebo and provides a beautiful setting for weddings & ceremonies. Smoking is prohibited in all of Tacoma’s parks and facilities