STEPH DEROSA: PAST THINGS HAPPEN >>>

I know you curl up on your couch at night, flipping through your favorite channels, finally landing on some biography show depicting the life of Hugh Hefner and the Playboy Bunnies. Biography shows and The History Channel have been growing in popularity, and I know it’s because of you. Some people are destined to make history, while others relish in simply observing it. We are all living parts of history being made right now, so why not embrace the past and learn how we got to where we are today?

Times are gone of the old, boring museum field trips where your mom chaperoned and insisted on sitting next to you on the bus, inhibiting your ability to properly flirt with your secret crush. Things have changed, the museums have smartened up and they are no longer boring. Interactive hands-on exhibits, actual pieces of the past, and incredible role-play at the Washington State History Museum makes history an eye-opening experience.

The Washington History Museum is open every day of the week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Mondays. Thursdays are special, as they stay open until 8 p.m. with free admission beginning at 5 p.m. But times are a changin'. Come March 1 they will no longer be open until 8 p.m. every Thursday â€" only every third Thursday until 8 p.m., which is Third Thursday Art Walk, and free admission Thursdays will change to 2-8 p.m.

That hurt my brain.

Visit their Web site in order to view the constantly changing events, which cater to people of all ages. There’s always something for kids and adults alike. This isn’t your mom’s old field trip, and the Washington History Museum would never encroach on your flirting.

[Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 888.238.4373]