The stationary vessel Top of the Ocean was the headquarters for the Tacoma Athletic Club starting in the 1930s. The boat was the brainchild of Allen Rau and Bert Sungren who had local boat builders construct an ocean-liner on pilings at the water’s edge along the Ruston Way shoreline. The main deck seated 700 people for dinner and dancing on a hardwood floor with a stage and orchestra. The main deck hosted banquets, dinners, fashion shows and more. The upper deck was home to the TAC. In 1948 the commission purchased the structure along with lots on the land for parking. The Top of the Ocean burned to the ground in April 1977 after a case of arson.
