Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Side profile of the bomb prototype.
Petwood Hotel Bouncing Bomb
RAF Harrington
RAF Harrington
The Beaux-arts interior with Pool layout still visible.
Écomusée du fier monde
Village du Livre de Fontenoy-la-Joûte
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
One of the PATH’s many entrances.
A Supposedly Boring Mall I Might Actually Visit Again
about 23 hours ago
People paddling in their wooden canoes on one of the lakes near the Allagash Waterway in the north woods in Maine
The Allagash Abductions: This State Park’s Most Famous Visitors ... Are Aliens?
2 days ago
The rocky Revere Beach coast in Revere, Massachusetts, just outside Boston.
Which Places With Bad Raps Are Actually Worth Visiting?
3 days ago
A dugong displays the telltale “smile.”
Saving the Sea Cows of Vanuatu
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Washington Tacoma 'Top of the Ocean' Monument

'Top of the Ocean' Monument

This waterfront restaurant was the life of the party until a crime syndicate burned it to the ground.

Tacoma, Washington

Added By
Ian Lefkowitz
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The world-famous Top of the Ocean Restaurant, recently open in 1947.   Northwest Room at The Tacoma Public Library, (D30643-4)
The world-famous Top of the Ocean Restaurant, recently open in 1947.   Northwest Room at The Tacoma Public Library, (D30643-4)
The Top of the Ocean Restaurant bronze replica, complete with vintage cars.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
The plaque and replica of the Top of the Ocean.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
The private club of the upper deck, as rendered in bronze.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
The pier that was once home to the Top of the Ocean Restaurant.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
The Top of the Ocean monument.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Have you ever been to a club so fun it felt like the party would never stop? A marker along Ruston Way in Tacoma, Washington marks the site of the Top of the Ocean, a restaurant that entertained Tacoma residents for more than 30 years until one day, it mysteriously went up in flames.

In December 1946, a new boat docked in Ruston Way—but this one was never meant to set sail. The Top of the Ocean was a restaurant shaped like a luxury liner and “docked” in the harbor with space for 700 guests and 20 private yachts. "The Top" quickly became the hottest ticket in Tacoma. Louie Grenier’s Orchestra would play, the drinks would flow, and at the upper deck’s private club, Tacoma’s biggest deals would get done. By 1948, the Tacoma Athletic Club bought the building, and used it as a showcase for high society antics, both legal and otherwise. The club was raided in 1951 by the vice squad, but its notoriety would only grow over time.

On the morning of April 3, 1977, Tacoma residents awoke to a shocking sight—the Top was on fire. Firefighters fought the blaze all day, but the building had been totally destroyed. Arson was suspected and within a few days, a man named Dave Levage was brought in and charged with the crime. Levage would plead not guilty, claiming a skull fracture left him with a shaky memory. Unfortunately for him, there were just a few tiny clues connecting him to the crime scene. For instance, a cabbie reported driving him to the Top and helping him move boxes of heavy liquid. Also, a local hardware store saw him come in a few days before to buy 8 gallons of paint thinner, and his fingerprints were found on those bottles at the crime scene. Despite his head-induced claims of innocence, Levage was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison. But as it turned out, this crime only scratched the surface of Tacoma’s underworld.

Levage was, in fact, a professional arsonist, working for a cabal known as "the Enterprise." The Enterprise was a protection racket behind a series of arson and firebombings across Tacoma, usually for a cut of the insurance money, or to bump off competition in the nightclub space. The FBI, working the case, ended up charging 15 members of the Enterprise in 1978 with racketeering, arson, attempted murder, and more. Those charged included the ringleader, mobster John J. Carbone, and George Janovich, the sheriff of Pierce County, who helped shield the Enterprise from investigation. Every member charged was found guilty except Levage, who was saved because he was imprisoned during the Top of the Ocean case.

With the rising crime rate and general decline of downtown, the site sat derelict for some time. In the early 2000s, MetroParks Tacoma built a pier over the pilings, and in 2007, the Tacoma Historical Society commissioned local sculptor Paul R. Michaels to build a monument to the restaurant. Today, at the former location of the Top of the Ocean, a plaque tells the story of the fabled restaurant. A 30-inch scale model bronze replica of the restaurant can be found atop the plinth. The restaurant is designed to look as it did in its glory days, with the parking lot filled with vintage cars, remembering the days when music and good times roared across the water.

Related Tags

Celebration Crime History Architecture

Community Contributors

Added By

ianlefk

Published

December 20, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.facebook.com/tacomahistoricalsociety/posts/the-top-of-the-ocean-an-iconic-restaurant-built-on-pilings-but-looking-like-a-bo/10159858067699569/
  • https://www.tacomahistory.org/media/dynamic/files/277_Vol12_No1_Fall2006.pdf
  • https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/ex-pierce-county-sheriff-jailed-for-corruption-1176766.php
  • https://tacomahistory.live/2018/03/11/top-of-the-ocean-part-two/
  • https://tacomahistory.live/2018/01/12/top-of-the-ocean-part-1/
  • https://www.historylink.org/File/9818
'Top of the Ocean' Monument
2217 Ruston Way
Tacoma, Washington, 98402
United States
47.276309, -122.466661
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Job Carr Cabin Museum

Tacoma, Washington

miles away

Old St. Peter's Church

Tacoma, Washington

miles away

Tacoma Public Sundial

Tacoma, Washington

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tacoma

Tacoma

Washington

Places 18
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Job Carr Cabin Museum

Tacoma, Washington

miles away

Old St. Peter's Church

Tacoma, Washington

miles away

Tacoma Public Sundial

Tacoma, Washington

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tacoma

Tacoma

Washington

Places 18
Stories 1

Related Places

  • Bucharest, Romania

    Solacoglu Inn

    An abandoned pasta factory in the centre of Bucharest, once home to Bulgarian revolutionaries and a hub of crime.

  • Guiding sign near entrance

    Tucson, Arizona

    John Dillinger Courtroom

    A 1930’s courtroom where John Dillinger and his gang went before a judge.

  • Facade.

    New Orleans, Louisiana

    United Fruit Company Building

    The beautiful, fruit-covered facade hints at this building's former life.

  • Peruse hundreds of antique, vintage, and locally made items at one of West Virginia’s oldest stores.

    Alderson, West Virginia

    Alderson’s Store

    You can still shop in one of West Virginia’s oldest stores.

    Sponsored by West Virginia Department of Tourism
  • A celebrated architectural feat, the Blennerhassett hotel was adorned with elaborate window treatments, frescoes, and even a passenger elevator.

    Parkersburg, West Virginia

    The (Haunted) Blennerhassett Hotel

    The oldest hotel in West Virginia is reportedly frequented by ghosts.

    Sponsored by West Virginia Department of Tourism
  • The site today.

    Yokohama, Japan

    Site of the Namamugi Incident

    After an Englishmen was killed by a samurai here in 1862, a two-day war changed the course of Japanese history.

  • Mumbai, India

    Flora Fountain

    An iconic fountain dedicated to the Roman goddess Flora stands in the heart of Mumbai.

  • This is a rare example of authentic late medieval architecture in Tokyo.

    Higashimurayama, Japan

    Shōfukuji Temple Jizōdō Hall

    Considered the oldest intact wooden structure in Tokyo Prefecture, this impressive temple was built in 1407.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.