Glow-up alert! Seattle has revealed its end-to-end transformation of its 1.3-mile Waterfront. Can’t-miss highlights include a sparkling Seattle Aquarium expansion, a new Overlook Walk arching over from Pike Place, and a completely renovated Colman dock.
New public restrooms with fresh flowers and a concierge are a parent favorite. (Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
Parents of the freshly potty-trained will especially appreciate this feature: a $2 million public restroom on the Park Promenade, with a full-time concierge and pretty bouquets at the sinks (thanks to Friends of Waterfront Park). Whether you’re new to Seattle or a lifelong local, there’s something new for everyone. Here’s a sample itinerary to follow for a fun staycation to reintroduce your family to the Waterfront.
Waterfront view from the Great Wheel. (Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
The Seattle Waterfront’s Much-Needed Overhaul
The Seattle Waterfront’s overhaul began in 2019 with the demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Six years of construction and $806 million later, the last pieces of the project are wrapping up this summer, just in time for World Cup festivities and cruise ship season. The whole area is cleaned up, safer, and much improved. Details like the new bike path, flowers in raised beds, and a wooden boardwalk with LED lighting tap into a friendlier, welcoming vibe.
Balloon twister on the Waterfront. (Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
The Waterfront scene started heating up in the spring, especially on weekends when the sun’s shining. Now that summer’s here, it’s hopping, whether it’s people enjoying a free event with live music or Mariners fans heading to a game. Seattle’s legendary Crocodile is running a summer concert series at Pier 62. But buskers alone are enough to keep the kids entertained. Look for the living statue, the musician who drums on buckets, a magician, even a fire-eater. Bonus: the Waterfront is entirely flat, so bring the stroller to stash water bottles and an extra layer.
Day 1: Morning
We don’t miss the 6-lane Viaduct that used to choke the Waterfront off from downtown, but we sure miss the parking underneath. Solution: Ditch your car at the Edgewater Hotel with the valets since you’re staying the night. Leave your luggage in the trunk, and head straight to the Seattle Aquarium.
Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion. (Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
The Aquarium is a great place to spend the morning. It opens at 9:30 a.m. You’ll want to get there early because it gets mobbed as the day goes on. Start in the new Ocean Pavilion and visit the massive reef ecosystem, the archipelago with a mangrove forest, and tropical fish from the Coral Triangle. Across the sidewalk, the long green building houses kid-centric features like touch tanks, a toddler play area, and a nursing pod, not to mention harbor seals, giant Pacific octopuses, and sea birds.
Overlook Walk Playground. (Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
Just outside the Aquarium’s front doors is a 25-foot-tall jellyfish climbing tower and slide. Pier 58, known as Waterfront Park, is an underwater-themed playground that will open this summer.
Jellyfish playground (Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
Afternoon
When tummies rumble, head to the rooftop of the Ocean Pavilion — yes, you can walk on the roof! — for an impossibly scenic shortcut to Pike Place Market. It’s fully accessible and stroller-friendly, though there’s a bit of a wait for the elevator. Overlook Walk is a $70 million pedestrian bridge that even has a small built-in playground. Tuck into a market-fresh picnic at one of the many benches.
Zoom down on your bike rental or scooter on the new bike path. (Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
After refueling, go for a spin on the new Waterfront bike path. Adult-sized loaner bikes are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Edgewater; pack the kids’ wheels with you. Heads up, the bike path is also extremely popular with people zipping along on Lime e-scooters.
Fresh mango treat from a Mexican fruit stand. Photo by JiaYing Grygiel
As you head south on the Seattle Waterfront, down Alaskan Way, look for giant rainbow umbrellas. Make a pit stop at one of these Mexican fruit stands for cubed fresh fruit with Tajín chile lime seasoning and chamoy sauce. Yum! Many shops that line the Waterfront are of the T-shirt/snowglobe/keychain variety, catering to tourists.
Ye Olde Curiosity shop will definitely have your kids curious about some very interesting things, like these shrunken heads. (Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
Two uniquely local businesses stand out: Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, home of the famous shrunken heads, and the Seattle Waterfront Marketplace, an artist collective decked out with paintings by Seattle’s most famous (and prolific) muralist, Henry.
Evening
Put the Tomb Raider Experience on your list if your party includes older kids and video game enthusiasts. Help Lara Croft solve puzzles in a temple inside a Chilean volcano (conveniently a block off the Waterfront).
Your reward for escaping is dinner at Elliott’s Oyster House, directly across the street on Pier 56. There isn’t a bad seat in the house, but sitting on the patio on summer evenings is extra nice, slurping oysters and watching the boats cruise by. The menu reads like a map, pinpointing every oyster’s hyperlocal origin.
Edgewater Hotel restaurant. (Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
When you’re ready to turn in for the night, splurge on a room at The Edgewater facing the water. It’s the only hotel in Seattle on a pier, and it feels like you’re on a ship (that thankfully doesn’t bob). Rooms range from $229 a night in the off-season to $589 during peak season. Cozy up to the fireplace — every room has one — and you can even rent guitars and record players at the front desk. The hotel boasts serious music cred; it’s where The Beatles leaned out of a window for their iconic photo. Other notable guests include Robert Plant, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash… and now, you! Unlike the Beatles, however, you didn’t have to be smuggled in by ambulance.
Fun fact: Guests at the Edgewater used to be able to fish out their windows, and the chef would cook up their catch for dinner. These days, the best catch in the hotel restaurant is the Anthony Bourdain-approved cedar plank salmon.
Day 2: Morning
Pop into the Brim Coffee Shop in the hotel lobby for pastries and a cup of joe. Stash your luggage in your trunk to squeeze that parking spot for everything it’s got.
Getting out on the water is a must. There’s an option for every attention span, interest, and budget. You could do a Clipper whale watch, a narrated Argosy Cruise, a Salish Sea Tour that focuses on Native culture, or go for a yacht ride with Sailing Seattle.
The least expensive options will be public transportation: the King County water taxi to West Seattle or the Washington State ferry to Bainbridge Island. Both are no-frills commuter vessels with killer views and lovely walkable destinations on the other end (Alki and Winslow, respectively). Keep your eyes peeled for orcas along the way!
Back on the Seattle Waterfront, check out the new Pioneer Square Habitat Beach, a pocket beach adjacent to the ferry terminal. In front of the terminal, try out the swings on the wooden post and beam structures. It’s part of an installation by artist Oscar Tuazon.
Ivar’s Fish Bar, your go-to spot for clam chowder and fish and chips. (Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
The salty sea air whip up an appetite? Gather around the firepits at Ivar’s Fish Bar for clam chowder in a bread bowl or classic fish and chips. Psst, Molly Moon’s will serve up scoops at the historic Washington Boat Landing Pergola.
Afternoon
You’ve traveled by foot, bike, or boat… but have you traveled by pedicab? Catch a lift from Captain America. He’ll crank up the music, dance, and keep you laughing the whole way.
Your next stop, Miner’s Landing at Pier 57, is Vegas for kids. The Great Wheel was built in 2012 and quickly became as iconic as the Space Needle. Inside the pier, there’s a carousel, a regular arcade with games like Mario Kart and Jurassic Park, and an old-timey arcade with a shoot-’em-up game. There are not one but two homemade ice cream and cotton candy stands.
A Sasquatch VR game is in the works, and you do not want to sleep on the Wings Over Washington ride. It sounds like a cheesy tourist trap, but this attraction was the runaway favorite for my Seattle-native children. Take a 4-D ride through scenic Washington, where you soar with the eagles, get “splashed” by the orcas, and sniff the tulips over Skagit Valley. (If you’ve been to Disneyland, the ride is similar to Soarin’.)
Evening
When it’s time to eat, three words: Crab Pot Seafeast. It’s a family-style meal with mussels, clams, shrimp, dungeness crab, you name it. The server dumps everything on the table. Everyone gets a bib and a wooden mallet and digs in. Kids essentially eat free: a minimum order of two per table (starting at $38 per order) is enough to feed two adults and two kids easily.
Pick up a game of soccer at Pier 62. (Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
Stave off the post-dinner food coma with a stroll on Seattle Waterfront’s Pier 62. Giant chess, ping pong, and a pop-up coffee shop are usually set up, and there’s free programming nearly every day.
The nice thing about summer is that it’s light out so late. Before you pull yourself away from the Waterfront, wander through the 9-acre Olympic Sculpture Park, just north of the Edgewater. It’s open from dawn to dusk daily, and it’s always free and breathtaking.
