Best Family Weekend Destinations in Washington

Washington's family destinations combine world-class urban attractions in Seattle with natural wonders accessible within a few hours.

Seattle: Space Needle, Pike Place Market, and Seattle Aquarium
The Seattle experience for families: the Space Needle observation deck (rotating glass floor on the 520-foot tower), Pike Place Market (fish throwing, first Starbucks, fresh produce and flowers), and the Seattle Aquarium on the waterfront. The Seattle Center complex — home of the Space Needle — also contains the Pacific Science Center (hands-on science and an IMAX theater) and the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP, with rock music, science fiction, and gaming exhibits). Allow 2 full days for Seattle proper.

Mount Rainier National Park
Paradise (5,400 ft), the most-visited area in the park, has wildflower meadows (peak bloom late July), the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center, and easy trails to Myrtle Falls (excellent for children). The drive from Ashford through the Nisqually Entrance to Paradise is itself spectacular. Snowshoeing at Paradise in winter is a beloved family winter activity.

Leavenworth (Wenatchee Valley)
A former logging town that reinvented itself as a Bavarian village in the 1960s — the alpine architecture, Oktoberfest (one of the largest in the US), and the Christmas Lighting Festival draw visitors year-round. The Icicle Valley outside of town has excellent hiking, river rafting, and rock climbing. The Cascade Loop drive through Leavenworth is a natural family road trip.

Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium (Tacoma)
One of the finest mid-size zoos in the US, Point Defiance houses Arctic foxes, musk oxen, beluga whales, red wolves, and a Pacific Seas Aquarium. The adjacent Point Defiance Park (the largest urban park in Washington) has trails to the waterfront, Fort Nisqually historic site, and views across the Narrows to the Olympic Mountains.