about Seattle

Seattle area attractions

Current events in July

Enjoying the water

Olympic Peninsula attractions

Seattle's weather

What to pack

Seattle area attractions

Seattle is renowned for its vibrant arts scene, and offers many possibilities for sightseeing and evening adventure. Here are several guides to help you plan your activities:
Seattle 101 highlights numerous city offerings, from the Seattle Aquarium to the Woodland Park Zoo, and the Museum of Flight to architecture walking tours. Includes tips for navigating the city, maps, and numerous links to Seattle museums, galleries, and theaters.
Seattle.com details Seattle tours, upcoming area sporting events, plus music and nightlife possibilities.

Get lost in Seattle's historic Pike Place Market, Underground Tour, and Pioneer Square. Major attractions include the Pacific Science Center, Space Needle, Experience Music Project, Seattle Art Museum Sculpture Park, and Asian Art Museum, Frye Museum, Henry Art Gallery, as well as the Washington Park Arboretum, and Seattle's new Central Library. Shop downtown boutiques, Pacific Place, Westlake Center, and the Fremont District.

Another great resource for planning your visit to our beautiful state can be found at the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau. You will find a wealth of information on exploring Seattle, culture and events, sports and recreation, neighborhoods, suggested itineraries and the “must see” attractions. You can pre-purchase a Go Seattle Card that is a multi attraction pass with discounted admissions. There is a choice of pre-planned activities or options for customizing an itinerary to your liking. If only interested in a few activities, the City Pass offers discounts at five popular attractions.

Current Happenings in July back to top

The Seattle Sounders FC have a home soccer game at Qwest Field on Saturday, July 11.

The Seattle Marinershave a home baseball game series at Safeco Field from Thursday, July 9-Sunday July 12.

Othello is playing at the Intiman Theater July 2-August 2. The theater is located at the Northwest corner of the Seattle Center campus.

Steve Tyrell will be performing at the Jazz Alley July 9-11 twice nightly: 7:30 pm and 9:30pm.

Teatro ZinZanni (one of Seattle’s hottest dinner theaters) is a big night out unlike any other, a three-hour whirlwind of cirque, comedy, magic and cabaret all served up with a five-course feast. Show times are Wed-Sat at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5:30 p.m. If you want to splurge and have an extraordinary evening – this place is highly recommended. The ticket price is spendy, but the show is very entertaining and well worth it. It’s located in Seattle Center’s Theater District.

The Seattle Weekly and The Stranger are two free publications that are distributed each Thursday. In them you will find information on current happenings for the week in Seattle and the surrounding areas.  We will try to have a few on hand at the convention hospitality suite.

Enjoying the Water back to top

Washington State Ferries provides access to local islands and other communities. Views of the Olympic and Cascade mountains, the Seattle cityscape and the green shorelines will draw you out onto the deck to feel the salt breeze on your face. You can walk or drive aboard ferries, which depart from Pier 52 on the Seattle waterfront. Round trip to Bainbridge Island and Bremerton are about 1 and 2 hours respectively. For a day-trip ferry jaunt, San Juan Island, with the town of Friday Harbor and its many shops and galleries, is a winner.

The Tillicum Village experience is a short, narrated cruise that takes you to an island village where guests feast on salmon cooked in the authentic Native American way. A stage show of traditional dances and stories entertains and teaches you about the people who lived in the Northwest first.

The King County Water Taxi (formerly Elliott Bay Water Taxi) provides convenient, 12-minute passenger-only transportation between downtown Seattle and West Seattle. This is a ferry that crosses Elliott Bay from Pier 55 on the downtown Seattle waterfront to the Seacrest dock in West Seattle. The fare is $3.00. Skip the traffic—enjoy the water and fabulous views of the Seattle skyline instead! The shuttle has become a popular tourist attraction due to Seacrest park's beautiful views, the short walk to Alki Beach and the restaurants in West Seattle.

Ride the Ducks of Seattle allows you to tour Seattle by land and water on a WWII amphibious landing craft. This 90-minute adventure tour will have you "quacking up" through the streets of Seattle. You'll see the major sights of the Emerald City on land before you head out to the funky Fremont neighborhood where you'll splash into Lake Union. Vehicles are operated by Coast Guard-certified captains.

Argosy Cruises (Pier 56/57) offers one-hour tours of Seattle's harbor and extended tours of Puget Sound and the Ballard Locks.

Plan a day trip or weekend excursion with Victoria Clipper and cruise the Pacific Ocean from Seattle to Victoria BC Canada on this high speed ferry. Catch the boat at Pier 69, downtown Seattle near the Edgewater Hotel.

Olympic Peninsula Attractions back to top

Washington's Olympic Peninsula is a great pre or post conference destination. With nearly a million awe-inspiring acres, Olympic National Park beckons with its pristine alpine meadows, rugged Pacific coastline and moss-draped rainforest valleys. Friendly towns along puzzle-like shorelines offer fine arts and fine wine, Native American cultures, delightful festivals and endless discoveries. Get a free travel planner and learn about other great places to visit.

Seattle's Weather back to top

Month	Avg. High	Avg. Low	Avg. Precipitation*	Record High	Record Low
July	75° F	56° F	.93 inches	96° F (1991)	47° F (1979)

The weather can be rainy (but is usually just drizzly) on any given day even though historically July is one of the driest months. Mid-June through early September is often sunny. The warmest months are July and August, with average highs in the upper 70s, though often having days in the 80s and even 90s. The days are also very long, and sunset (let alone twilight) is after 9 p.m. for weeks. The main challenge of Seattle's weather is more the overcast skies than the rain. The morning could start with a damp fog that lifts by mid-day revealing the hot sun. Overall, the summer is very pleasant but there can still be a chill in the early morning or evening air. Check out statewide weather forecasts and Seattle area forecasts.

What to pack back to top

Business casual attire is recommended for all conference events. Be sure to pack warm and cool clothes, a light jacket or sweatshirt with hood, and comfortable walking shoes. Since the weather can change unexpectedly, dressing in layers will help you avoid getting too hot or too cold. Seattle has a lot of hills, particularly the downtown (City Center) area, so walking shoes are a must. Heels or uncomfortable shoes should only be worn for short distances or flat terrain. Seattle is fairly casual. You can get by with a skirt or slacks in a more upscale restaurant and jeans or whatever goes in all others. Bring an umbrella if you have one, but you could probably get by without one if you have a hat or hooded jacket. Don’t forget your CAMERA.