We’re always passing through Pioneer Square in Seattle, for school, for soccer games, for events at the stadiums so I really appreciated that the Pioneer Square Association invited my family to learn more about the area with a stop at Zeitgeist Coffee: a long-running coffee shop in the area, a Beneath the Streets tour and a dinner at a new-ish Taco place called Tacolisto. This made our visit to Pioneer Square Seattle very intentional and gave my family a chance to really feel the vibe of the area, and it’s now a destination I know we’ll explore a whole lot more.
The Klondike Gold Rush National Park
There is a National Park in downtown Seattle-did you know we have one in the heart of our city? This one is more like a museum than a park, but it was free when I last visited and a really cool place to visit. Make sure you check opening hours-it was not open on Mondays and Tuesdays when I last checked. There are bathrooms here (and bathrooms are hard to find sometimes in our city) and exhibits that talk about the history of Seattle especially in relationship to the Gold Rush. I’ve been meaning to stop here for years, especially because the kids studied Washington State History in 5th grade and learned all about the Gold Rush and downtown Seattle. I’ve linked a video here just in case you want to see what it looks like in real life too. Zeitgeist coffee is right across the street and this coffee shop has delicious coffee and also features local artists.
Beneath the Streets Tour
You might not know it but at one point in history Seattle existed one story lower than where it is built now. The Beneath the Streets tours takes people down into the “Underground”, to the areas where Seattle was originally built. I have been on a tour before but not with Beneath the Streets and I was worried it wouldn’t be kid-friendly and also that it might make me feel claustrophobic. But this tour, the Beneath the Streets tour seemed suitable for all ages. There is a bit of walking but the underground parts weren’t too narrow or dark. Our tour guide Michael was really knowledgeable and upbeat-we learned a ton, even just in the first few minutes. I think we Seattleites often forget about the Great Fire that changed our city as well as the impact of the Gold Rush. My teens had a really great time on this tour.
Intrigue Chocolate Company
I just added Intrigue chocolates to a Seattle chocolate factory list I put together ages ago. We were a little early for our Beneath the Streets tour, and stopped at Zeitgeist to grab coffee and noticed Intrigue Chocolate Company on our walk. You can peer in and see chocolate being made from the window and the shop is really inviting. We are big chocolate fans in this house (because we also love coffee and they pair so well together) and we tried one of the chocolate bars (it was excellent)-next time I’ll have to get the truffles, the flavors sound really unique and apparently the store originally started with truffles.
Lady Yum
This is another great place to get a treat and Lady Yum’s Pioneer Square Seattle shop is really beautiful. This macaron shop has fun flavors and great decor and you can also find Lady Yum at the airport so they make a fantastic Seattle Souvenir too. We spotted this Lady Yum shop on our way between Tacolisto and Beneath the Streets tour. I usually go to the one in South Lake Union. (And we usually get a treat when we go to museums and we got one on our way back to our car from the Gold Rush National Park)
The Last Resort Fire Department Museum
This one is only open on Thursdays from 11am-3pm so please don’t come another day and be disappointed and make sure you check the actual Last Resort Fire Department Museum website for details before you go because as with all things, the actual website of any place is always your best bet for up to date information. This museum is across from the UPS waterfall park(which happened to be unexpectedly closed the day we visited) and I saw the sign and walked in. This would be such a hit for kids who love old firetrucks-there are so many in this working firehall. There is also a lot of information about the Great Seattle Fire.
First Thursday Art Walk
I was told the first Thursday Art Walk in Pioneer Square is the longest running Art Walk in the USA by someone when I posted about it on instagram and on the Pioneer Square Seattle website it says it’s been around since the 1960’s. Thursday is a great night to be in Pioneer Square and now that the guys are teenagers it’s a lot easier getting out and about to things like this and they even like coming along sometimes so it’s a good excuse to hang out together.
Tacolisto
This is one of many newish eateries in Pioneer Square (I’m still heartbroken that we lost London Plane last year) but we had delicious fish tacos here and roasted corn and then wandered to Hoot Beerdega and grabbed some wine and chocolate. Heard Coffee shop which is also part of this group and the attached bike shop are also places I like to spend some time and apparently there is an art gallery here (and a boutique hotel is coming!!). Tacolisto has at least two high chairs and is spacious with counter service so it feels pretty kid-friendly if you are looking for a place to dine in the area with kids in tow too. (Other places you might try with kids are Mod Pizza and Monkey Bridge 2)
So I will continue to visit Pioneer Square and update this list as well as share on my instagram. Have you been to this area in Seattle? Do you have favorite restaurants or shops here as well?
(PS if you are looking for other neighborhoods to visit in Seattle I have a list of neighborhoods you might want to know about too.)
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)
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