Seattle is brimming with a variety of exciting and enjoyable evening activities. You can try doing the usual like partying and drinking, but aside from that, there are many other options to explore wonderful night out in Seattle once the sun falls. Read this blog for a detailed overview of Seattle nightlife.
As a cultural outpost in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle is a destination for Broadway shows, musical acts, dance performances, and theatre shows. Seattle offers some of the most attractive pocket-friendly trips in Washington state. Anywhere you go, you can surely catch a live performance. Seattle is filled with an array of high-quality restaurants and bars that are guaranteed to delight your taste buds. There are also many great outdoor activities and scenic nighttime views to explore. You will never be bored visiting this city.
Fun and Exciting Night Out in Seattle
Of course, we understand that it’s hard to plan a trip to a destination that has so much to offer. All the options can easily feel overwhelming. So, we put together a resource to help you make the most of your visit. Here are our suggestions for a fun and exciting night out in Seattle.
Go to a live show
Seattle is famous for its live music. Everywhere you go, you’ll find the nightlife buzzing with a variety of live shows. However, we recommend three specific legendary venues as a must see while you’re here: Tractor Tavern, The Crocodile, and Neumos.
Tractor Tavern is a popular venue that features an eclectic range of music, often hosting bands that play anything from bluegrass, zydeco, and country to jazz, folk, and rock. It has a welcoming, neighborhood vibe while being an intimate, but not too small venue. They serve a variety of drinks, including local beers and Seattle Cider and are known for their friendly bartenders and quick, cleanly service. Shows here often sell out quickly, so make sure to get your tickets early!
The Crocodile is Seattle’s top destination for live music shows and has hosted the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Beasty Boys and more. There is music playing seven nights a week, and they sometimes host karaoke and DJ nights which are fun for the whole family. Aside from good music, you can also order an assortment of food and drinks, including their delicious, handmade pizza roasted in their brick pizza oven.
Lastly, Neumos is one of Seattle’s more intimate music venues and is great if you’re wanting to experience a smaller band. It is known for having excellent security and service, an extensive bar area, and a trendy upper loft to watch the band if you don’t want to be on the floor in front of the stage. This venue often hosts events that are open to all ages, so is a great option when traveling with anyone below the age of 21.
Visit a popular tourist attraction
If you are looking to experience the most popular tourist attractions in Seattle, we are here to help. One of the most popular attractions is the Space Needle, which is considered the second most instagrammable place in Seattle (the first is Pike Place Market, which we highly recommend visiting earlier in the day to see some fish thrown at the Fish Market). The Space Needle is open until 10pm, so you’ll have a chance to capture the scenic city lights of Seattle at night. We highly recommend going to the top at least once in your life! However, make sure the weather is clear or else the views might not be quite what you were hoping for.
Another classic nighttime experience is riding the Seattle Great Wheel, a ferris wheel located on Pier 57 overlooking the waterfront. You can ride the wheel until 8pm every night. The ferris wheel is also covered in 500,000 LED lights, which are used for exciting light shows weekend nights until 10pm.
Another iconic Seattle spot is the Laser Dome, which is located just below the Space Needle. It is known as one of the largest domed laser theaters in the world. The Laser Dome features shining lights and popular music every Friday and Saturday until midnight and hosts a variety of shows suitable for all ages.
Visit one of Seattle’s unique nightclubs
What is the nightlife in Seattle without partying in a nightclub? Seattle plays host to many great spots where you can party all night. During your stay, we recommend visiting Q Nightclub located on Capitol Hill and Monkey Loft located in Sodo.
Q Nightclub is a theatrical nightclub featuring a unique design. They have a state-of-the-art lighting system and a sound system that is unparalleled to other clubs in the city. We highly recommend coming to appreciate the music in this place hosted by their top tier DJs.
Monkey Loft also offers great aesthetics and an engineered sound system for an intimate, inviting, and fun partying experience. This club has a three story layout, including a rooftop deck offering a gorgeous view of the city. Their cocktails are well known and a must try! Make sure to bring $10 cash, as their entry fee is cash only, and have a great night!
Enjoy some late-night eating
It’s tiring to explore the city of Seattle, so when it starts to get late, you might find yourself in need of a delicious meal. One of the places you can go to satisfy a late night craving is 13 Coins Seattle which features a 24-hour food menu. Currently, however, due to city restrictions related to COVID-19, 13 Coins is only open utill 10pm. It should return to its previous 24-hour service as the restrictions begin to ease. This restaurant is a great spot for family and group dinners and is known among the locals to be one of the best restaurants in Seattle.
Another delicious option for a late night bite is the Seattle dog. The Seattle dog is a famous hotdog topped with cream cheese and grilled onions. It is quite a popular snack for both locals and tourists. Many food stands offer this delicious bite past midnight. You can catch one at Monster Dogs, which is open until 2:30am every night.
Make the most of happy hour deals
Usually, happy hour is limited to a certain set of early, inconvenient hours. However, there are some excellent restaurant options in Seattle that offer amazing happy hour deals late into the night. If you want to make the most of happy hour in Seattle, we recommend going to Umi Sake House and Toulouse Petit Kitchen & Lounge.
Umi Sake House is a popular sushi destination located just a short walk from the waterfront. Their late night happy hour runs from 9pm to close and features a variety of sushi rolls, sashimi, calamari, $2 miso soup, and an array of sake options to choose from. We’ve heard their tuna and salmon sashimi and spicy salmon rolls are major happy hour hits.
Toulouse Petit Kitchen & Lounge is also a perfect destination for an evening happy hour in Seattle, offering a tantalizing variety of seafood dishes, cheese selections, cocktails, and more. Their late night happy hour is available from 10pm-12am. They claim their happy hour menu is the best not just in Seattle, but in the entire US! You should try it for yourself and find out if their claim is true.
Play old school and fun games
If you are a kid at heart who loves to play a lot of games, be it real or virtual, there’s a place for you here in Seattle. You can try visiting SPIN, a subterranean bar with an abundance of ping-pong tables, or the Flatstick Pub, another subterranean bar filled with mini-golf holes. Both of these places are open until midnight during the weekdays and until 2am during the weekends. If you like bowling, the Garage is a must visit! This retro-themed, circa-1928 building is host to 20 bowling lanes, 25 pool tables, an outdoor fireplace, a sports bar, and a trendy, lively atmosphere.
If you prefer video or arcade games, Seattle has great options for you as well! We recommend visiting the Hillside Bar, which features nostalgic games such as darts, pinball, pool, and skee-ball. Add-a-Ball Amusements is a popular arcade bar located in the basement of a repair shop for old scooters and is open daily until 2am. They boast to have the largest collection of vintage coin operated arcade machines in Seattle and also host a stunning variety of pinball machines. This bar gets packed quickly, so we recommend trying to arrive a bit earlier in the night to make sure you get in some arcade fun.
Showcase your karaoke singing
There are an assortment of bars throughout Seattle that offer the full karaoke experience, allowing you to showcase your singing all throughout the night. Our favorite spot is the Rock Box, a Japanese-style karaoke lounge that is open until 2am every weekday and until 4am on the weekends. They offer an exciting happy hour discount on all their rooms and the food comes highly recommended. We suggest calling a day or two ahead for a reservation as this karaoke hotspot is often fully booked the night of.
Little Red Hen, a honky-tonk bar located in Green Lake, hosts public karaoke events every Monday and Wednesday night at 9pm. This country themed bar offers a huge song selection including rock, oldies, hip hop, and more. It sports fun, engaging hosts and a giant stage for those brave enough to sing in front of the crowds. This bar always collects a lively crowd that loves to dance. If you love country dancing and good karaoke, this is your spot!
Ride a night ferry
The coast of Washington boasts a collection of unique and beautiful islands that have become a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. One of the most exciting parts is the ferry ride, where sometimes it’s possible to see whales swimming through Puget Sound. If you wish to experience this yourself, you can go for a short trip to Bainbridge Island, which is just 35 minutes away from the city. Ferries return from Bainbridge as late as midnight on the weekends, so there’s a lot of time for you to enjoy the ride and capture the scenic views of the city lights at night.
Have a picnic in the park
If you find yourself in Seattle during the summer or a nice fall/spring evening, a picnic in a park can be a delightful (and inexpensive) way to spend the evening. We recommend packing a blanket, a charcuterie board picnic, and some wine. Pro tip: We love to bring real glasses on a picnic, instead of paper of plastic. Whether you’re drinking wine, juice, or even water, you’ll be surprised how much it elevates the picnic experience.
If this sounds appealing to you, there’s a few popular parks to check out. Kerry Park is our number one favorite. It’s centrally located in Queen Anne and offers a stunning view of downtown Seattle, the Space Needle, and the Great Wheel. If you come before the sun has set, you might even glimpse Mt. Rainer. If you’re looking for something closer to the water, Golden Gardens Park is our top choice. Located right on Puget Sound, you can set up your picnic blanket on a beautiful, sandy beach and watch the sunset over the water with the Olympic Mountains gracing the horizon. The park is open till 11:30pm, so if you wish to stay into the night, we recommend bringing some marshmallows to roast over their fire pits.
Take A Rest After Your Nightlife in Seattle Experience
If you just want to relax for the entire night, it’s not a problem at all. Seattle also has lots of relaxing accommodations or rental areas where you can just lie on your bed after a tiring yet fun travel experience.
Check Rental Trader for exceptional vacation rentals best accommodation option around Seattle. Rental Trader offers affordable rates for travelers, so you can enjoy your time exploring the USA without worrying about your budget.
Feel free to browse our website for available rentals in Seattle. If you have further inquiries, you can fill out the web form on the Contact page, so we can attend to your needs immediately.
Indeed, you will never run out of fun things to do when you travel to Seattle. We hope you enjoy your visit!
