Seattle has never been known as a city that never sleeps, but you don’t have to go to sleep when the sun goes down. While bars stay open until 2:00 a.m. and clubs offer dancing until 4:00 a.m., there are also plenty of things to do that don’t include alcohol or partying. Your active lifestyle can continue into the wee hours and you don’t have to go indoors to enjoy Seattle at night.
Tours
You can still take in the sights after the sun goes down. Market Ghost Tours leads tours of the famous and reputedly haunted Pike Place Market after the vendors close for the night. The same company that leads the ghost tour also offers an adult only Seattle Lust Tour on weekend nights exploring the city’s shadier past. Tour boat companies sail the waters of Lake Washington, Elliott Bay and Puget Sound for sunset and dinner cruises. You can ride up to the top of the Space Needle where the observation deck is open until midnight every night.
Outdoors
There are many places to view and photograph the city lights at night. Iconic views of downtown Seattle and the Space Needle are found at Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill. Hamilton Viewpoint Park and Belvedere Viewpoint in West Seattle look out over Elliott Bay to the city skyline. While you’re in West Seattle, head to Alki Beach where you can build a bonfire on the beach at night. Golden Gardens Park in northwest Seattle also allows bonfires on the beach.
Dining
Seattle has a myriad of options for healthy, ethnic and fine dining. The Belltown, Ballard and Capitol Hill neighborhoods have many restaurants in close proximity. Start with appetizers and happy hour in one restaurant, walk to dinner at another and stroll to a different restaurant for dessert. Many restaurants and bars offer a late night happy hour, usually from 10:00 p.m. to midnight. Several restaurants are open 24 hours a day, including Beth’s Café, The Hurricane Café, Memo’s Mexican Food Restaurant and The 5 Point Café.
Games
Many casual bars have pool tables and some offer shuffleboard and other games. If you want something more upscale, there are several billiards halls in the city. On weekends you will find more of a party atmosphere in these establishments. During the week you can usually find plenty of challengers for games. Gameworks is an arcade and entertainment complex that only admits those 18 and older after 10:00 p.m. There are also a few bowling alleys around Seattle.
Active Life
Sport enthusiasts can join drop-in games and classes in the city and in neighboring suburbs. Arena Sports offers late night drop-in soccer games. Some of the city’s community centers hold drop-in basketball games for adults in the evening. Seattle’s two climbing gyms offer climbing at night. The Westlake Dance Center is a drop-in dance studio for adults with a variety of evening classes, including hip hop, jazz and ballet. If you’re a member of 24 Hour Fitness, the gym that never closes has four locations in Seattle.
Dancing
There are numerous clubs for dancing the night away in Seattle. You can find nearly every genre of music to dance to, but you will only find one country music bar in the city. The Little Red Hen offers free country dance lessons on select nights. The Century Ballroom offers dance lessons in swing, salsa and tango before holding a dance nearly every night of the week.
Websites:
Century Ballroom
Market Ghost Tour
Seattle Parks and Recreation: Parks
Gameworks
Arena Sports: Drop-In Soccer
Westlake Dance Center
Space Needle
Little Red Hen
