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There are plenty of things to do in Skagit Valley, from visiting local museums to having lunch on the La Conner waterfront. Photo: iStock
Skagit Valley, about an hour’s drive north of Seattle, is known for its world-famous tulip festival and snow geese, but there is so much more for families to experience. Every season brings new adventures or seasonal spots to explore. Whether you’re headed to the valley for flower spotting in the spring or eagle watching in the winter, consider adding these family-friendly spots to your itinerary.
Padilla Bay Reserve, Mount Vernon
This small but explorable aquarium perched on the bluffs near Bay View State Park is a working study and preservation of the region’s estuaries. The Breazeale Interpretive Center and Aquarium is donation-based and encourages families to learn about the local sea life and what it means to be stewards of the environment.
The aquarium room features an eel grass archway leading to tanks displaying starfish, crab, eels and urchins. At certain times during the day, a few smaller tide pool tanks are open for hands-on learning. Try to spot Ruby the octopus (she is a hide-and-seek pro). Down the hall is another room perfect for play and learning, with books and interactive gadgets that will keep younger kids busy.
Outside the center, you can find trails around the estuary and down to the bay. Follow a path through a tunnel and to the (super steep!) spiral staircase and make your way down to the beach for more real-life sea creature spotting.
Location: 10441 Bayview Edison Rd., Mount Vernon
Hours: Open Wednesday–Saturday, 10 a.m–4 p.m.
Lang’s Horse and Pony Farm, Mount Vernon
Need a pony ride to go with your day of picking flowers? Book a reservation at Lang’s Horse and Pony Farm. This sweet little spot has been offering guided trail rides to both kids and adults since 1975. During pony rides, kids ages 3–10 meander along flat paths throughout the farm atop a gentle pony, and parents can walk alongside their little riders. Kids ages 8 and older can opt for trail rides throughout the forest.
Most rides last 15–50 minutes (longer for mountain trails), and there’s an option for a lesson and trail combo for new riders. Lang’s always does a thorough job of safety training before each ride, from mounting the pony to basic commands.
Location: 21463 Little Mountain Rd., Mount Vernon
Hours: Daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (opens at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday), but reservations must be made in advance. Call 360-424-7630.
Skagit-Squatch Bigfoot Museum, Burlington
As you head to downtown Burlington, keep an eye out for the quirky little Skagit-Squatch Museum. It’s a spot you probably never thought of visiting, but will always remember. The museum sits next to the home of Mike Vail, who began this labor of love postretirement. He sums his mission up in three words: free, fun, family.
The space is packed to the brim with kitschy art, memorabilia, artifacts and impressive wood carvings. Mike is friendly and will always stop to chitchat with a guest. He is genuinely interested in hearing every detail of someone’s Bigfoot encounter — he even keeps a journal of all the accounts.
Location: 516 Avon Ave., Burlington
Children’s Museum of Skagit County, Burlington
The Children’s Museum of Skagit County is the perfect place for a rainy-day pit stop. The museum is surprisingly large, with lots of nooks and crannies that encourage pretend play. Features include a play fishing boat, a Mack truck, a sweet little grocery store, a dentist’s office and a veterinary clinic. There’s even an architectural design firm and an old-fashioned diner. A smaller, enclosed play space beckons the younger-than-5 crowd (with couches for parents!).
Location: 432 Fashion Way, Burlington
Hours: Sunday, noon–4 p.m.; Monday–Tuesday and Thursday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Check their Facebook page for updates.
Heritage Flight Museum, Burlington
Located at the Skagit Regional Airport in Burlington, the Heritage Flight Museum is a cool little spot dedicated to honoring veterans and displaying (and flying!) historic military aircraft. The museum was founded in 1996 by Apollo 8 astronaut Major General William Anders — one of the crew members. Your little pilot-in-training can get up close and personal with cool vintage war planes and memorabilia at this nonprofit museum.
Location: 15053 Crosswind Dr., Burlington
Hours: Thursday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Kid-approved places to eat in Skagit Valley
Day-tripping is no easy feat, and a lunch stop is always on the menu (no matter how many crackers you packed in your snackle box). Skagit Valley has tons of eats, from hometown cafes to fresh-from-the-field produce stands.
- Feel like a burger? The Net Drive-In in Mount Vernon is an old-fashioned burger joint and has been slinging patties and stellar shakes since 1955.
- If you’re in the Burlington area, make a trip to Railroad Pub & Pizza, renowned for its wood-fired pizzas and craft beer. Railroad celebrates all things local, from their ingredients to the wood tables built by the local high school woodshop class!
- For a sit-down brunch that will leave you full until dinnertime, the Calico Cupboard is a must-try. Their made-from-scratch menu is one to remember, and the cinnamon rolls are to die for. Lucky for us, they have three locations: Anacortes, Mount Vernon and La Conner.
- Big Scoop Sundae Palace, another Mount Vernon “oldie but goodie” has everything you’d want in a 1950s diner, from the red vinyl booths and checkered floor to its old-fashioned ice cream sundaes. (There are about two dozen sundae options, so come prepared!)
- Breadfarm, in the foodie town of Bow, serves up crazy good loaves and pastries from their pickup window.
More day trip destinations from Seattle: |
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2024 and was last updated on March 27, 2026, by ParentMap’s editorial team with a thorough fact-check just in time for tulip season travel.
