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Where to take kids who love cars
When my older son was born, we lived in a condo overlooking Highway 99. The worse the gridlock, the better for examining all the cars outside our window. It’s no wonder he has loved anything on wheels since birth.
The great thing about having a passion for cars is that you have a lot of company. Almost every community hosts its own car celebration. For awesome family activities around Seattle, check out our hand-picked, kid-tested list of local car attractions, plus a list of upcoming car shows and touch-a-truck events around Seattle. Lots of kids and dads (and even many moms!) will love these road-tested outings for auto enthusiasts.
First stop: LeMay — America’s Car Museum
Image credit: Michael Brunk/Flickr CC
LeMay — America’s Car Museum
Le May — America’s Car Museum opened in 2012, and everything inside is sleek and modern. The building is intuitively laid out with gentle ramps winding down to the four levels of exhibits. Pace yourself so you save enough time for the large children’s area on the lowest level.
ACM offers lots of hands-on activities for kids that are included with admission. Snap a photo in a 1923 Buick touring car, race pinewood derby cars and play an interactive touch-screen game in a 1998 Ford Mustang. My kids’ favorite stop in the museum is climbing into a 1922 Dodge Standard A Roadster and pretending to drive. For a small fee, you can also try a racing simulator or slot cars.
The museum has more than 300 vehicles on display, from classics to sports cars to just plain unusual rides, such as the Flintmobile from the 1994 Flintstones movie.
Time your visit for the third Saturday of the month, when ACM puts on a family STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) day. Check the website for various ticket packages and deals.
Find it: 2702 East D St., Tacoma
Cost: $22 for adults; $16 for youth; kids ages 4 and under are free
Next stop: LeMay Family Collection
LeMay Family Collection at Marymount Event Center
Tacoma businessman Harold LeMay made his money building a garbage truck empire, and he spent it on his passion for collecting cars. While LeMay helped start LeMay — America’s Car Museum, the LeMay Family Collection at Marymount houses his personal collection. LeMay died in 2000.
The LeMay Family Collection includes some 2,600 cars, officially the largest collection in the world. This venue is a bit harder for kids to enjoy because nearly everything is for looking, not touching.
Wander through the first building by yourself, then a volunteer docent will personally guide your family through some of the 600 cars on display in two adjacent buildings. The earliest original car at the LeMay Family Collection is an 1899 Baldwin Steamer, and the cars go up through the 2000s, because, as our guide told us, “Just like you and me, it’ll be old someday.”
If you’re with kids who are dying to touch something, some guides will steer you toward a few vehicles that can be touched and explored. Just ask.
Special events: Check the LeMay Family Collection’s events page for upcoming happenings, which include annual summer favorites such as Motorcycle Days and their Annual Show.
Where: 325 152nd St. E., Tacoma
Cost: $15 for adults; $5 for youth ages 6–17; kids ages 5 and younger are free
Next stop: Miniature Car Dealership
Image credit: John Lloyd/Flickr CC
Miniature Car Dealership at Pike Place Market
The tiny Miniature Car Dealership shop, located on the Down Under Mezzanine in Pike Place Market, is packed floor-to-ceiling with toy die-cast metal vehicles. I asked Guillermo Huizar, who was running the store for his brother, Jaime, on the day we visited: How many cars are in the store’s inventory? “No idea,” he said. “One thousand? Two thousand? Three thousand? Kids’ heaven.” Some of the flashier cars are even featured on revolving displays, just like at fancy-pants auto dealerships. It’s hard to leave without a new addition to your miniature fleet at home.
Where: 1501 Pike Place, Suite 525, Seattle
Cost: Free to look, lots of fun things to buy
Next stop: Griot’s Garage
Griot’s Garage
When you think of taking your car to the mechanic or visiting an auto supply store, you might picture a grease-stained concrete floor and grubby lifts. Nope. The flagship store of Griot’s Garage is sparkling and stylish, designed in a red, black and white retro theme. In the garage, employees will show you how to detail your car like a pro. Attached to the retail store is an auto display room that is like a mini museum.
Griot’s isn’t for your average Brown Bear customer. It sells a special cleaner to remove bug splats, another one for cleaning wheels (also in heavy-duty and chrome formulas), and a spray just for cleaning the car’s undercarriage. Even if you’re not in the market for $249 handmade Italian driving loafers, Griot’s is a fun place for car fanatics to visit.
Store events: Griot’s hosts some kind of car show or gathering nearly every weekend. Check the shop’s events page for upcoming events, which include seemingly every variety of car show and club gathering.
Where: 3333 S. 38th St., Tacoma
Cost: Free to look
Next stop: Triple XXX Rootbeer Drive-In
Triple XXX Rootbeer Drive-In
At Triple XXX Rootbeer Drive-In, you can order a burger the size of a dinner plate, with a fountain drink in a personal pitcher. The sign on the door clearly warns, “Nothing you eat or drink here is good for you.” Fair enough.
The restaurant’s interior is plastered with pictures of cars and car memorabilia. Outside, Triple XXX hosts some 25 car shows a year, pretty much one every weekend over the warmer months. The combination of fun cars and artery-clogging diner fare is alluring. Check the Triple XXX Rootbeer event schedule for show dates and themes. One of the summer’s biggest events, Fenders on Front Street, is a free vintage car show on Father’s Day, June 18.
When we visited a Triple XXX car show, we saw a few other kids, but the scene was more “college spring break in Florida” than “family picnic.” The crowd was mostly guys in their 20s, with clouds of cigarette smoke and dogs everywhere. A car gunned its engine — VRRRRRR! — and even the DJ snickered into his microphone, “Don’t be that guy.” My son was excited to see a tricked-out purple car creeping down the street. There are cars of all shapes and colors waiting to be admired here.
Where: 98 N.E. Gilman Blvd., Issaquah
Cost: Free to look at cars outside; a basic cheeseburger is $9.75, but most burgers come with fries and start at $15; (no credit or debit cards accepted; cash or in-state checks accepted; ATM on site).
Next stop: Greenwood Car Show
Image credit: John Gately/Flickr CC
Greenwood Car Show
Every June, a 1.5-mile stretch of Greenwood Avenue North shuts down to traffic and some 700 to 800 classic and custom cars line the street. The Greenwood Car show is Seattle’s largest car show, the biggest one-day car show in the Pacific Northwest, and it’s free. More than 100,000 people attend this annual event.
At a past show, we found booths handing out balloons to kids, the fire department giving out plastic helmets and businesses with signs inviting visitors to use their restrooms. At one point, an engine revved loudly, startling my kids to tears. An older man walked by and smiled sympathetically, saying “That bad man with the loud motor.”
The Greenwood Car Show draws the usual car guys, but it’s also a really fun community event. You’ll see tons of families and strollers. Look for a free play zone for kids at North 86th Street and vendors selling food and die-cast metal cars all along Greenwood Avenue.
When: Saturday, June 24, 2023, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
Where: Greenwood Avenue North between North 67th Street and North 90th Street in Seattle
Cost: Free
Next stop: more car shows and touch-a-truck events
Image credit: Shutterbug Fotos/Flickr CC
Seattle car shows and touch-a-truck events in 2023
Fenders on Front Street is a Father’s Day tradition for many families from the Eastside and beyond. Many more auto events fill out summer weekends. Happy car-gazing!
Exotics at Redmond Town Center
When: Saturdays through October, 9–11 a.m.
Where: Redmond Town Center
Cost: Free
Saturday Cruz-Ins
When: Saturdays through August, 5 p.m.–dusk
Where: Sunrise Village, Puyallup
Cost: Free for spectators
Fenders on Front Street
When: Sunday, June 18, 8 a.m.–3 p.m.
Where: Front St., Issaquah
Cost: Free for spectators
Father’s Day Car Show
When: Sunday, June 18, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Where: Downtown Burien
Cost: Free for spectators
Dream Builders Car Show
When: Sunday, June 18, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Where: Evergreen Speedway, Monroe
Cost: Free for spectators
Fife Family Car Show
When: Sunday, June 25, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
Where: Dacca Park, Fife
Cost: Free for spectators
Auburn’s 4th of July Car Show
When:Tuesday, July 4, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Where: Les Gove Park, Auburn
Cost: Free for spectators
Return to Renton
When: Sunday, July 9, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Where: Piazza Park, Renton
Cost: Free for spectators
Waterland Wheels
When: Sunday, July 9, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Where: Des Moines Marina
Cost: Free for spectators
Car Show 4 Kids
When: Saturday, July 15, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Where: O’Reilly Auto Parts Distribution Center, Puyallup
Cost: Free for spectators
Kla Ha Ya Days Car Show
When: Sunday, July 16, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Where: Downtown Snohomish
Cost: Free for spectators
Kirkland Waterfront Car Show
When: Sunday, Aug. 13, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Where: Downtown Kirkland Waterfront
Cost: Free for spectators
Touch-A-Truck
When: Saturday, Aug. 19, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Where: Southcenter Mall, Tukwila
Cost: Free
All Ford Show & Mustang Roundup
When: Sunday, Aug. 20, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Where: ShoWare Center, Kent
Cost: Free for spectators
Classic Car and Truck Show
When: Sunday, Aug. 27, 8 a.m.–3 p.m.
Where: Spanaway Park
Cost: Free for spectators
Marysville Touch-A-Truck
When: Saturday, Sept. 9, 10 a.m.–noon
Where: Asbery Field Marysville
Cost: Free
Pierce County Touch-A-Truck
When: Saturday, Sept. 9, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Where: TBA
Cost: Free
Edmonds Classic Car Show
When: Sunday, Sept. 10, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Where: Downtown Edmonds
Cost: Free for spectators
Lakewood Truck & Tractor Day
When: Saturday, Oct. 14, noon–3 p.m.
Where: Fort Steilacoom Park, Lakewood
Cost: Free
More Seattle-area activities with kids…
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2017 and just updated for 2023. Nancy Chaney contributed to this article.
