Neighborhood 48H guide
South Lake Union: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
Lake Union, MOHAI and seaplanes.
A former industrial district turned tech campus at the south end of Lake Union, with MOHAI and the Center for Wooden Boats in Lake Union Park and the streetcar to downtown.
Photo gallery
Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Antony-22 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Lake Union’s park and museums, new restaurants.
Who it's for: Business travellers and families.
Pros
- Lake Union
- Museums
- Streetcar
Cons
- Office feel
- Quiet weekends
- Construction
48H in South Lake Union
Lake Union, MOHAI and seaplanes.
10:00 – MOHAI
Seattle history.
13:00 – Center for Wooden Boats
Boats on the lake.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
See / do
See / do
Museum of History & Industry
860 Terry Avenue North
Seattle history museum in the Naval Reserve Armory.
Photo: Antony-22 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Outdoors
Outdoors
Center for Wooden Boats
1010 Valley Street
Maritime museum with boat rentals and free Sunday sails.
Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Residence Inn by Marriott Seattle Downtown/Lake Union
Fairview Avenue
All-suite hotel across from the lake.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for South Lake Union.
In Seattle, a short-term rental operator needs a City operator licence, usually may run at most two units (one of them their own home), and must show the licence number (STR-OPLI-…) on every listing. Check for it before booking.
Browse vacation rentals in South Lake Union on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Seattle
- Pike Place & the Waterfront — The market, the aquarium and Elliott Bay.
- Downtown & Belltown — SAM, the sculpture park and bars.
- Capitol Hill & First Hill — Bars, bookshops and Volunteer Park.
- Pioneer Square — Seattle’s first neighbourhood and the stadiums.
- Queen Anne & Seattle Center — The Space Needle and Kerry Park views.
- Ballard — Breweries, the Locks and Nordic heritage.
- University District — The UW campus and the Burke Museum.