Ignite Your Passion

Visitors come from around the world to enjoy the region's outdoor adventures. Kayak, bike, fish, climb, or just enjoy the view. On a hot day, take a swim in Lake Washington, 20 minutes downhill from campus. When there’s fresh powder, you’re 45 minutes from the slopes of the Cascade Mountains. Got more time? Climb Mount Rainier to the south or hike the Olympic Mountains to the west.

Despite the popular myth, Seattle's annual rainfall is less than that of New York, Atlanta, or Boston. Our rain is more of a “mist,” where a raincoat will get you by on most days. The rain keeps temperatures mild and helps make the Puget Sound area a verdant landscape year-round. That's why we call Washington the “Evergreen State.”

Seattleites take their professional sports seriously. Catch an afternoon Mariners game at T-Mobile Park, watch our new Seattle Kraken hockey team at the new Climate Pledge Arena or cheer on the the Seahawks at Lumen Field. Seattle goes wild for our Major League Soccer team; the Sounders draw the highest average attendance in the league. Just be sure to get back in time to cheer on the SU Redhawks.

Seattle's arts community is anchored by the Seattle Art Museum. On the first Thursday of every month, galleries stay open late and art fans stroll from show to show. Watch world-class performances by the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Repertory Theater, or any of the dozens of theater, dance, and music venues in the city. Catch the Seattle International Film Festival, which brings more than 250 films from 50 countries to the city each spring and is the largest film festival in North America.

Seattle is the birthplace of modern coffee culture, from Starbucks to neighborhood hangouts like Caffè Vita or Boon Boona Coffee. Each café has its own flavor: quiet and contemplative to loud and alternative. With more bookstores per capita, and coffee in or near each one, Seattle is a great place to while away an afternoon reading and people watching.