Keep Your Cool

Tips for Staying Cool and Safe in Seattle Southside

Last Updated: June 2, 2026

Waiting out a heat wave? Beat the heat and have fun while you're at it!

There are plenty of places to chill out in Seattle Southside, from shady parks to breezy beaches to comfortable, air-conditioned restaurants.

Swim and Splash
Cool Indoor Spaces
Chill Out with Cold Treats
Stay at a Hotel with a Pool
Safety Tips
Fun for kids of all ages at the Angle Lake Spray Park

Swim and Splash

Care for a swim? Check out our guide to the best beaches in the Seattle area. You can brave the chilly waters of Puget Sound at Des Moines Beach Park, Redondo Beach, or Saltwater State Park.

Or, take a dip in a freshwater lake at Angle Lake Park, which boasts a sandy beach, views of Mt. Rainier, and areas shaded by large Evergreen trees. The splash park is a huge hit with kids, drawing families from near and far to play all day in the exciting water features.

Get to a Cool Indoor Space

When it's too hot to want to be outside, one of the best places to be is a blissfully air-conditioned space. Here are some of our favorites:

  • Westfield Southcenter, the largest shopping center in the state, contains more than 140 stores and a spacious movie theater, so you'll have plenty to do, see, eat, and explore. Dine at one of the mall's full-service restaurants (more on that below), or sample small bites at the food court, which has numerous places to get ice cream, boba, and other cold drinks.
  • The Museum of Flight, an expansive museum with one of the world's largest collections of aircraft and spacecraft, is a great place to learn about the history of the aerospace industry in a nice, cool space.
  • Most libraries in the King County Library System are air-conditioned and available as cooling centers. Check out a beach read, stock up on children's books, and keep an eye out for special events.
  • Browse an international market such as Lam's Seafood Asian Market to stock up on cold drinks and enjoy the chill from the refrigerated aisles.
Shaved ice with mango chunks and a cute bunny topping.
Mango and sticky rice shaved ice dessert at Kakigori Dessert Cafe in Tukwila

Chill Out with Cold Treats

There's nothing like cooling off with an ice-cold sweet treat.

Kakigori Dessert Cafe serves Korean-style shaved ice (called bingsoo) topped with adorable (and fully edible!) frozen animals. New York City-based Shake Shack is also famous for its house-made frozen custard, hand-spun milkshakes, and root beer or creamsicle floats.

For authentic Mexican treats, head to Sweet D'licias in Des Moines, a small shop specializing in nieves de garrafa, a Mexican sorbet, and raspados, or shaved ice. Choose from common flavors like strawberry, or branch out to something a little less typical, like mamey (which has a slightly sweet, pumpkin-like flavor) or tamarind.

If you haven't tried halo halo, it's a layered, multi-textured Filipino dessert featuring ice cream, shaved ice, fruit jelly, pudding, and other toppings. Try it out at Jollibee's in Westfield Southcenter. Max's Restaurant also serves this dessert along with a full menu of Filipino comfort food.

Stay at a Hotel with a Pool

The easiest way to fill a hot summer weekend? Book a stay at a hotel with a pool! Seattle Southside has more than a dozen hotels with outdoor pools and many more with indoor pools. You can use our hotel directory to find them, and see a few of our favorites below.

Treat Yourself to an Air-Conditioned Meal

Since the Seattle area is cool much of the year, it's never a guarantee that businesses will have A/C. We rounded up a few restaurants with air conditioning near Seattle, so you can be sure you won't sweat through your meal.

  • Sharps RoastHouse, a locally owned, family-friendly restaurant in SeaTac, near SEA Airport, is known for its premium roasts, made-from-scratch sourdough pasta, and impressive cocktail menu.
  • Mango Thai Cuisine & Bar, also in SeaTac, is a stylish yet inviting Thai restaurant with dependably good, classic Thai dishes.
  • Pier 88 Boiling Seafood & Bar in Tukwila is famous nationwide for its Southern-style seafood boils.
  • Anthony's HomePort & Lower Deck in Des Moines has A/C and is also right on the water. While it can get a bit warm still inside, you can often catch a nice breeze when you're sitting on the patio.
At Westfield Southcenter


Dining at one of the restaurants in the mall is generally a safe bet when it comes to A/C. Some of our favorite spots include:

  • Locally owned Duke's Seafood is renowned region-wide for its creamy clam chowder, fresh salmon and shellfish, and great ambience.
  • Taiwanese chain Din Tai Fung, located inside the mall, is globally famous for its dumplings and noodles.
  • Moctezuma's Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar has a fun, festive atmosphere, great tacos, and refreshing margaritas (which you can order as a flight)!

Safety Tips

Wherever you go, keep the following safety tips in mind:

  • Wear sun protection like a hat and sunglasses.
  • Drink plenty of water,
  • Pack extra sunscreen and be sure to reapply it every few hours
  • Keep an eye on yourself and others for signs of heat exhaustion, which can include dizziness, headache, muscle cramps, and nausea. If you see these symptoms, move the person having them to a cooler spot, have them sip a cool beverage, and make sure they’re resting with their feet up. If untreated, it could escalate to heat stroke, a very serious condition. If someone is running a high fever or becoming unresponsive, call 911 and move them to a cooler location right away.
  • Visit the King County Public Health website to learn more about how to handle heat exhaustion.

Be safe and stay as cool as you can out there!

You May Also Be Interested In...

Christy Maggio

Author

Christy Maggio

Content Wizard

Your trusty guide through the labyrinthine realms of nerdy wonders, gastronomic delights and adventures of epic or micro proportions.
Send An Email