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Published: 11/27/2024
The Best Things To Do in La Conner WA
Despite a population of less than 1000, La Conner, Washington has an oversized number of museums, restaurants, and other visitor activities. This sweet waterfront town is a must-see when visiting the Skagit Valley just north of Seattle.
Before my visit in April 2024, I already knew about Skagit Valley’s tulips and the area’s other offerings like a King Arthur Baking School and day trips to the San Juan Islands. However, I wasn’t familiar with the valley’s small towns. As I searched for a place to stay, one town kept appearing over and over on my searches: La Conner.
While we ended up staying outside of Burlington, when we stopped in the tulip festival headquarters in Mt. Vernon to pick up a brochure and map, the staff member recommended we check out La Conner. I took it as a sign that we were meant to explore this Pacific Northwest small town. I’m so glad we did!
We filled our time in La Conner with wine tastings, the best fish and chips I’ve ever tasted, a little shopping, and visits to a couple impressive museums. Walkable and welcoming, it’s easy to see why La Conner is often voted the “best weekend getaway in Washington State.”
We loved La Conner and I want to make sure you do too! I’m spelling out how to spend one perfect day in this charming Washington State town. With this one day La Conner itinerary, you’ll be as charmed by downtown La Conner as we were.
A Brief Introduction to La Conner, WA
While La Conner is definitely a waterfront town, it’s not actually located on a lake, river, or ocean. Instead, the 11-mile long Swinomish Channel serves as the small town’s water feature. The salt water channel runs between Washington mainland and Fidalgo Island.
The Victorian houses lining La Conner’s hillside hint at the town’s establishment in the mid 19th century. White settlers formed the town as a safe harbor with easy access to the Puget Sound and Salish Sea.
Originally called Swinomish for the native peoples who preceded white settlers, the second owner of the town’s trading post – J.S. Conner – decided to rename the town after his wife: Louisa Ann Conner. (Sorry, the “La” in La Conner isn’t French; it’s just her first two initials.)
On the other side of the channel, and easily accessed by the town’s Rainbow Bridge, you’ll find Swinomish Village and the Swinomish Reservation.
Today, the town’s main industry is tourism. With its close proximity to Seattle, it’s a perfect weekend getaway. The town has a strong arts scene and many members of the Northwest School of Art have connections with La Conner. Visits to the town’s art galleries and the Museum of Northwest Art are musts during your time here!
La Conner WA One Day Itinerary
Stompin Grounds Coffee Co.
Every perfect Pacific Northwest morning starts with a cup of coffee. La Conner has multiple coffee shops, including Beaver Tales and Raven’s Cup. You can get your caffeine fix as soon as you come into town with a quick stop at Stompin Grounds Coffee Co on Morris St.
The Scone Lady Bakery
Now that you’ve got that essential cup of coffee, it’s time for a little sweet treat. I recommend heading into the heart of downtown to the Scone Lady Bakery. You definitely want to make this stop sooner than later. By the time we swung by in the noon hour, the selection was down to just a couple flavors.
The Scone Lady offers four signature scone flavors: tart lemon, lemon blueberry, raspberry, and marionberry with a rotation selection of other scone flavors and baked goods. You can also pick up scone mix and other scone inspired gifts in the bakery’s small shop front located in the Lime Dock building near the waterfront.
If you’re looking for a more substantial breakfast, check out the Calico Cupboard Café on 1st Street.
Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum in Gaches Mansion
Even if you have no interest in quilting or other fiber arts, you’ll want to include the Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum on your La Conner itinerary. That’s because the museum’s home – known as “Gaches Castle” – is a Victorian architectural masterpiece. The 4700-square ft mansion dates back to 1891 and briefly served as the town’s hospital.
Today the museum fills all three stories of the Gaches’ family’s former residence with rotating exhibits of quilts and other fiber arts like weaving, knitting, and other sewing techniques. During our visit, my favorite exhibit was a quilt exhibit by Denise Labadie. She quilts intricate Celtic landscapes – almost like painting with fabric.
Fiber artists will delight in their gift shop which includes a wide selection of fabrics, yarns, notions, and patterns. The museum also offers a library of quilting resources.
Throughout the house, you’ll find furniture and other touches that allude to the house’s 130-year history. Don’t miss the mural in the cupola of the tower room on the third floor. Millennials like me will delight in learning it was painted by the creator of Nickelodeon’s Hey Arnold!
Admission is $7 per person for non-members.
Stroll through town
If it’s not too rainy, La Conner is the perfect town to ramble through without any particular destination. Just across from the quilt museum on 2nd Street, you’ll find a well-maintained butterfly garden that’s tended by the La Conner Garden Club.
On the south edge of town, you can wander the forested trails in Pioneer Park or cross the Swinomish Channel on the town’s landmark Rainbow Bridge. This elegant steel bridge really does look like a rainbow arching over the channel and connecting La Conner to the Fidalgo Island and the Swinomish Reservation.
Of course you’ll want to stroll along the waterfront. You can watch pleasure crafts come and go up the channel. It’s also a great spot for bird watching.
Lunch at Waterfront Café
We opted for the unassuming Waterfront Café for our lunch. True to its name, Waterfront Café is a small café overlooking the Swinomish Channel. It was a little too chilly to take advantage of their large outdoor patio, but we had a cozy lunch inside. Our friendly waitress really set the tone for a lovely and delicious meal.
I don’t think any of us realized that Waterfront Cafe has consistently won accolades for their fish and chips when we all order fish and chips for lunch. However, I’d say Waterfront Cafe should absolutely lean into its claims of the best fish and chips in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve eaten a lot of fish and chips in my day and this meal was easily the best.
Shop
You could easily fill a full day in La Conner’s downtown just popping in and out of the plentiful small shops. The town is especially rich in antique shops. While I generally don’t have the patience for picking through antiques, we had a nice time perusing in both Seaport Books and Jennings Yarn and Needlecrafts.
Wine Tasting at Skagit Cellars
For such a small town, La Conner offers a true abundance of wine tastings. We popped into Skagit Cellars on a whim and had a truly lovely time. The winery offers locally produced wines from the Chelan and Columbia Valleys. Our helpful sommelier made sure we found exactly the right wine before we committed to a full glass.
If you aren’t able to snag a table at Skagit Cellars, you can also do wine tastings at many other La Conner locations including Hellam’s Vineyard, La Conner Sips, and Skagit Crest Vineyard and Winery.
Museum of Northwest Art
To be brutally honest, I was blown away by the caliber of La Conner’s Museum of Northwest Art. This is a big city museum tucked away in a very small town. Originally housed in the Gaches Mansion where the quilt museum now lives, the museum has been housed in a modern museum building on 1st Street since 1995.
The museum was inspired by the Northwest School of Art that developed in the 1930s and 40s around Seattle. While the permanent collection includes works from notable artists from this school such as Guy Anderson and Mark Tobey, the museum focuses on all art created in the Pacific Northwest.
Exhibits rotate several times each year. During our visit we enjoyed the Silva Cascadia: Under the Spell of the Forest exhibit which features works from female artists inspired by the Pacific Northwest forest.
The museum is quite small, which I actually think is one of its selling points. You don’t need to worry about wandering aimlessly like in the Louvre here! The downstairs is devoted to temporary exhibits and the gift shop, while upstairs you’ll find permanent displays – including an impressive WPA mural – and a large classroom/workshop area.
Best of all, it’s completely free to visit, although you might be inspired to donate before you leave. It’s definitely a place to return to again and again.
Other Things To Do in La Conner
Here are some other fun things to do in La Conner during your visit:
Art Galleries
La Conner is truly an artistic community. If you want to come home with a memento from your Skagit Valley visit, art work from one of the town’s many galleries, such as the La Conner Artists Gallery, is the perfect souvenir.
Skagit County Historical Museum
Although the county seat of Skagit County is now Mount Vernon, La Conner was the original county seat. You can learn all about area history at the historical museum on 4th Street.
Go on a cruise
Although based primarily in Bellingham, San Juan Cruises operates a couple cruises out of La Conner. Most notably, they do a lunch cruise during the April tulip festival, as well as a crab cruise through Deception Pass in summer.
O’Neils Confectionery and Soda Fountain
Who doesn’t love an old-fashioned soda fountain? Fun fact: both my mom’s and grandmother’s first jobs were working at a (now defunct) soda fountain in downtown Grand Marais! While we opted to get our ice cream at nearby Snow Goose Produce farm stand, next time I’m in La Conner, I’m definitely checking out O’Neils.
Helpful La Conner WA Visitor Information
How To Get To La Conner
Whether you’re coming north from Seattle or south from Bellingham or Vancouver, BC., La Conner is easily accessed from Interstate 5. If you’re coming from the north, take exit 230 in Burlington to make the 12 mile drive to La Conner. From the south, exit either through Conway (Exit 221) or Mount Vernon (exit 226) for scenic 10-mile drive through the Skagit Valley tulip fields.
Drivetimes to La Conner WA
Seattle to La Conner: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Bellingham, WA to La Conner: 50 minutes
Vancouver, BC to La Conner: 2.5 hours
Parking in downtown La Conner
La Conner is petite and walkable, but sometimes small towns present the biggest parking challenges. Happily, there’s ample free street parking. If you’re visiting during a busy time of year and don’t want to drive up and down the streets looking for an open spot, check out the large public lot on 3rd Street just south of the town hall and downtown.
We opted to pay the $5 daily parking fee in the 3rd Street lot. It was a cheap and efficient way to get parked and exploring. On the off chance that the 3rd Street parking lot is full, there’s also public parking beside the public boat launch on the south end of town.
Where To Stay in La Conner
La Conner is rich in places to stay, especially if you’re looking for a vacation rental. Other great places to stay in La Conner include:
La Conner Channel Lodge: You can’t beat the location of this hotel overlooking the Swinomish Channel. The La Conner Channel Lodge offers luxury rooms and suites. Many rooms are outfitted with jacuzzis.
Heron Inn and Day Spa: After a long day of exploring La Conner, it sounds like a dream to come back to a spa appointment. This popular bed and breakfast is located on the edge of town, near the tulip fields.
Hotel Planter: This small boutique hotel dates back to 1907. You’ll find a historic soda fountain on the hotel’s first level. Guests also have access to a private courtyard, which provides a peaceful nook away from the hustle and bustle of La Conner’s main street.
Conclusion: Why You Should Visit La Conner, WA
La Conner WA is the perfect Pacific Northwest day trip destination. Whether you’re staying in Seattle or Skagit Valley itself, a day exploring La Conner deserves a spot on your itinerary. Despite its small size, with an active arts scene, world-class museums, great shopping, and excellent restaurants and wine cellars, you won’t struggle to fill your time here.
In my opinion, the best things to do in La Conner are the Museum of Northwest Art, Waterfront Café, and Skagit Cellars. It’s also well worth your time to visit the Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fibers Arts Museum in the Victorian Gaches Mansion.
Leave enough room in your schedule to account for the town’s various antique shops and art galleries. Don’t forget to also explore the woods, waters, gardens, and tulip fields surrounding La Conner.
I hope this post helped you craft a perfect visit to La Conner, Washington. With so many varied things to do in La Conner, I can’t wait to return myself!
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