The historic Fairhaven District at the south end of the city is probably the most tourist-oriented area, with a number of nice shops and restaurants. Many of the buildings in Fairhaven date back to the late 19th and early 20th century. Beautiful historic homes overlook the bay from the South Hill neighborhood, just north of Fairhaven.
Western Washington University, on the flank of Sehome Hill boasts an outdoor sculpture garden and adjoins the Sehome Hill Arboretum, with a number of trails and a lookout tower at the top.
Downtownlies to the north of the University. Although less touristy than Fairhaven, it is still vibrant during regular business hours, and caters to college revellers at night.
The American Museum of Radio and Electricity 1312 Bay Street, +1 360 738-3886 houses a collection of over 1,000 vintage radios and offers visitors the chance to listen to old radio programs from the 1930's as well as a glimpe into a replica of the Titanic's radio room. A great destination for the entire family.
The Mount Baker Theatre 104 N. Commercial St., +1 360 734-6080, built in 1927, is listed on the register of National Historic Places; its Moorish style architecture is a vibrant setting for Broadway shows, family programs, and rock acts.
The Whatcom Museum of History and Art, 121 Prospect Street, +1-360 676-6981, . open Tue.-Sun. 10AM-5PM. Admission Free. Housed in the 1892 Old City Hall Building, a major red-brick presence in downtown, this museum has fixed collections of artwork and local history artifacts, plus some visiting exhibitions. The museum is also in three other buildings, which are also on Prospect Street between Central Avenue and Champion Street. The other buildings are: Syre Education Center, 201 Prospect Street, Photo archive open Wed.-Fri. 1PM-4:45PM, other parts open by appointment, admission free; ARCO Exhibits Building, 206 Prospect Street, Tue.-Sun. 12PM-5PM, admission free.
Building Tradition: Contemporary Northwest Art from Tacoma Art Museum, an exhibition of contemporary art from Northwest artists, collected by the Tacoma Art Museum in the last 70 years . From Nov 19 2006 – April 29 2007, in the ARCO Exhibits Gallery.
By the Bay: Working on the Waterfront Allows children to discover what it’s like to work on the waterfront in a hands-on exhibit that encourages exploration and discovery.
Up Front Theatre, 1200 Bay St., ☎ ''+1-360'' 733-8855 (), . Thursday-Saturday 19:30h and 21:30h. Founded by local improv comic Ryan Stiles, this theatre offers a mixture of improvisational comedy shows by local and touring performers. See the web site for details on the current shows. Generally, the earlier show is more kid-friendly. The Up Front also offers classes in improv comedy.$10 ($8 with student ID). �
Lake Whatcom lies to the East of the City, a 9.2-mile long lake that also serves as a drinking water reservoir for about 88,000 local residents. Bloedel-Donovan park offers a swimming area, and the North Lake Whatcom trail offers a good view of the less-developed half of the lake.
Whatcom Falls Park is a beautiful park at the center of the city with a depression-era sandstone bridge overlooking Whatcom Falls, a cascade of water that drops 20 feet directly towards the city, down to Whatcom Creek. Numerous paths connect to the city's system of bicycle and pedestrian trails. Part of this park was the site of a massive pipeline explosion in 1999. 1401 Electric Ave. Open daily from dawn to dusk.
Lake Padden, 4882 Samish Way (A couple miles southeast of town), 676-6985. 6AM-10PM daily. Motor boats are banned on this smaller lake, so it is ideal for relaxed kayaking, rowing, or swimming. The lake can be circled on shady paths in an hour or so of easy walking. Lake Padden also offers the best off leash dog park in the county with two acres of completely fenced area for dogs to run and socialize.
Eldridge Ave Historical District
Hannigan Speedway
Lairmont Manor, 405 Fieldstone Road, a 1913 mansion built by Charles Xavier Larabee, a founder of Fairhaven
Maritime Heritage Center, 2014 C St, +1-(360) 676-6806
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Bellingham (Washington) - updated May 2024
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Bellingham (Washington) Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
