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Vancouver, Washington, offers family activities in every direction.
East Vancouver brings something for everyone with the city’s most exciting attraction: Slick City Action Park’s indoor “dry waterslides.” There’s also a food cart pod that hosts up to 44 food trucks and affordable lodging. Head to West Vancouver for the newest lodging in town with waterfront views and amenities, or the chance to enjoy a quieter shaded outdoor space. Central Vancouver’s newest attractions are a sure hit for animal lovers with a café of adoptable cats or the new winnable claw machine arcade full of plushies. Add to your Vancouver journey with a quick stop off I-5 and check out the latest park in Ridgefield or grab some In-N-Out burgers for lunch.
You can visit the spots on this list in a weekend. I’ve grouped attractions by area to minimize drive times and help you plan ahead. Advance tickets are recommended for some locations.
Experience what’s new in East Vancouver
East Vancouver is sometimes referred to as “new” Vancouver with more recent additions, plentiful restaurants and retail shops, and tech hubs for industry. Visitors will find no shortage of shopping and activities just minutes from scenic farmland.
Check out the brand-new Slick City Action Park
Slick City Action Park in Vancouver, Washington, is an indoor dry water park with more than a dozen colorful and curvy slides, air courts and an arcade. You’ll be sliding face first into fun — literally. You ride down the slides with a padded mat and zoom toward ground-level crash pads. Grab your grippy CitySocks (available for purchase at check-in for $4.99 per pair) and choose your own adventure.
My kid’s favorite slide was the Twin Turbo, since it allows two people at a time. His least favorite? The Fast Lane: “It literally put air in my face like I was going in a mountain.”
He didn’t try the largest drops, including the Mega Launch, but Dad tried the Ritide and described it as “intense.”
Formerly a JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store location, this extra-large new addition to town has drawn in visitors from all around. Family-friendly amenities on-site include storage cubbies and ample padded seating both outside the play areas and within slide exits. You’ll also find hand sanitizer, water fountains and water bottle stations, and both the men’s and women’s bathrooms have changing tables. Unlike many other action parks we’ve visited, this space was remarkably well-staffed, with multiple helpers throughout the slide platform entrances to facilitate safe sliding form and taking turns.
Access to the slides requires some significant stair climbing and it can be a little difficult to tell when your kid is next in line to speed down the curves, but the wide-open central area makes it easy for parents and kids to meet up. Loud music plays in the background and the sliders make a large whooshing noise, so you may wish to check in advance if you have sensitive kiddos.
Parking is free and easily available on-site. Signed waivers are required.
Parent tip: There’s a lot of guidance on keeping elbows in while sliding, but it’s easier said than done. We thankfully packed a few Band-Aids and some antibiotic ointment for elbow “burns,” but it was nothing serious.
Location: 11505 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Suite 86, Vancouver
Hours: Open daily, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
Cost: Admission starts at $29.99 per person (ages 4 and older) for a 90-minute session that includes access to two bouncy air courts for dodgeball and basketball, multiple arcade games including claw machines that begin at about $2.50, a food court, party rooms, and a large climbing play area for ages 5 and younger. Admission for ages 3 and younger starts at $16.99. We took a break mid-visit to enjoy some chicken strips, fries, a hot dog and a couple of drinks, and no one was left hungry for $30.
Try something new at Vancouver Station Food Carts
New this fall, the Vancouver Station opened as a sister spot to Beaverton’s food cart pod. If you have different food preferences or dietary needs, this spot literally has something for everyone. With room for 44 different food trucks, the extra-large space currently feels about three-quarters full. It offers well-lit outdoor seating and yard games, plus circular fire pits for light and warmth.
There are bench seats indoors, along with large televisions (showing football when we visited). The indoor space also features a small arcade, claw and prize machines, and a play area for younger kids. While the games are a definite draw, food matters to tweens and yes, we found chicken strips. A personal favorite of mine is the dirty soda food truck. Kids will love the fruity ice cream booth too. Find the latest food truck lineup and individual menus online.
Vancouver Station is ADA-compliant with accessible free parking, entry, restrooms and seating.
Location: 1817 S.E. 164th Ave., Vancouver
Hours: Open daily; Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–11 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Individual food cart operations may vary.
Stay the night at Best Western Premier Hotel at Fisher’s Landing
While not a newer hotel, this lodging is worth a mention due to high ratings, affordability and its prime location. Located minutes from the Vancouver Station (and local favorite kid spot City Play), this hotel offers free parking, pet-friendly rooms and an indoor pool. Fall rates start around $120 per night.
Location: 1500 S.E. 167th Ave., Vancouver
Head to West Vancouver for a little history
West of I-5, you’ll find West Vancouver with the more historic and quirky elements of the first official county in Washington state. The area is popular for boutique retail shops and fresh food, including the year-round Vancouver Farmers Market. Plus, it has high-end restaurants on the waterfront and many public gathering and walking spaces.
Climb a castle at Hazel Dell Community Park
This smaller park offers an immersive woodsy picnic for visitors. Kids call it the “castle playground” in honor of the newly remodeled playground structures that opened in spring 2026. Shaded picnic structures are located near a divided picnic area, which includes a space for younger children alongside the star of the show: a castle-themed climbing structure and slide. There are bathrooms and free parking on-site.
Location: 2300 N.E. 68th St., Vancouver
Book a stay at AC Hotel Vancouver Waterfront
Having opened in 2022, the Waterfront Marriott is one of Vancouver’s newer hotels. Located on the scenic waterfront, visitors can walk along the extended paved trails that connect to the historic Fort Vancouver area (a national historic site) and community spaces. Time your visit to coincide with one of the many festivals or the free summer splash park and sand-themed kids play area. Favorite eats on the waterfront include Ruse Brewing Crust Collective’s deep-dish slices, Salt & Straw ice cream, and Grassa’s handmade pasta. The Marriott offers comfortable rooms and on-site parking (for a fee) with restaurants on-site. Fall rooms start around $300 per night.
Location: 333 W. Columbia Way, Vancouver
Spend a cute afternoon in Central Vancouver
Highways I-5 and I-205 act as the borders of Central Vancouver. This area is a melting pot of cultural and socioeconomic groups.
Greet the cats at Milky & Coco’s Kit-Tea Café
This new Vancouver cat café is focused on adoptions — and drinks. You can visit the café and purchase a snack or drink for around $5. Sit in the café and look through the windows at the cat room. If you would prefer to spend time with the sweet kitties, you can reserve an hour of cat time. Adults must accompany children, and younger children are limited to the café.
There are rules to attend the cat room, such as no picking up cats, no yelling and no waking the sleeping kitties. However, visitors can pet, watch and play with these cuties for the entire hour. All cats are available for adoption, which happens frequently. When asked about his experience, the only response my kid could make was, “Awwwwwww!”
Location: 5000 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Suite 103, Vancouver
Hours: Open daily; Sunday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m.; and Friday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–9 p.m.
Play ’til you win at KlawCade
“I won on the first try!” My kid’s most memorable quote of this visit was the ease of actually winning a prize at the new KlawCade in Vancouver. KlawCade’s experience is designed around the idea that visitors can win multiple plush prizes, and trade in smaller wins for larger items. We spent $30 on an arcade card, and walked away with four different stuffed animals. We did not trade in our items because, “Why would I give up a Snorlax?!?”
In addition to the claw machines, there are some arcade-style video games and the store has special events such as a Halloween squishy decorating workshop. There is no food or drinks sold on-site, but there is a water fountain and bathroom, plus multiple restaurants nearby.
Location: 3021 N.E. 72nd Dr., Suite 15, Vancouver
Hours: Open daily; Monday–Thursday, 1–8 p.m.; and Friday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
Plan a pit stop in Ridgefield
You’ll encounter Ridgefield before hitting Vancouver city limits on your way to the city, or you can make it a stop on the way out. A rapidly growing small town in Clark County, this area is regularly opening new community spaces with popular food and drink spots.
Stretch your legs at Storybook Hollow Park
Storybook Hollow Park is one of those new spaces that hasn’t quite caught on yet. This often empty park is nestled between some newer housing developments, and includes lengthy paved trails for hiking, scooters or biking.
Officially opened in April 2026, standout features include an amazing hill slide and a ladybug-themed climbing structure. Native plants are incorporated throughout, including wetlands with cattails that “don’t look much like cats,” according to my kid. If there’s one downside, the space currently has porta-potties, and we hope they’ll have a permanent bathroom structure soon.
Location: 4000 N. 13th St., Ridgefield
Grab lunch at In-N-Out Burger
The first In-N-Out Burger opened in Washington state in Ridgefield in late summer 2025 and it probably took this long for the lines to reach reasonable wait times. While there is now a second In-N-Out on the east side of town, this location is still prized for its quick access off I-5 and proximity to a newer Costco.
Visitors can choose to enjoy their Animal Style fries on-site or to-go. The simple menu is kid-friendly, but my kiddo thought the fries had “stuff” on them (seasoning) so we also had to go grab a Costco hot dog.
Location: 5801 N. Pioneer Canyon Dr., Ridgefield
