August gives us some of the sunniest, most gorgeous days of the whole summer...and some of the hottest. Given Pierce County’s mild temperatures almost year round, air conditioning isn’t a given anywhere. Beat the heat and stay cool this August in Pierce County by diving into a body of water—or a tub of ice cream! Here are our recommendations.
Take a Dip in the Pool
Stewart Heights Pool, Tacoma
The outdoor pool with something for everyone! Not only is it one of the largest pools in the city, it also features a lazy river, 160 foot water slide, bubble pool, water play structure and spray zone, and more! Sessions to swim are booked in increments of two hours and can sell out so try and plan accordingly!
Edwards Family Aquatic Center Pool, Fircrest
The Edwards Family Aquatic Center Pool is the community pool that’s perfect for the whole family. There’s a giant pool with a sectioned off deep end with a diving board, and a small shallow pool sectioned off for the little ones, as well as a spin-zone where the waters push swimmers around the outside. The pool also hosts lots of community events like youth swim leagues, water aerobics, swim lessons, and adult lap swim.
McChord Pool, JBLM (open to military ID holders only)
McChord pool is the perfect place to spend a hot day. The pool is a huge outdoor pool with reclining chairs for lounging around the perimeter. There’s also a splash park right next to it! The pool is open seven days a week with no tickets or time slots being needed to be reserved in advance.
Get Crazy at the Splash Park
Wright Sprayground, Tacoma
A perfect place to bring the kids, Wright Sprayground has tons of interactive, fun water features to play with and it's located in the heart of Tacoma's iconic Wright Park. With water tunnels to run under and spray guns to get in a water fight with friends with, you’ll want to stay all day!
Kiwanis Kids Spray Park, Puyallup
Located in Pioneer Park, Kiwanis Kids Spray park is a fairly new edition to the city! The spray park has water that sprays up from the ground, falls from above out of fun flower shapes, and shoots out of little mushrooms you can sit under.
Scott Gallacher Memorial Splash Pad, Gig Harbor
Located in Gateway Park, the Scott Gallacher Memorial Splash Pad is an amazing way to cool off in Gig Harbor! The splash pad has several interactive water features to play with, and has lots of outdoor tables with umbrellas for shade for parents to stay out the sun with while they watch!
Have a Cold Treat!
Bliss Small Batch Creamery, University Place
Ice cream with natural ingredients and no artificial dyes, flavors, or preservatives? What more could you ask for! Bliss has over 15 “always” flavors with several seasonal flavors rotating monthly. With so many great options, your hardest choice will be cup or cone?
La Michoacana Classic, Lakewood
For a unique frozen treat, La Michoacana Classic has nieves (frozen fruit ice cream), paletas (ice pops), and antojitos (small snacks). They have tons of refreshing flavors like mango, strawberry, and lemonade, sure to cure anyones craving.
Simple Goodness Soda Shop, Wilkeson
A hot day calls for an ice cold soda! Simple Goodness Soda Shop has seasonal flavors for their old fashioned sodas, milkshakes, soda floats, sundaes, and even cocktails! The soda shop building is huge so it’s the perfect spot to spend a hot afternoon.
The Scoop on Main, Buckley
Giant otter pops, milkshakes, banana splits, scoops, and over fifteen flavors, oh my! The Scoop on Main is a must for any dessert lover in Buckley. They make all their own flavors with a few rotating seasonal flavors and tons of fun desserts made with their house made cookies, donuts, and brownies.
Hang out in the AC
Washington State History Museum, Tacoma
Museums are always a good place to check out when looking for a place that’s guaranteed to have air conditioning. After all, they have all their precious artifacts to protect! The Washington State History Museum is the perfect place for locals and visitors alike to learn a little bit more about our country's 42nd state!
Your Local Movie Theater, Everywhere!
Almost every town in Pierce County has at least one movie theater. A movie is a great way to beat the heat and hang out in a dark, cool room for a few hours. There’s tons of great movies coming out this summer so there’s sure to be something that catches your eye! Two of our local favorites are Blue Mouse Theatre and The Grand Cinema.
Hopefully after reading this you have inspiration to keep cool and won’t have to spend any summer days wondering if you’ll literally melt. If you try one of our suggestions let us know! Tag us @visittacomapiercecounty and let us know what your favorite was, or if we missed anything crucial!