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Did you know that Wallingford is home to one of the largest collections of early twentieth-century residences in Seattle? The Wallingford Bungalow is an Arts & Crafts treasure found here, but there are many examples of other style combinations that can be appreciated and admired as you wander through this cherished neighborhood: Dutch Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Seattle Box or Four Square, and other unique architectural details.

If you would like to learn more about the development and history of the neighborhood, Historic Wallingford is offering the opportunity to tour the residential area around and south of the Wallingford Center with architectural historian and designer Thomas Veith and public historian Sarah J. Martin.

Local Historian Tom Veith

Local Historian Sarah Martin

There are three opportunities to join a tour. On each date, the two historians will lead separate groups of 16, making space for up to 32 participants.

Tours are available:

• Saturday, June 20th, 11 am (this weekend!)
• Saturday, July 18th, 11 am
• Tuesday, August 18th, 6 pm

Advance registration and a $10 fee are required. Learn more and sign up here.

Tours will last no more than 90 minutes and traverse at a leisurely pace along public sidewalks and streets with moderate inclines. You can expect a brief introduction from your guide starting at the Animal Storm Sculpture at the corner of N 45th Street and Wallingford Avenue N. The tour will then set off to explore residential Wallingford. Over the course of several blocks, you will cover more than a century of history, focused on the neighborhood’s development as a streetcar suburb in the early 20th century.

This guided exploration is a spin-off of the popular Exploring Wallingford self-guided tours that can still be found online here. The self-guided tours are great family activities to get out into the historic neighborhood.

Historic Wallingford is a volunteer-run, 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, incorporated in 2017. Its mission is “Fostering an awareness of and appreciation for Wallingford’s history and architecture.” The guided tour and self-guided tours are prime examples of the efforts of this group, alongside the Wally-Home Resource Fair, utility box graphics that were installed in 2024, the Roaring Twenties Speakeasy, and the ongoing Wallingford Indigenous Research Project. All of these activities are led by Historic Wallingford to celebrate our history and help keep Wallingford a thriving, livable community. Tax-deductible donations to support Historic Wallingford’s mission are gladly accepted.

This project is partially funded by 4Culture, the King County cultural resource.