Time your visit for the third Saturday of the month, when the museum puts on a family STEM day. The dedicated kids zone on the first floor has lots of activities even tots can play with. My boys love the pinewood derby car ramp, and the antique car they can climb in and pretend to drive.
You can try the huge slot car race track ($3), and or for bigger kids, the racing simulator ($8). Don't miss the photo station, where you can hop into a 1923 Buick Touring car and get a free print to take home. We've collected a stack of these photos now, one for every visit, and my son's obsession with cars is still going strong.
If you go: Admission is $18 for adults, children under six are free. Discounts for AAA, State Farm and Hagerty policy holders.
Driving tip: Tacoma traffic and terrible signage makes Seattle look like a dream. Getting out of Tacoma, take 509, which runs parallel to I-5, until you get to Fife, to avoid the worst of it.
Still can't get enough of cars?
We've gone to a lot of car events over the years, and our favorite is the Greenwood car show, held every June. There are lots of classic cars to see up close, and the street vibe is very family-friendly. Balloons, fire helmets, public bathrooms – need I say more?
If your house is like mine with Matchbox cars scattered everywhere, you will win Mom-of-the-Year with a visit to Pike Place Market's Minature Car Dealership. The tiny shop, located on the DownUnder Mezzanine, is packed floor to ceiling with metal die-cast vehicles. I asked Guillermo Huizar, who was running the store for his brother Jaime, how many cars are in the store's inventory. "No idea," he said. "One thousand? Two thousand? Three thousand? Kids' heaven." Some of the flashier cars are even featured on revolving displays, just like at fancy pants dealerships. It's hard to leave without an addition to your fleet at home.
Here's one to skip: Touch-A-Truck. It looks so good on paper, but the event was a logistical nightmare. Shuttle buses from the packed parking lot, long lines in the hot sun, too many car lovers and too few cars. My husband and I looked at each other and agreed: No, thank you.