Broadway Play in Seaside
By Gary Hayes
Published: 06/20/2009  Updated: 08/05/2019
Fun times for families at Seaside's popular bumper cars on Broadway.
Fun times for families at Seaside's popular bumper cars on Broadway.  photo by Gary Hayes

Broadway play has an entirely different meaning in Seaside where the famous main street is lined with fun, shopping and food right up to the historical automobile turnaround and the sandy shores of the Pacific.

A walk down Broadway in ­Seaside is truly a classic Oregon ­experience for travelers to the Northwest coast. As Oregon's first beach resort town on the Pacific coast, visitors have come from all over the world to dip their toes in the ocean and take in the dramatic scenery in the shadow of Tillamook Head since the mid-1800s. What started as a shell pathway to the beach from uptown Seaside grew over the years, to become the city's main street lined with attractions and shops to entice visitors with food, souvenirs and fun.

In 1920, the wooden oceanfront boardwalk was replaced with a concrete promenade and at its center, a new focal point for the beach town: the ­Turnaround. This automobile roundabout at the end of Broadway offered the perfect viewpoint to see the pictureque beach and would become one of Oregon's most recognizable landmarks.

Today, Broadway bustles with ­activity, couples strolling hand-in-hand, families playing arcade games and shoppers seeking the perfect memento. There are bumper cars, candy stores, ice cream shops, miniature golf and an indoor carousel. The Seaside Carousel Mall in the heart of downtown features a dozen shops surrounding the old fashioned carousel with colorful horses and animals made from molds of antique wooden originals.

Funland offers the Northwest coast's largest collection of arcade games ranging from classic Skeeball to the latest video games. There are bumper cars, miniature golf and a Tilt-a-Whirl ­carnival ride just down the street.

Attractions east of the Necanicum River on Broadway might appeal to a more mature audience with specialty shops, art galleries and a wine bar. Just east of the highway at Broadway Park, skateboarders love the new skate park that many consider to be one of the best in Oregon. Stroll ­Seaside's famous Broadway for Oregon's ­classic beach resort town experience or load the family in a surrey and pedal the streets from the Turnaround to ­famous Holladay Drive in the heart of old town Seaside.
Broadway Play in Seaside