Move-In Week 2026
Sept. 22–25 · University of Washington, Seattle
Four days, a few thousand carloads, and one very full elevator. If you are carrying boxes for a new Husky this week, this page is for you.
Parents, stepparents, grandparents, siblings, aunties and uncles, mentors, chosen family: if you helped get this student here, you are part of the UW family.
UW Family Lounge registrationRoot for our HuskiesExplore campusThe drive home
Looking for check-in times, parking, or packing lists? All move-in logistics live on their own page. This page is what to do while you are here.
Move-in logisticsVisiting Campus
Rest & Recharge at the UW Family Lounge
A room just for you during move-in
Sit down, cool off, and ask questions of staff who work with UW families all year. Registration is free and helps us plan snacks, beverages, and swag. Registration opens in early September. Register once, visit both!
Lounge Registration opens in September
International Family Welcome Reception
Fri., Sept. 25 · 10 a.m.–noon · HUB Lyceum
A welcome for new students and families arriving from outside the U.S., in the Husky Union Building (the HUB) at the heart of campus. Meet the CIRCLE team, UW’s Center for International Relations and Cultural Leadership Exchange, the people who support international Huskies all year, and explore CIRCLE’s guide for new international students. Find the HUB Lyceum on the UW campus map.
Root for our Huskies
Football vs. Eastern Washington
Sat., Sept. 19 · Husky Stadium · kickoff 4:15 p.m.
In town for Bid Day or an Early Dawg drop-off? Greek families, make it a game day: family-rate tickets are available through UW family ticket offers.
Get tickets
Football vs. Minnesota
Sat., Sept. 26 · Husky Stadium · kickoff TBA
The Saturday right after move-in. Family-rate tickets are available for UW families, and Saturday-night hotel rooms go quickly, so book early.
Get tickets
Tours all week: walking, guided or paddled
Once the boxes are upstairs, six ways to see campus and the city at your own pace, any day of the week.
Self-guided tour
Visit Husky Health, find your student’s classrooms and hit the highlights, Red Square to Drumheller Fountain. Perfect between carloads.
Highlights guide
Indigenous Walking Tour
Seven self-guided stops on Indigenous presence at UW, created by UW graduate Owen L. Oliver (Quinault/Isleta Pueblo).
Get the guidebook
Guided campus tour
A 75-minute student-led walking tour of campus. Registration required, and spots fill quickly during move-in week.
Book a tour
Paddle Union Bay
Canoes $18/hr · kayaks $21–25/hr
Rent at the Waterfront Activities Center, just south of Husky Stadium. No reservations; hours depend on weather, so check first.
Plan a paddle
Downtown by light rail
Hop on at U District Station and be at Pike Place Market in about 20 minutes, no parking required. Watch the fish fly or see the city from an Argosy harbor cruise.
The waterfront
Dinner on the Ave
The U District’s international eats are a Husky rite of passage. Grab one more dinner with your student a block from campus.
U District eats
Sunday, Sept. 27 belongs to your student
New Husky Welcome Day gathers new Huskies at Husky Stadium for traditions and the Class W photo. It is optional, so if it works with your family’s schedule, encourage your student to go. It is often the first big thing they do at UW entirely on their own: plan your own Seattle morning, then ask about it over dinner. Details on the New Husky Welcome Day page.
After move-in
Some move-ins go like the brochure. Plenty do not: the line wraps around the building, the fan is still in the garage at home. None of it predicts anything about your student’s year, and a chaotic Tuesday becomes a good story by Friday.
Then comes the goodbye, wherever it lands. It is normal for it to feel big. You have spent years working yourself out of this job, and this week is proof you did it well. Now let your student take the lead: coach from the sidelines, ask good questions, and trust the young adult you just hugged.
You will be back before you know it: UW Family Weekend, Nov. 6–7
Join your Husky for two days on campus. Family Weekend and tailgate tickets are required to attend.
Tickets available Sept. 21
