Things to Do in Seattle

 

 

Seattle is Washington State’s largest city and home to two of the largest tech giants in Amazon and Microsoft. You and your family will find plenty to see and do in this beautiful city in the Northwest. Its most iconic landmark, the Space Needle was built in the Seattle Center for the 1962 World’s Fair.

 
 
Tours- A couple popular tours for kids are the Chocolate Indulgence Tour and the Seattle by Foot Kid’s Tour. The first tour, the Chocolate Indulgence tour is a walking tour that includes stops for cupcakes, cheesecake, hot chocolate and salted caramels. The second tour is designed especially for kids and offers a kid’s eye view of Pike Place Market, the Seattle Public Library, and the Seattle Art Museum. Kids will also learn about skyscrapers and the public art that they will see along the way.

A few more popular tours to note include those of Seattle’s “underground”. This is the area beneath Pioneer Square, and through the maze of buried alleys and storefronts that were once Seattle’s surface streets. Tickets should be purchased in advance as they do sell out. Not recommended for people with mobility issues, very small kids or strollers. Tour providers include Beneath the Streets and Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour.

  
Seattle Aquarium- Located on the waterfront and recently updated. It’s not a large attraction so plan for just an hour and a half to two hours. Favorite kid attractions include show and tell with the scuba divers in the large tank and the touch tank with starfish and sea anemones. Open daily from 9:30 am to 6 pm. Closed only on Christmas Day, limited hours on other holidays.

 

Starbucks- A little something just for Mom and Dad. Visit the first Starbucks in the world located at 102 Pike Street near Pike Place Market. It’s a must see for Starbucks lovers, but be prepared to wait in line. It’s very popular since it is the original store.

 

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market- One of the most popular attractions in Seattle, the market is open from the early morning to the early evening. Popular kid stops include the Gum Wall, Giant Shoe Museum, Market Magic, Golden Age Collectibles, Sweetie’s Candy, Daily Dozen Donut Co, Shug’s Soda Fountain, Ellenos Greek Yogurt and Beecher’s Mac ’n’ Cheese.

 

The Museum Flight- Great for all ages! Visitors can take a look inside the first 747 ever built, the original Air Force One, a Concorde, as well fighters and bombers. The museum rotates its featured exhibits, and also has a Kids Flight Zone and flight simulators. Open daily from 10 am to 4 pm, closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

 

Center for Wooden Boats- Visitors to this museum can touch, build, sail, and learn about classic wooden sail and rowboats. On weekends boats are also available for rental including rowboats, pedal boats, canoes, kayaks, or sailboats. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.

 

Museum of Pop Culture

Museum of Pop Culture- Popular with older kids due to the museum’s focus on contemporary culture. Popular exhibits include the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. Open daily from 10 am to 5 pm, with extended hours until 7 pm in the summer months. Save on tickets by purchasing online in advance.

 

Woodland Park Zoo- Located in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood in Seattle. This 92-acre zoological garden is home to more than 1,000 animals. The Zoo is open every day, except Christmas Day. Hours vary by season.

 

Seattle Space Needle- The Space Needle has been recently renovated to include a new cafe, wine bar, skyrisers on the open-air observation deck, suspended oculus stairs to better enjoy the views from two observation levels, and a revolving glass floor. Open every day of the year, Monday- Thursday from 10 am to 9 pm and Friday- Sunday from 9 am to 10 pm. Last tickets are sold 30 minutes before closing.

 

The Pacific Science Center at Seattle Center- Hands on science fun for ages 3 and up. Center highlights include the Butterfly House and IMAX Theater. It is closed on Tuesdays.

 

The Seattle Children’s Museum- Also located at Seattle Center, the museum has over 22,000 square feet of play space designed for children from 10 months to 10 years old. Popular exhibits include Discovery Bay, Global Village, Sound Transit, and Imagination Studio. The museum also hosts art programs, scavengers hunts, story times and much more. The museum is closed on Mondays, and open from 10 am to 5 pm the rest of the week.

 

Seattle Pinball Museum- Located in Seattle’s International District, this museum is for ages 7 and up. It has over 50 vintage and modern arcade games and all are free to play after a single entrance fee. The Museum is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, hours vary the other days of the week. No outside food is permitted but vintage sodas, snacks and craft beers are available for purchase.

 

Tidepooling- Several parks in West and North Seattle along the Puget Sound are great places to explore during low tide. See hermit crabs, sea stars, sea anemones, urchins and much more. Keep an eye out for people in red hats, the Seattle Aquarium sends out beach naturalists to educate and answer questions. Parks to visit include Constellation Park in West Seattle, Discovery Park, Golden Gardens Park and Carkeek Park in North Seattle. Check the Tides Near Me website or phone app for tide schedules.

 

Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park- Learn about the Klondike gold rush of the 1890’s. The park is free and open year round, it offers twice daily gold panning demonstrations and walking tours in the summer. There is also a small museum with artifacts and exhibits. It’s best to go in the summer months when all of the experiences are operating.

 

Day Trips from Seattle

Bellingham, WA-Located about an hour and a half away from Seattle. It is the northernmost city in the contiguous United States. Popular in the summer for fishing, hiking and golfing, and in the winter months for skiing.

 

Mount Rainier National Park- Standing 14,410 above sea level, Mount Rainier is an active volcano home to more glaciers than any other peak in the lower 48 contiguous states. The park also offers hiking trails, climbing spots, visitor centers, picnic areas and dining options.

 

Mount St. Helens- Just over 3 hours from Seattle. The 110,000 acre area was set aside for research and recreation after the last eruption in 1980. There are several hiking trails in the area as well as several excellent viewpoints accessible by car. For those wishing to climb the volcano itself, a permit is required.

 

Boeing Future of Flight Tour- Located 25 miles north of Seattle this tour is the only public tour of commercial jet assembly available in North America. The tour takes approximately 90 minutes and visitors can see the 787 Dreamliners, 777s, 767s and 747s in the assembly process. **Children must be 4 feet tall to participate in the tour. This is strictly enforced. Tickets can be purchased up to 9 months in advance.

 

Seattle Professional Sports Teams- The Seattle area has three professional sports teams. For game tickets visit the team website or a reputable ticket broker.

 

Seattle Mariners- Professional Baseball Team, regular season runs late March through the end of September. Hour long tours of T-Mobile Park are offered year round. Days of the week and times vary. Please check the stadium website for more information.

 

Seattle Seahawks- Professional Football team, regular season runs September through December. Tours of CenturyLink Field are offered daily during the summer and weekends September 1st through May 31st. Please visit the stadium website for more details.

 

Seattle Sounders- Professional Soccer team, regular season runs from early April through early October.

 

 

Family-Friendly Restaurants

 

The Hi-Life- This restaurant offers multiple children’s menus and seasonal specials. They also supply paper and crayons to help keep the kids entertained plus kids can design their own cookies for dessert.

 

The Dane- Located in Crown Hill, this spot will please both parents and kids. Parents will appreciate the extensive draft beer selection, espresso setup and WiFi. Kids love the nook with toys, books, games and story time on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Both love family bingo, kids’ trivia night and live music.

 

El Camion- Known for their taco trucks, the restaurant location in Ballard has a large menu including gigantic burritos that can feed two kids. Kid love the colorful skull-themed decor, salsa bar, and Pac-Man machine.

 

Lunchbox Lab- Five locations in the Seattle area, this local chain restaurant lets diners create the burger of their dreams with their choice of sides. They also have a milkshake creation station. Adults can make theirs a boozie shake by adding a test tube of their favorite liqour.

 

Proletariat Pizza- Known for thin-crust pies, arcade games, a photo booth, and cheerful family vibe. Service is quick and the kids area is right near the dining area so it makes it easy for parents to keep an eye on their kids.

 

Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe- Located in West Seattle this vegetarian coffeehouse has an area for toddlers with a wooden train set and tons of books. The menu has lots of different options, the Blueberry Monster smoothie is a kid favorite.

 

Full Tilt Ice Cream- 4 locations in the Seattle area with classic pinball and arcade games, NW beer and of course ice cream!