Seattle is a great place to visit with kids because there are a lot of family-friendly attractions and activities. The city has a number of kid-friendly museums as well as numerous parks and playgrounds. Before I get into the best things, I want to mention the Seattle CityPass which is a great way of seeing some of Seattle’s most popular attractions for a fraction of the cost. And when it comes to kids, any savings we can find, the better! Most of the attractions I will go into are included in this pass!
The pass includes admission to 5 attractions, two of which are the Space Needle and Seattle Aquarium. Then choose three additional attractions from either Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour, Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), Woodland Park Zoo, or Chihuly Garden and Glass.
You don’t need to choose which attractions you want to go to at time of purchase which is great because you never quite know what your day will be like when traveling with kids. You can plan how and when you want to use your pass. However, reservations are recommended to ensure availability, so the further out you can plan, the better. You have 9 days from the first day you attend one of the attractions to use your pass.
If you’re tight on time, another great way to save money is with the Seattle C3 pass. This pass allows you to visit 3 attractions in the same 9 day timeframe. However, MoPOP is not included in this package but The Museum of Flight, Sky View Observatory, and the Seattle Art Museum are included as choices.
Both are great options to save money especially when admission prices can definitely add up when traveling with kids. Do some research though, as some of these attractions allow kids in for free if they are below a certain age, usually age 4 or 3 and below.
Now, you’re probably wondering what are the best attractions. You really can’t go wrong, but here are my top 10 picks for exploring Seattle with your kids. And some are completely free!
1. Chew some Gum and visit the Gum Wall
Located in Post Alley below Pike Place Market, the Gum Wall is a colorful yet kind of gross (in my opinion) alleyway filled with years of chewed gum stuck to the brick walls. The kids will love it! When else is it OK to spit your chewing gum out in public? Bring your own gum or buy some from the nearby vendors in the market and add to the art that is the Gum Wall. Stretch it, make a pattern, be creative, and have fun with it!
2. Explore Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is iconic and one of the oldest public markets in the US. Take a stroll around the many vendors selling fresh fish, food, flowers, and other goods. My kids especially liked seeing the bouquets of colorful flowers, sipping on hot apple cider, and eating bowls of chowder. Stop by Beecher’s to see the cheese making process, visit the very first Starbucks, or grab a beef and onion from Piroshky Piroshky.
3. Visit Chihuly Garden and Glass
Located in Seattle Center, Dale Chihuly’s amazing glass blown pieces are on display at Chihuly Garden and Glass. There are eight galleries, a glasshouse, and garden to wander through and be amazed. The vibrant colors of the sculptures and how they’re displayed makes this one of my top places to visit in Seattle. It’s just beautiful and my kids enjoyed exploring each room and picking their favorite pieces.
4. Learn something at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
This National Park is a free Historical Park located in the Pioneer Square District of Seattle. Throw in some learning on your vacation and have the kids grab a Junior Ranger Booklet so they can earn Junior Ranger Badges. We were on a bit of a time crunch and only spent about 30 minutes here, but you can easily spend an hour or more here. Follow the journey of five people’s experiences during the Klondike Gold Rush and learn what life was like during this period of excitement and hardship as people strived to strike it rich!
5. Rock out at the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)
This museum was a pleasant surprise as I wasn’t sure if the kids would enjoy a museum about the history and culture of popular music, film, and art. But I was wrong! It was very kid-friendly and interactive. We headed to the Sound Lab first which was a hit. The Sound Lab allows you to learn and play many different instruments and even play together as if your family is a rock star band! My kids especially enjoyed trying their hand at being a DJ and mixing sounds. Other favorite exhibits included the Fantasy room where the entrance was a wide-wooden castle-like door that swung open at the press of a button, the Science Fiction area that contained a lot of movie props and interactive displays, and the special exhibition at the time, which was all about stop-motion animation. Apparently, there is a cool Horror section, but we skipped it as the kids would have been “scared to death” as the exhibit’s name implies.
6. Play at the Playgrounds
I don’t know about your family, but playgrounds are an easy please-all when traveling with kids. A good playground includes anything where the kids can climb, slide, or spin. Mix those elements and we could literally spend a few hours at a playground.
Located right next to MoPOP is Artists at Play. This is a climbing gem of a playground! A giant cargo net connects to a platform where kids can choose from two different slides to make their way down, only to start their adventure all over again. For smaller kids, there is an easier tube-like way to climb up and kids patiently wait in line for this route. In addition, there is a merry-go round that kids don’t seem to mind rolling off of when the spin gets a bit fast, some musical posts, and a walking labyrinth. Other noteworthy playgrounds include Roxhill Park, Wallingford Playfield, and West Woodland Park Playground.
7. Take a ride on the Seattle Great Wheel
Part of the iconic Seattle skyline is the Seattle Great Wheel, a 175-foot tall ferris wheel. Each gondola fits up to eight people and is equipped with an emergency button if you so need. Once boarded, you’ll get to ride the wheel for three full revolutions and enjoy spectacular views of Elliott Bay, downtown Seattle, and the Olympic and Cascade Mountains. If you’re there during the weekend nights, you can catch an awesome light show, too.
8. Spend the day at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo
The Woodland Park Zoo is a 92-acre zoological park located in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood. It is one of the oldest zoos in the country and has a wide variety of animals, educational programs, and exciting exhibits. There are also seasonal activities, a petting zoo, and a carousel. If you’re not using the CityPass, you can save 10% by purchasing tickets online at least 4 days in advance and you can also purchase tickets for the Carousel where they have a Buy 5, get 1 Free option or single rides which are $3 each. You can easily spend a few hours here. Some of our favorites were the bear exhibits in the Living Northwest Trail section, watching the penguins waddle and swim around, and the gorillas and birds in the Tropical Rain Forest area.
9. Visit the Olympic Sculpture Park
Olympic Sculpture Park is located along the Elliott Bay waterfront and features an impressive collection of contemporary sculptures. The park also offers stunning views of the Olympic Mountains, Puget Sound, and the Seattle skyline. This is a great place to take a walk, grab some cool pictures, and let the kids run around while you try and take in the scenes.
10. Take in the views from Kerry Park
We stayed in Queen Anne which was conveniently located just north of Seattle Center and provided a fairly easy walk there (there were a couple steep hills). Kerry Park is located in Queen Anne and provides an amazing view of downtown Seattle and the Space Needle. The nearby streets are also lined with cherry blossom trees (if you’re there at the right time) which makes for some pretty pictures as well. Just below the viewing area is a small playground that the kids can enjoy which is can be used as a reward if you make them walk through the hills of Queen Anne to get there.