Outdoor Activities in Seattle, WA
Seattle, WA's best outdoor activities include Ballard Farmers Market (Free entry), Chihuly Garden and Glass ($35-40), Gas Works Park (Free), Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (Free), and Moore Theatre ($25-75).
92-acre zoo with 300+ species including grizzly bears, penguins, snow leopards, and gorillas. Nature play area, carousel, seasonal butterfly garden. Prices vary by day so book online. Under 2 always free.
5500 Phinney Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103 · Sep-Apr: Daily 9:30am-4pm; May-Sep: Daily 9:30am-6pm
175+ aircraft and spacecraft including a Concorde, Air Force One, and space shuttle trainer. Flight simulators and a kid-friendly aviation pavilion. Under 4 free. Free first Thursdays 5-9pm.
9404 E Marginal Way S, Seattle, WA 98108 · Daily 10am-5pm
Pacific Northwest marine life on Pier 59: sea otters, harbor seals, octopus, jellyfish. Touch pools for tide pool creatures. Ocean Pavilion has tropical reef and shark exhibits. Under 3 free. Prices vary by day and time.
1483 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101 · Daily 9:30am-6pm, last entry 5pm
Free playground at Seattle Center with separate areas for ages 2-5 and 5-12. Musical instruments, climbing structures, 30-foot climbing tower. Fully accessible. Open year-round.
305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109 · Daily, dawn to dusk
Free splash fountain at Seattle Center where kids run through water jets shooting from a dome. Built for the 1962 World's Fair. Packed on warm days. Lawn around it works for picnics. Open year-round, water jets seasonal.
305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109 · Daily, open year-round
175-foot Ferris wheel on Pier 57. Enclosed, climate-controlled gondolas with Elliott Bay and Olympic Mountain views. About 15 minutes, three rotations. Glass-bottom VIP gondola costs extra. Under 3 ride free.
1301 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101 · Daily 11am-9pm, hours vary seasonally
534-acre park with a renovated playground (ages 2-5 and 5-12), zip line, cargo nets, and trails to a lighthouse and beach. Stroller-friendly easy trails. Ranger-led nature walks on weekends. Fully accessible playground.
3801 Discovery Park Blvd, Seattle, WA 98199 · Daily 4am-11:30pm
Free waterfront museum on South Lake Union with classic wooden boats kids can climb on. Two free rowboats daily, first-come first-served. Free Sunday public sailings. Rentable pedal boats, rowboats, and sailboats. Seasonal kids boat building workshops.
1010 Valley St, Seattle, WA 98109 · Wed-Sun 11:30am-7pm (seasonal hours vary)
Seattle history museum with interactive exhibits on the Great Fire, Boeing, and tech boom. Full-size seaplane on the ceiling, periscope with live lake views. Kids 14 and under always free. Free for all first Thursdays 5-8pm.
860 Terry Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 · Mon/Thu-Sun 10am-5pm, closed Tue-Wed · Ages 0+
223-acre park with salmon-themed climbing structures, a bridge over railroad tracks to the beach, and forested trails. In fall, salmon spawn in Piper's Creek and rangers explain the lifecycle. Playground has separate toddler and older kid areas. Free parking.
950 NW Carkeek Park Rd, Seattle, WA 98177 · Daily 6am-10pm
Indoor play space at Woodland Park Zoo for kids 8 and under. Tree canopy climbing, wetlands area, toddler zone. Included with zoo admission. Useful on rainy days. Adjacent Family Farm has goats and chickens.
5500 Phinney Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103 · Daily, included with zoo admission · Ages 0–8
Free to visit. Watch boats rise and fall in the lock chambers connecting Puget Sound to Lake Union. Fish ladder has underwater viewing windows for watching salmon migrate (best summer and fall). Botanical gardens and a small free visitor center on-site.
3015 NW 54th St, Seattle, WA 98107 · Grounds: Daily 7am-9pm; Visitor Center: May-Sep daily 10am-6pm
19-acre park on Lake Union built around ruins of a gasification plant. Industrial structures are fenced off but cool to look at. Big hill with downtown and Space Needle views, open fields for kite flying, play barn with picnic tables. Free.
2101 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103 · Daily 6am-10pm
2.5-mile sandy waterfront in West Seattle with downtown skyline views across the bay. Shallow, calm water (cold though) for wading. Paved path for strollers, bikes, scooters. Beach fires in designated rings. Free family art drop-ins at the Bathhouse Art Studio on weekends.
1702 Alki Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116 · Daily 4am-11:30pm
Free outdoor market every Sunday, year-round rain or shine. 150+ vendors with crafts, antiques, food, produce. Walk over to see the Fremont Troll under the Aurora Bridge afterward.
3401 Evanston Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103 · Sundays 10am-4pm, year-round
Free Victorian greenhouse on Capitol Hill with five rooms of tropical plants, orchids, cacti. Warm and humid, good rainy-day stop. Volunteer Park around it has a playground, a water tower you can climb, and the Asian Art Museum.
1402 E Galer St, Seattle, WA 98112 · Tue-Sun 10am-4pm, closed Mondays
Mexican cafe on Portage Bay that rents kayaks and paddleboards. Calm water with houseboat views and the UW campus. Single kayak $25/hour, double $30/hour. Kids 5+ to paddle. Get fish tacos on the patio after.
1303 NE Boat St, Seattle, WA 98105 · Kayak rentals: Mar-Oct daily 10am-dusk (weather dependent) · Ages 5+
Free 20-acre Japanese garden in South Seattle, started by self-taught gardener Fujitaro Kubota in 1927. Stone bridges, waterfalls, koi ponds, paths through old-growth trees. Kids like the bridges and stepping stones. Rarely crowded. Free parking.
9817 55th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118 · Daily 6am-10pm
Nirvana and Pearl Jam played here
2505 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 · Mon-Sun 5pm-2am on show nights
SIFF cinema in a 1915 Masonic Temple
805 E Pine St, Seattle, WA 98122 · Daily, showtimes from 3pm
2,807 seats, gorgeous 1928 interior
911 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101 · Box office Mon-Fri 10am-6pm; show times vary
Art Deco movie palace, now 1,000-seat concert venue
1303 NE 45th St, Seattle, WA 98105 · Show nights, check schedule
Glass sculptures in a garden, best at night
305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109 · Mon-Wed 10:30am-5:30pm, Thu 10:30am-5pm, Fri-Sat 10am-7:30pm, Sun 10am-6:30pm
Free nine-acre sculpture park with Elliott Bay and Olympic Mountain views
2901 Western Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 · Daily, dawn to dusk
Kids always free, seaplane on the ceiling
860 Terry Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 · Mon/Thu-Sun 10am-5pm, closed Tue-Wed. First Thu 10am-8pm
Free rowboats daily on South Lake Union — no reservation needed
1010 Valley St, Seattle, WA 98109 · Wed-Sun 11:30am-7pm (seasonal hours vary)
Seattle's oldest theater, built 1907
1932 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 · Show nights, check schedule
Free first Thursdays, kids always free
1400 E Prospect St, Seattle, WA 98112 · Wed-Sun 10am-5pm, Thu 10am-8pm, closed Mon-Tue
Free gallery crawl, first Thursday each month
Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA 98104 · First Thursday of each month, 6-8pm
Free national park museum in Pioneer Square — tiny but fascinating gold rush history.
319 2nd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 · Daily 10am-5pm
Old coal gas factory turned park — best views of Lake Union and the downtown skyline, free.
2101 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103 · Daily 6am-10pm
All Washington state farmers — year-round, every Sunday rain or shine.
5300 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107 · Sundays 9am-2pm, year-round