Kids & Family in Seattle, WA

Hands-on museum for ages 0-8 in the lower level of the Armory at Seattle Center. Global village play areas, construction zone, art studios. Under 1 free. 6% revitalization fee added to tickets.

Big science museum at Seattle Center. Hundreds of interactive exhibits, planetarium, laser dome shows, butterfly house. General admission includes unlimited planetarium and daytime laser shows. Prices vary by date. Toddlers free.

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.

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.

Frank Gehry building with hands-on exhibits on music, sci-fi, fantasy, video games, horror. Kids can play guitar, drums, and keyboards in the Sound Lab recording booths. Nirvana exhibit and superhero galleries for older kids. Under 4 free, WA residents 15% off.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rem Koolhaas building with a dedicated kids floor. Free storytime, crafts, and STEM activities. Weekly story times for ages 0-5 include Spanish sessions. Kids love the bright-red escalator spiral.

Natural history museum on the UW campus. Dinosaur fossils, live butterflies, Pacific Northwest cultural artifacts. Open labs where kids can watch scientists work. Under 3 free. Free first Thursdays.

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.

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.

Hands-on children's museum in downtown Bellevue for ages 0-8. Kid-sized grocery store, waterways, construction zone, art studio, toddler areas. Open late Fridays until 7pm. Under 1 free. King County Library museum pass gets you a discount.

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.

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.

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.

50+ playable pinball machines from the 1960s to today. Pay admission, play everything, no quarters needed. Best for ages 5+ since younger kids can't reach the flippers. Good rainy-day option.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.