This Weekend in Seattle, WA
Nov 6–Nov 8· Rainy, 50°/40°F
Rain nine months. Best summer in America the other three.
🆓 Free this weekend
Discovery Park
Magnolia
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.
KEXP Gathering Space
Seattle Center
Watch free live in-studio performances through a glass-walled gallery at KEXP's Seattle Center space. Up to 70 visitors per session, free tickets 90 minutes before each show on a first-come basis. Cafe on-site.
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Ballard Locks)
Ballard
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.
Gas Works Park
Wallingford
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.
The Center for Wooden Boats
South Lake Union
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 Public Library - Central Library
Downtown
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.
🌳 Get outside
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Ballard Locks)
Ballard
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.
The Museum of Flight
South Seattle
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.
Artists at Play Playground
Seattle Center
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.
Discovery Park
Magnolia
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.
Seattle Great Wheel
Waterfront
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.
👨👩👧 With kids
Pacific Science Center
Seattle Center
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.
KidsQuest Children's Museum
Bellevue (Eastside)
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.
Artists at Play Playground
Seattle Center
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.
Seattle Public Library - Central Library
Downtown
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.
Seattle Great Wheel
Waterfront
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.
🍷 Date night
Chihuly Garden and Glass
Seattle Center
Giant Chihuly glass sculptures across eight galleries, a glasshouse, and an outdoor garden. Go at night when they light up. Kids 4 and under free. Right next to the Space Needle.
Rob Roy
Belltown
A dimly lit cocktail bar in Belltown with a speakeasy feel and no sign outside. The bartenders know what they're doing — seasonal cocktails, classic preparations, and a whiskey list that goes deep. Small space, gets busy on weekends. One of the best cocktail bars in Seattle.
SIFF Cinema Egyptian
Capitol Hill
Art house cinema in a 1915 Masonic Temple on Capitol Hill, run by SIFF. Screens indie, foreign, and repertory films. Ticket prices include all fees. Teen Tix members pay $5.
Seattle Pinball Museum
International District
50+ playable pinball machines from the 1960s to today. Pay admission, play everything, no quarters needed. Small space, gets crowded on weekends.
The Showbox
Pike Place / Waterfront
1,100-capacity art-deco music venue near Pike Place, open since 1939. Duke Ellington, Nirvana, Billie Eilish have all played here. Standing-room floor and balcony with good sightlines. Sister venue Showbox SoDo handles larger shows south of the stadiums.
🎭 Entertainment
Chihuly Garden and Glass
Seattle Center
Giant Chihuly glass sculptures across eight galleries, a glasshouse, and an outdoor garden. Go at night when they light up. Kids 4 and under free. Right next to the Space Needle.
Rob Roy
Belltown
A dimly lit cocktail bar in Belltown with a speakeasy feel and no sign outside. The bartenders know what they're doing — seasonal cocktails, classic preparations, and a whiskey list that goes deep. Small space, gets busy on weekends. One of the best cocktail bars in Seattle.
SIFF Cinema Egyptian
Capitol Hill
Art house cinema in a 1915 Masonic Temple on Capitol Hill, run by SIFF. Screens indie, foreign, and repertory films. Ticket prices include all fees. Teen Tix members pay $5.
Seattle Pinball Museum
International District
50+ playable pinball machines from the 1960s to today. Pay admission, play everything, no quarters needed. Small space, gets crowded on weekends.
The Showbox
Pike Place / Waterfront
1,100-capacity art-deco music venue near Pike Place, open since 1939. Duke Ellington, Nirvana, Billie Eilish have all played here. Standing-room floor and balcony with good sightlines. Sister venue Showbox SoDo handles larger shows south of the stadiums.