This is our guide to the best things to do in Seattle with kids! We’ve done everything on this list as we’ve visited Seattle several times over the years!
Seattle is such a fun and scenic city, it hugs the Puget Sound and not too far away are stunning spots like Snoqualmie Falls and Mount Rainier National Park. And I mentioned Seattle is a fun city – well it is – here, you can visit the Museum of Pop Culture, do an underground ‘beneath the streets’ tour and watch fish being thrown around in the iconic Pike Place Market.
I love visiting Seattle with my two young daughters because the city is safe, walkable and there’s so much to do here with kids.
So, let’s take a look, shall we? In this blog post, I will share with you all the best things to do in Seattle with kids as well as the best kid-friendly hotels.
Best Things to Do in Seattle With Kids
1. Space Needle
First up on our list of the best kids activities in Seattle is the iconic Space Needle (which stands at a whopping 605 feet tall!)
If your little ones have ever wondered what it’s like to be on top of the world – the Space Needle is the place to visit. From the top, you’ll be treated to jaw-dropping views of the Puget Sound and the downtown area, and you can even walk across a glass floor that’ll make theirs (and yours) heart skip a beat.
This all-glass floor is on The Loupe level, which is the first and only rotating glass floor in the world! Seattle is literally underneath your feet!
If you want a crowd-free experience (it’s probably a good idea if you’re visiting with kids), be sure to get here as soon as it opens, at 9 am.
You can buy a combo ticket for the Space Needle and the nearby Chihuly Gardens and Glass for $73 USD per adult and $68 per child. Infants (aged under 4 years go free!)
💡 Top Travel Tip: You can visit the Space Needle on the CityPass, which gives you access to 5 of Seattle’s top sights, including Seattle Aquarium, the Museum of Pop Culture, Woodland Park Zoo, Chihuly Gardens and Glass, and Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour, all for a discounted price. The CityPass costs from $129 USD per adult.
2. Chihuly Gardens and Glass
Conveniently, our next suggestion, the Chihuly Gardens and Glass, is located next to the Space Needle. It’s such a unique museum and is a tribute to Washington native artist Dale Chihuly – if your kids love or study art, they’ve probably heard of him.
Dale Chihuly’s glass artwork will leave you speechless. The way the art and gardens blend together? Wandering the Chiluly Garden and Glass is like walking through a dream.
There are 8 galleries and a garden here. But my favorite part was the magnificent Glasshouse.
Check out our favorite hotels in Seattle, here:
3. Discovery Park
Need a nature fix? Discovery Park is your oasis in the city. It’s got beaches, trails, and postcard-perfect lighthouse views.
Would ya believe this is the city’s largest green space, sprawling over 534 acres? I called it an “urban oasis” when I first visited here, and I think that’s a very apt description! As I said, the park boasts a diverse range of natural habitats, including forests, meadows, and beaches. If you’re a family of hikers, then you’re in luck, as there are over 11 miles of trails here.
One of its standout features is the West Point Lighthouse, situated along the park’s scenic coastline, offering panoramic views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.
💡My top tip: Pack a picnic and enjoy it on one of the many open areas or picnic benches here.
4. Go Whale Watching!
Enjoy the experience of a lifetime with this half-day whale-watching tour, which guarantees a whale sighting. It departs from the Edmonds neighborhood, which is just a few minutes’ drive from Seattle CBD.
On the tour, you may spot orcas, humpback whales, minke whales, and gray whales! There are also dolphins, seals, sea lions, and more marine life. The scenery on the boat ride is stunning, too, with the San Juan Islands in the distance and the city skyline behind you.
The boat is super-comfortable for families, too, with a large indoor seating area with big windows to spot the whales and an outdoor viewing platform to get as close as possible to the sea life. There’s also a Cafe on board; I hear their blueberry buckle is delicious!
Peak whale-watching season in Seattle runs from June to September, and during this time, there’s a 90% success rate of seeing whales.
Tickets for this whale watching tour cost around $150 USD per adult and $83 USD per child. Infants (under 1 year old) are free!
5. Pike Place Market
The famed Pike Place Market in Seattle is a super fun spot for kids! They’ll love watching the fishmongers toss salmon at the Pike Place Fish Market – it’s a cool spectacle that always grabs the younger ones’ attention.
Plus, the market’s always buzzing with street performers like musicians and magicians. Your kids can roam around the artisan stalls and might stumble upon some unique handmade toys or tasty treats.
You can also pop over to the Pike Place Urban Garden, where kids can learn about urban farming and see where some of the market’s fresh goodies come from.
6. Chewing Gum Wall
Afterward, don’t miss the “gum wall” outside on Post Alley – it’s oddly fascinating!
Yup, the Seattle Chewing Gum Wall is hidden away in an alleyway off Pike Place. The gum wall has been accumulating gum since the early 90s, and it now stretches 50 feet. It is filled with all different colors of gum. It’s certainly one of the weirdest and grossest sights in Seattle!
Fun fact – the wall was only cleaned once in 2015!
7. Seattle Aquarium
The Seattle Aquarium, right on the beautiful waterfront at Pier 59, is a fun spot where you can dive into the world of marine life.
When you visit, you’ll see all sorts of cool sea creatures from the Pacific Northwest and beyond. There are playful sea otters, colorful coral reefs, and the mysterious waters of Puget Sound. One highlight is the 120,000-gallon Window on Washington Waters exhibit, where you’ll get a close-up look at native marine life.
The aquarium offers interactive displays, talks, and hands-on activities to help you appreciate the ocean and understand why it’s so important to protect it.
Entry to the Seattle Aquarium is included in the CityPass that I mentioned earlier. Otherwise, it’s around $45 per adult to enter (a little less for kids).
8. MoPop
The Museum of Pop Culture is a must-visit for all music fans and is housed within a Frank Gehry-designed building. The Museum showcases the best moments in popular culture from throughout the years, and there are cool exhibits and interactive installations on hand to tell their stories.
There’s an on-site Cafe operated by famous Chef Wolfgang Puck, which serves grab-and-go items like pastries, snacks, and coffee.
9. Beneath the Streets tour
This short one-hour tour takes you back in time to explore over 4 historic blocks of Pioneer Square and underground pathways built way back in the 1890s. Your guide will tell you all about the history of Seattle. To put it in simple terms, on this tour, you are exploring what should have been the Seattle CBD.
The tour costs from $29 USD per person. And there are various tour start times throughout the day.
10. Go kayaking on Lake Union
Grab a kayak or a paddleboard and glide over Lake Union. The city views from the water are awesome. Don’t forget to wave at the houseboats! Look out for the quirky Sleepless in Seattle houseboat – a nod to the city’s cinematic fame.
You can rent kayaks from North West Outdoor Center on Lake Union.
11. Boeing Factory
Have kids who are aviation buffs? This spot will be their mecca. The Boeing Factory tour is fascinating – it’s not every day you get to see planes being born!
Interestingly, this is known as the largest building in the world by volume; it spans over 98 acres and serves as the primary assembly site for Boeing’s wide-body aircraft, including the iconic 747, 767, 777, and the 787 Dreamliner.
The Future of Flight exhibit gives a peek into the advancements in aviation technology, thrilling both young and old.
Tickets for this tour cost from $125 USD per adult and $90 USD per child.
12. Watch a show at the Paramount Theatre
Catch a kids’ show at the Paramount Theatre on Pine St and get swept away by its charm. It’s like time-traveling to the glam 1920s – it’s so chic inside! There’s a variety of kids’ performances on throughout the year – like Bluey’s Big Play and The Wiggles.
13. Bruce Lee’s Grave
Any Bruce Lee or martial arts fans in the family? Well then, head over to Lake View Cemetery in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Would you believe this cemetery attracts over 10,000 tourists annually?
As I said, the grave of legendary actor and martial arts star Bruce Lee is here. His grave is unassuming at first glance; it looks much the same as the other graves in the cemetery. But it stands out because Lee’s grave is covered in flowers, letters, candles, and little Bruce Lee figurines. His son Brandon’s grave is right next to his.
The views from the cemetery are stunning, with Lake Washington visible in the distance!
14. Check out the first Starbucks store
Now, your kids are likely too young for coffee, but it’s still worth checking out the first Starbucks store in the world at 1912 Pike Place.
It’s been open for over 50 years and is surprisingly small at just 1,000 square feet – I was expecting it to be a lot bigger. Nonetheless, if you’re a coffee fan, you just have to visit the starting point of the most famous coffee brand in the world!
💡Fun fact: The first Starbucks store (which opened in 1971) was actually located a few blocks away at Western Avenue. But it moved to this location 5 years later, in 1976. The original store on Western Ave. is no longer there, which is why this one opposite Pike Place Market is known as the first Starbucks store.
15. Day trip to Mount Rainier National Park
Get out into nature and witness stunning mountain scenery like wild-flower meadows, old-growth forests and, waterfalls on this full-day tour to Mount Rainier National Park. Your professional guide will guide you through the area on a hike, which will be adapted to suit all fitness levels and abilities.
After exploring the Park, you will visit the interpretive center at Paradise to discover more about the Park’s glaciers, plants, and animals. And finally, one of the best stops at Wapiti Woolies to try their famed (& delicious) huckleberry ice cream.
The tour includes hotel pick-up and drop-off, Lunch is extra so you can choose to enjoy this at a mountain-side Cafe or pack a picnic lunch and enjoy it in the Park. The tour costs from $178 USD per adult and $148 USD per child. Please note, this tour is 10 hours long.
You can book the tour to Mount Rainier National Park here.
16. Visit Leavenworth
Also known as ‘Christmastown’ Leavenworth is especially beautiful in the lead-up to Christmas when the whole town lights up with over half a million lights! So if you’re visiting Seattle in December – be sure to head up to Leavenworth!
Leavenworth is built like a small Bavarian village, surrounded by snow-covered mountains and filled with quirky specialty stores, cozy restaurants, and cute inns.
This full-day tour from Seattle to Leavenworth is highly recommended. It’s a small group tour, with a maximum of 12 people allowed, and costs from $275 USD per person (although the price will change depending on the number of people you book).
The drive from Seattle to Leavenworth is just over 2 hours each way, and you’ll stop off at gorgeous Stevens Pass, a popular ski resort in the state! During the tour, you’ll also get to taste some locally made spiced red wine (for the adults) and, depending on the season, enjoy a sleigh ride or explore the popular Snoqualmie Falls.
You can book the highly-rated tour to Leavenworth here!
17. Snoqualmie Falls
Around a 30-minute drive from downtown Seattle is the amazing Snoqualmie Falls. This stunning 268-foot waterfall offers breathtaking views that is sure to captivate the whole family.
Here, you’ll find a well-maintained park with viewing platforms that allow for safe and accessible observation of the falls. There’s also several walking trails that are relatively easy. Plus, there are plenty of picnic areas, so definitely pack a picnic.
This highly-rated guided tour from Seattle to Snoqualmie Falls is 4 hours long, includes return transfers and costs from $64 USD per person.
18. Pacific Science Center
Located near the iconic Space Needle, this interactive science museum was designed by Minoru Yamasaki and opened during the 1962 World’s Fair. It features an array of exhibits covering diverse topics such as physics, biology, and technology.
Here, you can explore hands-on displays, a tropical butterfly house, and a planetarium that offers a glimpse into the universe. The center also houses an IMAX theater!
Entry costs around $25 USD per person.
19. Museum of Illusions
Experience the amazing, mind-bending world of illusions at the Museum of Illusions Seattle on 5th Ave. It’s so much fun (even for the adults, too!) There are over 50 interactive exhibits here – including illusion rooms and holograms.
Entry to the museum costs from $41 USD per adult and $35 USD per child. Children under 4 years go free!
Where to Stay in Seattle With Kids
These are my favorite spots to stay in the city with kids –
- The Arctic Club Seattle – is a Hilton DoubleTree 4-star hotel on 3rd Avenue. The hotel has a lot of dark-wood and moody lighting all adding to the overall cozy feel. It’s just a 5 minute walk from here to Pike Place. Rooms costs from $300 per night.
- Seattle Marriott Waterfront – this waterfront hotel, located in Eliott Bay is just a 5 minute walk from the Seattle Aquarium. Many of the rooms here have a balcony with either ocean or mountain views. One of the biggest pluses for this hotel in the indoor/outdoor connecting swimming pool. Rooms here cost from $132 per night.
Thanks for Reading!
Tell me – what did you think of our guide to things to do in Seattle with kids? Is there anything we have missed? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.
While you’re here, why not check out some of my most popular family travel blog posts –
15 Best Things to do in San Francisco with Kids
Queenstown New Zealand With Kids
3 Days in Sydney With Kids (Fun Weekend Sydney Itinerary)
What to Do in Cork Ireland with Kids? (Popular Attractions & Hidden Gems)
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Last Updated on September 11, 2025 by snaphappytravel