With kids · Seattle · United States
Seattle with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Sage Ross, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
Seattle works well for families: Seattle Center groups the Space Needle, MoPOP and the Pacific Science Center with playgrounds and fountains, while the aquarium, the Museum of Flight and the Ballard Locks are good for curious children. Rain gear makes outdoor days easier in any season. Top picks: Seattle Aquarium, Space Needle and Museum of Flight. Families usually base themselves in Queen Anne and Seattle Center.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 7
- Best area for families
- Queen Anne and Seattle Center
- Rainy-day options
- 3
- Busiest months
- July–August
Best things to do with kids
Aquarium · Downtown and Pike Place
1.Seattle Aquarium
On Pier 59, the aquarium focuses on the Pacific Northwest and Pacific Ocean, with sea otters, harbour seals, a giant Pacific octopus and touch pools. The Ocean Pavilion, across the street, adds a large tropical reef habitat.
Check the day's feeding and talk times at the entrance and plan around the otters.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Landmark · Seattle Center
2.Space Needle
Built for the 1962 World's Fair, the 184-metre tower has an observation level with floor-to-ceiling glass and a rotating glass floor, The Loupe. On a clear day you see downtown, Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains and Mount Rainier.
Save it for a clear day; if Rainier is hidden by cloud, the view loses much of its point.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Timed tickets are sold online; sunset slots sell out on clear summer evenings.
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- After dark
Museum · Tukwila
3.Museum of Flight
Beside Boeing Field south of downtown, this large air and space museum displays more than 150 aircraft, including a Concorde, an early Air Force One, a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and a full-size Space Shuttle trainer, plus Boeing's original 'Red Barn' factory building.
Allow at least half a day; the Aviation Pavilion across the footbridge holds the large airliners.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Landmark · Ballard
4.Ballard Locks
The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks move boats between salty Puget Sound and the freshwater Lake Washington Ship Canal. Watching yachts and fishing boats rise and fall is free, and a fish ladder with underwater viewing windows shows salmon migrating, mainly from about July to September.
Visit in summer to see salmon in the fish ladder, then stroll the botanical garden beside the locks.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Nature
- Off the beaten path
Landmark · Fremont
5.Fremont Troll
A 5.5-metre concrete troll crushing a real Volkswagen Beetle crouches under the north end of the Aurora Bridge. Built in 1990, it has become one of the city's favourite pieces of public art and a climbing frame for children.
Combine it with Fremont's other public art and a walk along the ship canal.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Art
- Photo spot
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Waterfront · Downtown and Pike Place
6.Waterfront and Pier 62
Since the removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the downtown waterfront has been rebuilt as a promenade with new parks and an Overlook Walk connecting Pike Place Market to the shore. Piers hold the Seattle Aquarium, the Great Wheel, harbour-cruise docks and the ferry terminal at Colman Dock.
Walk from Pike Place down to the water, then south to Colman Dock for a ferry ride at sunset.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Kids
Museum · Seattle Center
7.Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)
Frank Gehry's crumpled metal building houses exhibitions on music, film and gaming, including permanent galleries on Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix, both of whom came from the Seattle area. The Sound Lab lets visitors play instruments in small studios.
Head to the Sound Lab early, before school groups arrive.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Architecture
- History
Rainy-day ideas
- Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) — Head to the Sound Lab early, before school groups arrive.
- Seattle Aquarium — Check the day's feeding and talk times at the entrance and plan around the otters.
- Museum of Flight — Allow at least half a day; the Aviation Pavilion across the footbridge holds the large airliners.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for families, first-timers and couples
Queen Anne and Seattle Center
Lower Queen Anne surrounds Seattle Center, home to the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass, the Museum of Pop Culture and Climate Pledge Arena. Upper Queen Anne is a quiet residential hilltop of early-20th-century houses with Kerry Park's view across the skyline to Mount Rainier.
- Good
- Walking distance to Seattle Center; Monorail to downtown; Quiet residential streets
- Watch out
- Upper Queen Anne is very steep; Event nights at the arena fill restaurants
- Nearby
- Space Needle, Kerry Park, Museum of Pop Culture, Chihuly Garden and Glass
Family travel tips
- The International Fountain at Seattle Center is a free splash spot on warm days.
- Children ride Link light rail, buses and the water taxi at reduced or no fare; check current youth fares on the transit websites.
- The Museum of Flight and the aquarium are reliable rainy-day options.
- Ferries have open decks, cafés and big windows, and children enjoy the crossing itself.
- Book the Space Needle for a clear day; consider waiting until the forecast looks good.
Day trips for families
- Mount Rainier National Park (About 2–2.5 hours each way by car to Paradise) — The 4,392-metre volcano dominates the region.
- Snoqualmie Falls (About 40 minutes by car) — An 82-metre waterfall on the Snoqualmie River, with an observation deck and a trail down to the base.
- Leavenworth (About 2.5 hours by car) — A former logging town rebuilt in Bavarian style in the 1960s, set in the Cascade foothills, with German food, beer halls and riverside walks.
When to go with children
The best months overall are June–September. July–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Seattle good for kids?
Seattle works well for families: Seattle Center groups the Space Needle, MoPOP and the Pacific Science Center with playgrounds and fountains, while the aquarium, the Museum of Flight and the Ballard Locks are good for curious children. Rain gear makes outdoor days easier in any season.
+What can kids do in Seattle?
Seattle Aquarium, Space Needle, Museum of Flight, Ballard Locks and Fremont Troll.
+Where should families stay in Seattle?
Queen Anne and Seattle Center: Space Needle, theatres and the city's classic skyline viewpoint at Kerry Park.