Choose from 50 Fun Things to Do in Seattle
Capitol Hill
- Capitol Hill attracts every type of traveler, including young visitors and families.
- Capitol Hill is best seen on foot, so be prepared with comfortable walking shoes.
- Parking is limited, so it's advisable to use public transportation or a ride-hailing app.
Snoqualmie Falls
- Hikers should be prepared with warm, waterproof clothing and sturdy shoes, as the Snoqualmie Falls trail is often wet.
- A visit to Snoqualmie is perfect for families and groups with a range of interests and ability levels, with some wheelchair-accessible spots.
- Visit during spring to see the falls at its maximum output.
- The park area features a visitor center, gift shop, coffee stand, and bathrooms.
Space Needle
- Be sure to book admission tickets in advance to avoid waiting in long ticket lines.
- At the observation deck, check out the interpretive displays, which identify more than 60 activities in the Seattle area.
- Dinner at SkyCity includes admission to the observation deck.
- All bags are suggest to search prior to entry.
Seattle Great Wheel
- Children 2 years old and younger ride for free but still require a ticket.
- The ride is wheelchair-accessible; a lift and ramp allow wheelchairs to roll directly into the gondolas.
- The wheel will stop operating if winds reach sustained speeds of 55 mph (88.5 kph) or higher, or if there are lightning strikes within 1 mile (1.6 kilometers).
San Juan Islands
- The San Juan Islands are a must-visit for adventure travelers and wildlife enthusiasts.
- Don't forget to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat.
- Bring an extra layer, as it can get chilly on the ferry to the islands.
- Many of the attractions and businesses in the San Juan Islands are ADA compliant and wheelchair accessible, including the Washington State Ferries.
Seattle Art Museum
A world-class institution, the Seattle Art Museum is a must-see on a visit to Seattle. It’s mega amount of gallery space displays its eclectic collections in a unique, cohesive way rather than being, as it used to call itself, “a collection of collections.”
Upon entering the Seattle Art Museum, you’ll feel a palpable sense of excitement in the air. Above the ticket counter hangs Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang's Inopportune: Stage One, a series of white cars exploding with neon. (Yes, actual cars. It's a big room.) Deeper inside, one of the nation’s premier collections of Northwest Coast Indian at and artifacts unfolds. You could spend a few hours exploring this collection. Other highlights include its European and American art collections and its Northwestern contemporary art collection.
Between the two museum entrances (one in the old building and one in the new) is now the “art ladder,” a free space with various installations cascading down a wide stepped hallway.
Practical Info
The Seattle Art Museum is in downtown Seattle, just a few blocks up from Waterfront Park. The museum has both a restaurant and café that make for cool breaks during a visit. The SAM shop sells interesting jewelry, toys, arts, and gifts from Seattle designers as well as designers from around the world. The bus or streetcar will take you there.
Seattle Waterfront
Definitely make the Seattle Waterfront your first stop on a visit to Seattle, for it is one of the most popular attractions in the city. The bustling waterfront not only holds gift shops, candy stores selling fudge and saltwater taffy, sidewalk T-shirt vendors, and restaurants of all kinds, it’s also is the spot for some of city’s top attractions and piers tied with boats waiting to take you out on Puget Sound.
On the Seattle Waterfront, you can touch starfish at the Seattle Aquarium, watch your kids take a virtual kayak ride on Puget Sound at the Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center, or picnic in Waterfront Park, while taking in the breathtaking view across Elliott Bay to Olympic Mountains.
If you want to get out on the water from the Seattle Waterfront, head to Pier 52 for the Washington State Ferries, Pier 55 for harbor cruises and trips to Tillicum Village on Blake Island, or Pier 56 for a boat to Chittenden (Ballard) Locks. If you’re with the kids, head to Pier 57, which has a vintage carousel and a video arcade to keep the kids busy.
Practical Info
The Seattle Waterfront stretches along Alaskan Way from Yesler Way, in the south, to Bay Street, Myrtle Edwards Park, and the Olympic Sculpture Park, in the north. You can access the park by car, bus, streetcar, and even monorail.
Tillicum Village
Located in Blake Island State Park, across Puget Sound from Seattle, Tillicum Village is a truly Pacific Northwest Experience. This beautiful spot is essentially a large restaurant and performance hall, which is designed as a traditional Northwest Coast longhouse, complete with totem poles towering out front. A visit here includes a salmon dinner, tribal performances, and more.
Upon visiting the Tillicum Village, which is only accessible by boat, you'll be greeted by villagers dressed in Northwest Coastal Native tribal costume. Outside the longhouse facility, visitors are given a cup of clams and broth. As you enter the longhouse, a cooking display shows whole salmon being cooked on cedar stakes over an alder wood fire in a traditional style of Northwest Coastal Natives. A buffet-style meal includes baked salmon, new red potatoes, warm whole grain bread, wild and long grain rice, and a fresh salad bar.
After your meal, the Tillicum Village dancers provide a performance that incorporates traditional stories, dances, and songs of Northwest Coastal Native groups. Following the performance, you can visit a gallery featuring regional Northwest artwork, watch a totem pole carving demonstration by Native Americans, and walk along the beaches and trails of Blake Island.
Practical Info
Boats to Tillicum Village depart from Pier 55 in downtown Seattle. You can get to the pier by bus or streetcar. Nearby attractions include Waterfront Park and the Seattle Art Museum. You can also take the boat out to Blake Island and skip the meal and dancing, and instead explore the island's beaches and trails.
Seattle Cruise Port
If you’re in a more urban mood, get to know the city itself at top attractions like Pike Place Market and the Space Needle, as well as one of its many walkable neighborhoods like Lower Queen Anne.
How to Get to Seattle
You’ll be docked at either the Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal at Pier 66 or the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91. If you’re at Bell Street, you’re only a 10- to 20-minute walk from Pike Place Market and downtown Seattle. Pier 91, however, is 2.5 miles (4 km) north of the Bell Street terminal and requires a cab to get downtown.
One Day in Seattle
Start your day in port in Pioneer Square, a historic neighborhood on the southern edge of downtown where the city was settled in the 1850s. Browse the art galleries and bookstores, and then walk less than a mile north on 1st Avenue to Pike Place Market.
After snapping the requisite picture of the market’s iconic red sign, head inside to catch a glimpse of the fish-counter employees throwing salmon back and forth. Then go deeper into the market, getting lost in the maze of flower stands, food stalls and merchants selling jewelry, art and souvenirs.
Grab some lunch at the market before walking over to the Westlake Center on 5th Avenue to catch the monorail to Seattle Center. The park and entertainment center, built for the 1962 World’s Fair, is home to the Space Needle. Head up the 605-foot-tall (185-meter) tower for amazing views of the city, Puget Sound and Mt Rainier.
Port Information
Seattle Center
- Seattle Center is a must-visit for all first-time visitors.
- Pick out what you want to see before you go; there’s a ton to do here, and some attractions are far apart.
- Most facilities within Seattle Center are wheelchair accessible.
- Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the center.