Pellerini’s Best Things To Do With Kids in Seattle

Since our Alaskan cruise was going in and out of Seattle, we decided to spend some time exploring the city before disembarking.  Here’s our list of the 5 best things to do with kids in Seattle – all of which can be done in 48 hours!

SPACE NEEDLE

The first place we headed to, once unpacking at the hotel, was the Space Needle. Did you know that it cost 4.5 million dollars to build this amazing structure and only 400 days?!  In 1962, the Space Needle opened for the Seattle World’s Fair.

After purchasing our tickets, we waited on line and learned about some of the interesting facts surrounding the building of this landmark.  The boys were a bit antsy but we kept them busy by telling them to read each of the different facts we passed.

The elevator ride took all of 42 seconds to get to the top house (800 feet per minute)!  Once on the top deck, the views were spectacular!  I recommend trying to go when skies are blue so you have good visibility.  I’ve also heard that the evening visits are amazing as well.

Check out the official website for the Space Needle to find out about ticket prices and other events!

MUSEUM OF POP CULTURE

I have to say that my boys gave me a hard time when I said I wanted to go to the Museum of Pop Culture.  The attitude lasted about 5 seconds – once we entered and they saw what was in store for them, the eyes widened and the fun began!  It is conveniently located within the same park as Space Needle, and next to a super cool playground perfectly named “Artists at Play”.

Also known as MoPOP, this museum is “dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary popular culture”.  It most definitely does that!  My little one explored his curiosity with drums in the Sound Lab.  My older one didn’t want to get pulled away from the Indie Game Revolution.

PIKES PLACE

I knew Pikes Place for the famous flying fish, but it is so much more than that.  Established in 1907 as THE place to connect farmers and citizens, to this day it still offers a farmers market, bakeries, fish markets, and produce stands.  The first ever Starbucks is across the street too!  Depending on the age of your kids (and the length of the line to get inside), you may want to just take photos outside.  Just saying.

Choose from pre-determined walking tours, or just take your time and see where your perusing takes you.  You cannot tell me that you don’t want to take one of the many beautifully arranged floral bouquets home with you, but the popular tourist attraction is flying fish.

 

When someone purchases a whole fish (or more!), depending on the vendor, said fish will be tossed through the air to be properly filleted and packed.  It’s cool to see.  You won’t find fresher Pacific Salmon than at the market…I promise.

We ate breakfast at the Athenian…check out the sign above this counter stool!

SEATTLE GREAT WHEEL

Looking for the perfect place to get a bird’s eye view of the city?  I highly recommend taking a right on the Seattle Great Wheel.  Kids 11 and under are only $9, adults are $14, and seniors are $12.

The ride lasts about 15-20 minutes and gives you expansive views of the city.

SEATTLE AQUARIUM

We love aquariums and the Seattle Aquarium didn’t disappoint.  The boy’s favorite exhibit was the one about the salmon – something new that we don’t hear about here in Florida.  It was super interesting to learn that they hatch in fresh water, migrate to salt (the ocean) and then return to fresh water to reproduce.

Tickets can be found here.  Be sure to check out the daily activities and upcoming special events.

This is just a small list of Seattle’s favorite attractions for families.  There are also quite a few free family fun activities as well as the ones mentioned above that I will touch on in a later article.