Things To Do
Space Needle
Check out this iconic part of the Seattle skyline! Located right next to Chihuly Garden & Glass, visitors can ascend the Space Needle and view the city from the 360° sky deck up top. Fun fact: there is a city ordinance declaring that the buildings surrounding the Space Needle need to be below a certain height to ensure the Needle is the tallest thing in its immediate area.
Pike Place Market
Pike Place is a massive (and we mean MASSIVE) sprawling huge ginormous farmer's market. You'll find things ranging from local farm produce to fresh cut flowers to jewelry to soap to clothing to chocolates and so much more. Emily LOVES walking through and looking at all the shiny things. George...doesn't like window shopping that much. Pike Place is a Seattle must-see!
Seattle Waterfront & Piers
There's lots to do along the Elliott Bay waterfront! Ride the Seattle Great Wheel or check out the shops at Miner's Landing (Pier 57). Eat at famous Elliott's Oyster House (Pier 56). Take a narrated cruise of the bay from Argosy Cruises at Pier 55 (we highly recommend!). Or simply find a bench and take in the beautiful water and mountains in the distance.
Argosy Cruises - Seattle Waterfront
We love Argosy Cruises. They offer 1-hour tours of Elliott Bay where the guides will tell you fun facts about the Seattle piers and buildings in the Seattle city skyline. They also offer 2-hour tours which take you through the Ballard Locks (you get to be in the boat as it passes through the locks!). George has been on at least 4 Argosy Cruises- he just keeps going on them again and again. Super highly recommended. Buy tickets in advance on their website below.
Seattle Aquarium
The Seattle Aquarium, while not quite so impressive as the Chicago Shedd, is a fun place with an emphasis on aquatic species here in the Pacific Northwest. Located within walking distance of the piers and Pike Place, the Aquarium is a great place to spend a few hours.
Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour
Did you know that in 1889 the Seattle city streets were all raised up by about 12-30 feet? No this isn't a Futurama episode; I'm being entirely serious here. In large portions of the city, there are entire underground passageways underneath the sidewalks. And you can go there! See the (dark) sights and learn all about how we elevated a city back before we had OSHA. George and I both highly recommend the Bill Speidel's Underground Tour **please note that this tour does involve walking on uneven ground and in dark places at times.
Museum of Pop Culture
Located within walking distance of Chihuly Garden & Glass, the Seattle Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) has a very interesting exterior and an equally interesting interior. Be sure to check out their website for current exhibitions and events.
Seattle Art Museum
The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) is constantly adding new exhibits and showcases. Check out their website to see what's currently going on. Also check out the nearby Olympic Sculpture Park for some outdoor installations.
Pacific Science Center
Also right next to Chihuly Garden and Glass is the Pacific Science Center, which has lots of cool exhibits as well as a Planetarium and daytime laser shows. Check out their website for current exhibits.
Elliott Bay Book Company
Check out the Elliott Bay Book Company, one of the largest book stores you'll ever seen. With multiple levels of books, plenty of quiet areas to read, and a fully-functional café inside the building... you can easily spend a day in here if you'd like.
Fremont Sunday Street Market
For those still around on Sunday, check out the Fremont Sunday Street Market from 10am-4pm. Fremont is in northern Seattle and George and I like to consider it 'the Portland of Seattle.' The Fremont Sunday Street Market is a weekly collection of local vendors and small business owners selling handcrafted jewelry, clothing, soaps, trinkets, chocolates, and more.
Washington Park Arboretum
The Washington Park Arboretum is a free botanic gardens full of so many trees and flowers. There's green even in the winter and early spring months thanks to our evergreens. Also check out the Seattle Japanese Garden within the grounds, also beautiful year-round.
Discovery Park
Discovery Park is the largest city park in Seattle. It has forested areas with trails as well as two miles of tidal beaches (sometimes you'll find shells!). Be sure to check out the shoreline and the West Point Lighthouse, which is operational to this day.
Woodland Park Zoo
The Woodland Park Zoo is fantastic! Our favorite animals to visit are the Asian small-clawed otters, the penguins, and the gorillas. Fun fact: our zoo website URL is just zoo.org :)
Bellevue Botanical Garden
The Bellevue Botanical Garden is one of our favorite outdoor spaces, all year round. The area is open from dawn to dusk, every day, and entirely free. While March may be early for a lot of blooms, there is always plenty of landscaping and year-round greenery to enjoy. Also check out the Yao Garden traditional Japanese garden located within the Botanical Garden. *This location is outside of Seattle proper.
Pacific Bonsai Museum
The Pacific Bonsai Museum is an outdoor collection of over 100 living bonsai trees, collected from various parts of China, Japan, Canada, Korea, Taiwan, and America. Located in Federal Way, it is a drive to get here but it's definitely worth it. Admission is free! *This location is outside of Seattle proper.
Snoqualmie Falls
We love hiking at Snoqualmie Falls. It's a bit of a drive, but the drive is beautiful the whole way. Once you arrive, the falls are visible right away. There's also a ~1 mile forested hiking trail to get even better views. Fun fact: Snoqualmie Falls was apparently featured on Twin Peaks, a television series I'd not previously heard of. *This location is outside of Seattle proper.
Cougar Mountain
For those looking for an adventure, Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park is a 3,000+ acre land with over 35 miles of trails to explore. We like the Coal Creek Falls Trail which has lots of small waterfalls! *This location is outside of Seattle proper.
Mt. Rainier
Gorgeous Mount Rainier is an active volcano 2-3 hours southeast of Seattle. We don't necessarily recommend hiking Mount Rainier in March (snowfall is usually extreme and can cover the trails well into the summer) but consider putting this on your list for returning to Washington in the fall. *This location is outside of Seattle proper.