Family Fun In Seattle
A Guide to Captivating Adventures the Whole Family Will Enjoy

Seattle boasts an abundance of family-friendly attractions, most of which are in mere walking distance from one another. With the most in-city parks and easy walkability, Seattle is often considered a top family destination.

FAMILY ATTRACTIONS
The Children's Museum, Seattle - The Children's Museum, Seattle offers a fun, interactive learning environment for families with exhibits such as a Global Village, Mountain Forest, Imagination Studio and Discovery Bay for toddlers. The museum is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. For more information call (206) 441-1768 or visit www.thechildrensmuseum.org.

Experience Music Project | Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame - Brought to you by Microsoft co-founder, Paul G. Allen, Experience Music Project (EMP) is dedicated to exploring creativity and innovation in American popular music, from rock 'n' roll to jazz, soul, gospel, country, blues, hip-hop, punk and other genres. The Frank O. Gehry-designed, 140,000-square-foot museum features a collection of more than 80,000 artifacts, including one of the world's largest collections of Jimi Hendrix memorabilia.

The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (SFM)opened in June 2004 and is the first and only museum of its kind in the U.S. Co-located with the Experience Music Project on the Seattle Center grounds, this one-of-a-kind collection of artifacts and memorabilia include works by Isaac Asimov, Ursula Le Guin, H.G. Wells, George Lucas, Gene Rodenberry, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg and other luminaries of the genre.

The museums are open daily from May 22 to September 7, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Between September 8 and May 21, hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; first Thursday of every month until 8 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. For more information call (877) EMP-SFM1 or visit www.empsfm.org.

The Museum of Flight - From the Wright brothers to outer space, the wonder of flight comes alive at one of the world’s largest air and space museums. With more than 150 historic aircraft on display, interactive exhibits and special programs and events, the Museum of Flight offers an exciting experience the whole family can enjoy. Museum exhibits include a retired British Airways Concorde jetliner, one of three in the U.S. on display, and the Personal Courage Wing which showcases 28 rare and restored World War I and II fighter aircraft. Open daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; first Thursday of every month until 9 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. For more information call (206) 764-5720 or visit www.museumofflight.org.

Pacific Science Center - Following the closing ceremonies of the 1962 World's Fair, the United States Science Pavilion became the first U.S. museum founded as a science and technology center, known today as the Pacific Science Center. The hands-on learning center for both children and adults offers permanent and traveling exhibits. Permanent exhibits feature an interactive dinosaur display, Tropical Butterfly House, Insect Village, Puget Sound Model and Saltwater Tide Pool, plus other exhibits showcasing animals, technology and more. Two IMAX theaters showcase the latest in big-screen and 3-D films; the Boeing IMAX Theatre features a screen six stories high and 80 feet wide, with 12,000 watts of stereo sound. Open Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information call (206) 443-2001 or visit www.pacsci.org.

Seattle Aquarium - The Seattle Aquarium reopened to the public in 2007 after a remodel and expansion. The newest exhibit is a 40-foot, 55,000-lb. viewing window into a 120,000-gallon aquarium filled with salmon, colorful rockfish, vibrant sea anemones, other native Washington marine life and interactive divers. Other exhibits include two pools filled with sea anemones and sea stars that feature touch zones, a Sixgill Shark Research exhibit, marine mammals and an underwater dome, the aquarium's largest exhibit. The aquarium is located on Seattle's waterfront at Pier 59, just down the hillclimb stairs from Pike Place Market. Gates are open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with exhibits closing at 6 p.m. For more information call (206) 386-4300 or visit www.seattleaquarium.org.

Space Needle - A legacy of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, the 605-foot Space Needle observation tower is an ever-futuristic icon of Seattle. The Space Needle features an observation deck at the 520-foot level with 360-degree views of the Seattle skyline, Puget Sound and the Cascade and Olympic Mountains. Just below, SkyCity restaurant rotates on the hour and specializes in Pacific Northwest cuisine. A gift store is located in the Space Needle lobby. The observation deck and lobby are open Monday-Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m and Sundays 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. SkyCity is open for lunch Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., dinner Sunday-Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 9:45 p.m. SkyCity also offers brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. For more information call (206) 905-2111 or visit www.spaceneedle.com.

Ride the Ducks of Seattle - Tour Seattle by land and sea with Ride the Ducks. The tour features vintage DUKW vehicles ("Ducks"), amphibious landing crafts developed by the United States Army during World War II. The Seattle tour encompasses downtown Seattle and Lake Union. Duck schedules vary throughout the year. Summer tours currently depart daily every half hour from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call for the most up-to-date schedule. For more information call (206) 441-DUCK or (800) 817-1116 or visit www.ridetheducksofseattle.com.

Seattle Mariners' Safeco Field - Visit the home of the Seattle Mariners. The tour includes areas of the ballpark that are not normally open to the public, such as the press box, luxury suites, field, dugout and visitor's clubhouse. Hours and dates vary; Adult tickets are $9 and children's tickets are $7. Tickets can be purchased by calling (206) 622-4427.

Seattle Bug Safari - Seattle Bug Safari is a bug zoo where Seattle tourists and kids of all ages can experience the exotic world of insects. The Safari Guides lead fun educational journeys through the habitat of bugs from all over the world. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., hours vary on Mondays. Closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. For more information call (206) 285-BUGS (2847) or visit www.seattlebugsafari.com.

Seattle Children's Theatre - Seattle Children’s Theatre is the second largest professional children’s theatre in the country and was ranked second among the top five children’s theaters in the nation in 2004 by Time magazine. Plays (many of them world premieres) are written for children of varying ages and their families and are professionally produced on two state-of-the-art stages. 2009 performances include Tomás and the Library Lady, Pharaoh Serket and the Lost Stone of Fire, A Tale of Two Cities, Goodnight Moon and I Was A Rat!. The theatre is open from September through June. Public performances are Friday-Sunday in the afternoon and evenings. For more information call (206) 443-0807 or visit www.sct.org.

Seattle Seahawks' Qwest Field - Visit the home of the Seattle Seahawks. The tour allows fans to sit in a luxury suite, suit up in the visitor's locker room and eventually set foot on the same playing surface as Seahawks players. Adult tickets are $7 and children tickets are $5. Hours vary; check tour availability by calling (206) 381-7582.

Soundbridge Seattle Symphony Music Discovery Center - Soundbridge connects children and adults to symphonic music through educational programming, concerts and interactive exhibits. Visitors can explore instruments, become a conductor at the Virtual Conduction Station and develop musical skills through various computer games.

Other exhibits include a Listening Bar, Science of Sound Wall, Symphonic Music Lives and others. Soundbridge is located in Benaroya Hall and is open daily; hour vary. For more information call (206) 336-6600 or visit www.seattlesymphony.org/soundbridge.

Woodland Park Zoo - Often ranked among the top zoos in the country, Woodland Park is famed for setting international standards for animal care and for its realistic landscape exhibits that allow animals to thrive and be seen in naturalistic environments. Popular exhibits include an African Savanna Safari, Northern Trail, Tropical Rain Forest, "Bug" World, Trail of Vines, Willawong Station and Jaguar Cove. The zoo opens daily at 9:30 a.m. Closing times vary: 4 p.m. October 1 to April 30; 6 p.m. May 1 to September 30. For more information call (206) 548-2500 or visit www.zoo.org.

ATTRACTION PASSES
Seattle CityPass - Visitors wanting the full Seattle experience often choose to purchase a Seattle CityPass to get the most for their money. Included in the CityPass are admission tickets to many of Seattle's most popular attractions including the Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo, Argosy Cruises' Harbor Tour and an option ticket with the choice of visiting The Museum of Flight or Experience Music Project | Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame. If purchased separately, admission to these attractions would total $106.30. As a part of CityPass, the cost is $54 for adults and $39 for children.

CityPass can be purchased at the Seattle Visitor Center & Concierge Services, located in the Washington State Convention & Trade Center's upper Pike Street lobby or any of the CityPass attractions. For more information, visit www.citypass.com.

Go Seattle Card - The all-inclusive Go Seattle Card grants visitors admission to more than 30 of the area's top attractions and tours. Offered by Smart Destinations, the credit-card-sized Go Seattle Card offers simplified access to attractions for a fixed, per-day price (cards are available for one, two, three, five or seven days). Cards are accompanied by Seattle guidebooks and maps to help orient and guide visitors to participating attractions. Savings of up to 20 percent are offered by the card which sells for a low price of $55 for an adult one-day card and $38 for a one-day child card.

The card offers admission to the Space Needle, Underground Tour, Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, Gray Line City Sights Tour, Museum of Flight and other top Seattle attractions. Travelers may purchase the discount card online at www.GoSeattleCard.com.

PUBLIC PARKS
Discovery Park - Discovery Park is located in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood overlooking Puget Sound and the Cascade and Olympic Mountain ranges. Occupying most of the former U.S. Army's Fort Lawton, Discovery Park is Seattle's largest park at 534 square acres. Features include a children's play area, tennis courts, picnic tables, wooded trails and a visitor center. Discovery Park is also home to Seattle's largest great blue heron nesting colony located in Kiwanis Ravine. Stop by the Daybreak Star Cultural Center to view original Native American arts and crafts. Park hours are 6 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Visitor Center hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed holidays. For more information call (206) 386-4236.

Gas Works Park - Gas Works Park, once an old gasification plant that powered most of Seattle in the early 1900s before the import of natural gas, sits on the north tip of Lake Union with picturesque views of downtown Seattle. Portions of the original "Gas Works" remain, including the boiler room which was converted to a picnic shelter with tables, fire grills and an open area. The former exhauster-compressor building is now a large play barn with brightly colored machinery. Park hours are from 4 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. For more information call (206) 684-4075.

Green Lake Park – One of Seattle's most popular parks, Green Lake Park, features a 2.8 mile paved pathway that surrounds a freshwater lake that is popular for walking, running, rollerblading and bike riding.

The park is located north of downtown between the Green Lake, Phinney Ridge and Wallingford neighborhoods. Additional park features include a full basketball court, a seasonal guarded beach area, a hand-carry boat launch and boating area, fishing, an indoor pool, outdoor tennis courts, soccer and baseball fields, golf and a rental facility. The park also boasts Seattle's largest wadding pool, perfect for young children to cool off on hot summer days. The park is open 24 hours. Hours vary for the wadding pool, community center and rental facility. For more information call (206) 684-4075.

KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
Ivar's Acres of Clams - Since 1938, the waterfront location, fresh seafood and award-winning chowder have made Ivar's one of Seattle's favorite traditions. Ivar's serves lunch and dinner, offers an outdoor fish bar and kids menu. For more information call (206) 624-6852 or visit www.ivars.net.

The Crab Pot - Located on Seattle's waterfront, The Crab Pot serves fresh Northwest seafood specializing in "Seafeasts," an assortment of seafood, potatoes, corn on the cob and andouille sausage that is served without plates directly on the table. Other menu items include Dungeness crab, Maine lobster, alder-smoked seafood and fish and chips.

The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner. For more information call (206) 624-1890 or visit www.pier57seattle.com/restaurants.html

Cutters Bayhouse - Featuring fresh seasonal seafood, sushi and a kids menu, Cutters Bayhouse is located next to Pike Place Market with sweeping views of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains. Cutters Bayhouse serves lunch Monday - Saturday, dinner all week and breakfast on the weekends. For more information call (206) 448-4884 or visit www.cuttersbayhouse.com.

SkyCity - Located 500 feet above Seattle, the Space Needle’s rotating restaurant offers 360-degree views and features a Pacific Northwest themed menu, kids menu and a complementary visit to the Observation Deck. SkyCity is open for lunch Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., dinner Sunday-Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 9:45 p.m. SkyCity also offers brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. For more information call (206) 905-2100 or visit www.spaceneedle.com.

HOTEL PACKAGES FOR FAMILIES
Alexis Hotel Seattle - The pet-friendly four-diamond luxury boutique loves families and has a KimptonKids program to prove it along with an accommodations package known as "The Art of Being a Kid." KimptonKids offers amenities such as complimentary cribs, in-room child safety kits, a special welcome gift for each child, child-size animal print robes, babysitting services and more. "The Art of Being a Kid" includes accommodations, two passes to the Seattle Aquarium, art supplies, homemade s'mores and one hour of Nintendo. For more information call (206) 624-4844 or visit www.alexishotel.com.

The Fairmont Olympic Hotel - Upon arrival, children are welcomed with a gift bag filled with toys, travel games and a certificate for milk and cookies from in-room dining at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. The five-diamond hotel offers an "Under the Sea Seattle Aquarium" package that includes two adult and two children's passes to the Seattle Aquarium, one in-room movie per night, $50 in-room dining credit and popcorn and root beer upon arrival and complimentary valet parking. The hotel also features a 42-foot indoor swimming pool. Babysitting services are available, pets up to 15 pounds are welcome and complimentary cribs are available upon request. For more information call (206) 621-1700 or visit www.fairmont.com/seattle.

Hotel Monaco - The stylish, award-winning Hotel Monaco is kid- and pet-friendly with the "SoFISHticated" Family package. The package includes accommodations for one family, two passes to the Seattle Aquarium, a guide to family attractions, a pet goldfish during your stay, goldfish crackers, a plush goldfish toy and one hour of complimentary Nintendo games. Additional Seattle Aquarium tickets may be purchased for $14.40 each for adults and $9.45 each for kids. Also featured is the "Playful Escape" every Friday from 5-6 p.m. Kids and adults are invited to rock out and put their guitar skills to the test with Guitar Hero III. The jam session is located in the lobby with complimentary wine for adults. Complimentary cribs are available upon request. For more information call (206) 621-1770 or visit www.monaco-seattle.com.

Hotel Vintage Park - A four-diamond, European-style hotel known for superior service offers a "Family Affair" package the entire family can enjoy. The package includes a deluxe room with two beds, Pay-Per-View movie, valet parking and a $10 mini-bar credit. The hotel is pet-friendly and children 17 years and younger stay free when accompanied by an adult. Complimentary cribs are available upon request. For more information call (206) 624-8000 or visit www.hotelvintagepark.com.

Mayflower Park Hotel - This historic family-run hotel located in the heart of downtown Seattle welcomes kids of all ages. The hotel offers "Seattle's Family Fun" package which includes two adult and two children tickets to the Pacific Science Center, complimentary valet parking, two insulated kids lunch totes complete with a stuffed animal, crayons and coloring sheets. The package offers the choice of a deluxe guestroom with two queen beds or upgraded suite accommodations with two queen beds. Extra packet tickets are available for additional children. For more information call (206) 382-6990 or visit www.mayflowerpark.com.

Seattle Super Saver
The Seattle Super Saver program, operated by Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, offers an alternative to the mega online hotel bookers with year-around hotel deals from more than 60 Seattle hotels plus a unique package of benefits and services not available via any other third party hotel distribution channel. These include no booking or hidden fees, no pre-payments and no cancellation fees (up to 24 hours prior to check-in). Phone reservationists personally inspect each property and can advise of kid-friendly hotels, hotel features and location, as well as make reservations. Book at www.seattlesupersaver.com or call (800) 535-7071 (from inside the U.S. and Canada) or (206) 461-5882 (from outside the U.S. and Canada). Reservation lines are open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Pacific Time), Monday through Friday.

TRANSPORTATION
Metro Buses - Exploring downtown is convenient and affordable thanks to Metro Transit's Ride Free Area in the downtown core and includes a 1.3-mile bus tunnel that was renovated in September 2007. The tunnel begins at the Convention Place Station on Ninth Ave. and Pine St., runs through the retail core, financial district, Pioneer Square and ends in the International District. The tunnel is open Monday-Saturday from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday 6 a.m. to midnight. For those who want to explore outside the downtown area, the fare is $1.75 for adults and $.75 for children 6-17 years of age between off-peak hours and $2 for adults, $.75 for children during peak hours. All-day passes are also available on weekends. For more information visit www.transit.metrokc.gov.

South Lake Union Streetcar - Seattle's newest edition to public transportation, the streetcar traverses the South Lake Union neighborhood through the Denny Triangle, ending in the downtown core area. The streetcar runs daily 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Adult fare is $1.50 one-way and children are $.50 one-way. For more information visit www.seattlestreetcar.org.

The Seattle Center Monorail - For a quick, inexpensive trip between downtown Seattle and the Seattle Center try the monorail. A round trip ticket is $4 for adults, $1.50 for children and $2 for seniors. Terminals are located on the upper level of Westlake Center and at the Seattle Center near the Space Needle. Hours are 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. For more information visit www.seattlemonorail.com.

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