14+ Great Activities in Seattle

Seattle Glassblowing studio-This was my favorite activity from our whole trip. It cost a lot, but about as much as if we had bought the items that were designed and created by somebody else. They are pros and you don't need to be afraid to try this. They will make sure you are safe and explain each step very clearly. You can see the glass I made and the candy bowl my mom made above. https://seattleglassblowing.com/

Chihuly Garden & Glass- I took so many pictures here, and none of them really reflect how beautiful they are in person. He is really one of my favorite artist. It is close to the Space Needle and the MPOP Museum, so you might do all three while in the area. If you are going to do all of them you might consider the Seattle City Pass to save a little money. https://www.chihulygardenandglass.com/

Seattle Locks Cruise- This is a 2 hour cruise that either starts at the waterfront and ends at Lake Union or starts at the Lake and ends at the waterfront depending on which cruise time you choose, so make sure you pick the right one for you itinerary. We started at the waterfront and our tour guide Lars did an excellent job of giving us information as we sailed. We learned about the waterfront as we were in the Pudget Sound, we then turned into the river and that is where the locks get you from sea level to the lake level, which is an engineering marvel (at least to me). You go by fancy yachts, tug boats, house boats, floating homes (they will explain the difference) as you end up in Lake Union and you can see some sea planes landing and taking off which is really cool. If you are a Sleepless in Seattle fan the house from the movie is viewable from this tour. If you did get the Seattle City Pass, this is an small upgrade from the cruise that is included with that pass. I personally think it was worth it. https://www.argosycruises.com/cruises/locks-cruise/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23771065678&gbraid=0AAAAADbb-j2RqgA_UVe4x5uIROTsQt3fa&gclid=CjwKCAjw9szSBhBNEiwAC57Sq73iOFDYFVWjkG9cUMDy_MxVFLr8QPbRAqVZR5YVYSurBQeRbWvMsRoCIdUQAvD_BwE

Space Needle- Is Seattle even Seattle without the Space Needle? It was built for the 1962 Worlds Fair. It now is a landmark that instantly identifies Seattle. Some will argue that there are better views from other areas or buildings in the city, but I think it is something that you need to do at least once. We were so lucky and it was a very clear day when we went and we could see Mt. Rainer. Don't forget to get a pie at the top. They are delicious and not as overpriced as you would think given the location. The elevator will take you to the top with the outdoor observation deck, but you should also go down one floor to see the glass floor. This level also rotates. https://www.spaceneedle.com/

Chinatown and Seattle Pinball Museum- Lots of great and interesting things to do in this area of town. Start at the gate. Go to a bakery, you will not be sorry. When you need a break from eating delicious foods, go to the Seattle Pinball Museum and play your way through history. The great thing is you pay a flat rate to play all day, so if you are terrible at pinball like me you will not be out of all you money in minutes. Before leaving Chinatown take time to explore the Kinokuniya Bookstore and the Uwajimaja grocery store.

https://www.fujibakeryinc.com/

https://seattlepinballmuseum.com/

https://usa.kinokuniya.com/

https://www.uwajimaya.com/

National Nordic Museum and Frankie Feetsplinter- If you are a fan of the Thomas Dambo Trolls there is one in front of the National Nordic Museum and it is the easiest one to access in Seattle if you don't have a car (and we didn't). After you see the troll. Go in the National Nordic Museum. It is affordable and very interesting information about Nordic people and their immigration to the United States. They also have a cafe with Nordic treats to try. https://nordicmuseum.org/

Underground Tour- There are two companies offering tours, Bill Spediel's World's Famous Underground Tour and Beneath the Streets. We did Bill's. Our tour guide was a bit over the top for us, but not sure how the other company is. Interesting information that tells the story of how Seattle had a rough start.

https://undergroundtour.com/

https://www.beneath-the-streets.com/

Fremont Troll- The Fremont Troll is large. He would rank higher on the list but there isn't too much to do but snap a picture with him. There is a little garden to walk around and the neighborhood of Fremont is interesting and nice to stroll through.

Smith Tower- This is a vintage building with historic information. You walk through a small museums to a marble hallway and staircase to the original elevators. There are a few more informational rooms on the way. Then you take the elevator to the top. There is a bar up top, but it was rented for a private event when we went. You can walk around and see information on what you are seeing. There are bars, so my photos did not come out the best. https://www.smithtower.com/

Pike Place Market- This is another one that is on every Seattle list. I would argue that is for a reason. It is crowded, it has a lot of stairs, but it is very cool. Lots of shopping and food. We had a Chowder Sampler and Ginger beer. You also should go and see the gum wall and visit the pigs. https://www.pikeplacemarket.org/

Can Can Seattle- This is a fun show, but not for everyone. Know that there will be sexual jokes and some partial nudity. The performers were fun. They sang and danced well and it was energetic through out. The drinks and food were okay, but you are really here for the show. The shows change frequently so there is reason to come again even if you have already been. https://www.cancanseattle.com/

Flagstick Pub- They have two locations in Seattle. We went to the one in Pioneer Square. There is Mini Golf and a game called Flagstick which is like a shuffle board version on mini golf. Both are fun and you can enjoy food and drinks while you play. https://flatstickpub.com/pioneer-square/

Waterfront and the Great Wheel- This is somewhere you will most likely vistit when you go to Seattle. It is right by Pike Place Market. It has art, the ocean, people watching, the Great Wheel and the Aquarium. The Great Wheel will give you good views, but I am not sure if it is worth the price. You go around about 5 times and are on it for about 20 minutes. I was underwhelmed by the Aquarium. There were some cool parts, but for some reason I expected more. There are three buildings and the space did not seem very well used in my opinion. There are lots of activities for children, so maybe that is more the focus and why I was not as impressed. It was included on the City Pass, so if you are getting a City Pass, I would say it isn't a waste of time or money.

https://seattlegreatwheel.com/

https://www.seattleaquarium.org/

Alternative- Not in Seattle but nearby- Whale Watching- This isn't in Seattle so this is why it wasn't officially on the list. This was about 1 hr north by public transit. The weather was cold so dress warm. You can see whales from inside the boat but the view is much better from outside. The boat was extremely comfortable. They have a marine biologist to tell you all about the whales and answer any questions you might have. There are four types of Whales you can see in the area and we saw three of them on our trip! The video above is for the Orcas we saw. They had two babies with them, one of which was less than a month old and we were one of the first tours to see it. Very good time if you enjoy nature. https://www.pugetsoundexpress.com/

Honorable Mention 1- Seattle Monorail - This is a short trip and you can walk the route in about the same amount of time it takes to ride it. It is fun though, it goes through the MPOP building and you get to see the small section of the city from a different view. If it makes sense in your itinerary, I would do it, but I would not go too far out of the way to ride it.

Honorable Mention 2- Banana Stand - Are you like me? Do you give Amazon a lot of your hard earned money? If you are in the area stop by to see the Amazon Spheres from the outside. They do tours of the inside once a month for those with reservations. Monday through Friday during work hours you can go by the banana stand and grab a free banana. You did kind of already pay for it. The day I went they had some of their technology on display also, like their delivery van and a drone. Not sure if those are always there.