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If your travels take you to the Pacific Northwest, I’m sure that means you’ll be setting foot in Seattle. Here are 25 free things to do in Seattle so that you can enjoy the interesting culture of this coastal seaport!
Top 25 FREE Things to Do in Seattle
Pike Place Market
Even if you don’t want to buy anything, browse farmers market and craft stands for a fun start to your morning. The market starts serving breakfast at 6 AM and vendors start setting up around 9 AM.
The Seattle Waterfront
This is a good place to start your trip. You can take a walk with the bay on one side and the skyline peeking over the other. Plus there’s a lot going on in this part of the city, so entertainment wont be scarce.
Olympic Sculpture Park
A fun public park right on the waterfront. Plus you can take a FREE tour for some Seattle history and learn more about the park’s sculptures. They also offer a self-guided tour through an app!
Dress up the People Waiting for the Interurban
A sculpture called People Waiting for the Interurban is located at Fremont Avenue N. & N. 34th Street. It’s not the prettiest of landmarks, but people have had fun dressing the 5 figures up and taking pictures. Get creative!
Coffee Shop Play Places
If you enjoy coffee but your kids definitely do not, check out the many coffee shops with indoor play places. You can sip your precious caffeine and try to wake up why your kids tire themselves out a bit in the shops’ indoor play places!
Free Rowboat Rentals
The Center For Wooden Boats offers free one-hour rentals of one of their Peapod Rowboats.
Seattle Art Museum
This amazing museum is free on the first Thursday of every month.
Ballard Locks
The Ballard Locks is a manmade connection between the salty Puget Sound and the fresh water of Lake Washington. Watch boats pass through and look through the glass of the fish ladder at salmon passes through the locks (Fish migration is seasonal).
Free Outdoor Summer Concerts
There are lots of options throughout the city to listen to free music over the summer!
Seattle Symphony
Check the community calendar for places where the Seattle Symphony is performing free concerts throughout the area.
Frye Art Museum
Always free! A contemporary art museum that exhibits emerging artists and whose collections span back to the late 19th century.
The Fremont Troll
Take a picture with this strange monument that is hiding under the Aurora Bridge.
Klondike Gold Rush Museum
This National Historic site is FREE and shares all the history of the gold rush during the 19th century.
Ye Olde Curiosity Shop
This was an old trading post during the Alaskan Gold Rush and is now a museum/store. See all the weird stuff they have for sale for free or buy something as a souvenir.
Volunteer Park Conservatory
Free admission on the first Thursday and Saturday of each month. Enjoy the flowers, greenery, and architecture of this Victorian glass greenhouse.
Kelsey Creek Farm
A ways out from the city, you can escape the urban setting for a day at the farm. See animals and enjoy the fresh air or pay a little extra for a farm tour or day camp for the kids.
The Seattle Center
Get great pictures of the towering Space Needle and tons of free attractions for kids or adults.
Bryant Neighborhood Playground
A neighborhood park with basketball, tennis courts, and a playground. Take a break from trekking around the city and have a picnic lunch!
Farrel McWhirter Farm Park
Another freebie outside the city! For free, explore the surrounding woods, see their wide array of animals and have lunch out on the farm. Another good way to distract the kids after a long day in the city.
Original Starbucks
This one’s for coffee lovers. Take a picture at the first ever Starbucks. It’s in a historical section of the city so it retains its original look.
Pioneer Square
Seattle’s first neighborhood and a great place to visit and talk a walk. It was leveled in a fire, but was built up even better than its former glory. Artists make this area their home to show off while beautifying the neighborhood!
Alki Beach Park
A beach park where you can watch Seattle’s skyline fade away as the sun sets.
Chinatown-International District
Find cheap food and an array of Asian cultures and art in this district. It’s another part of Seattle that is worth taking a stroll through.
Discovery Park
People who have visited this park say its the best place for hikes through the woods and walks on the beach without getting to far from the city.
Washington Park Aboretum
This beautiful park and botanic gardens will entrance even the most reluctant nature lovers.
