Seattle, Washington Family Vacation
View of downtown Seattle, Washington city skyline and Olympic Structure Park from the Puget Sound
Known as the Emerald City, Seattle is a historic minefield with plenty of family-friendly attractions.
Know Before You Go
If you are traveling by car, download the Spot Hero app to find parking. It is free and easy to use and can help guarantee a spot for you to save time circling around garages and city roads through traffic.
Plan on a lot of walking downtown. Wear good shoes and consider a stroller, baby carrier, or other wheeled device for kids who may need it. Also consider using the Seattle Monorail for getting from the Downtown Pier and the Seattle Center (Space Needle), as it is free for kids under 5 and inexpensive for family use!
Washington State is a higher sales tax state, so factor this into the overall costs of food, shopping, hotels, and extras. Also be aware of the gas prices compared to your area as they tend to be higher.
Where to Stay
Courtyard Marriott Seattle Northgate
Price savings often come with location, and we chose accordingly. Since we drove into town, we chose a hotel further from the city center for savings purposes. This hotel is north of downtown with easy freeway access as well as multiple stores and restaurants nearby, some in walking distance. The rooms were clean and well-maintained.
Some cons for our purposes included no continental breakfast, a very small mini fridge, and only 1 elevator for the hotel, which ended up making waiting for it surprisingly long. Parking spaces were also very small for our SUV, so this is a factor to consider.
Where To Eat
As always, we utilized our tried-and-true stop at grocery stores for quick grab-and-go snacks, breakfasts, and even hotel dinners. Seattle is large enough to have many grocery options, but we chose a smaller grocer near us called QFC Grocery. Our family chose some easy dinners in the hotel, including pre-made sandwiches and packaged snacks, as well as some microwavable meals. Our fridge was smaller and kept us from keeping too many options on hand, so we made several stops through the trip.
Alaskan Sourdough Company
On Pier 57 near the Seattle Great Wheel, this local bakery serves amazing sourdough bread based dishes. The french toast was divine and the favorite according to the employee is the Klondike cold sandwich. They also sell bakery items individually so you can take some back to munch on at a later time. Grab and go or sit in their lovely cafe for a quick lunch.
Armory Food Court
Located near the Space Needle in the City Center, this food court is full of great local food choices and a few well known family favorites and is sure to please anyone. We enjoyed the Cool Guys Fry Bar and Kebab Mediterranean. This was a great stop for our lunch on our day spent at this location.
Patty’s Eggnest
A cute local breakfast diner, the food was excellent and cooked to order with plenty of ability to customize. The kids enjoyed their pancake spread, Jeremy enjoyed a good old fashioned breakfast skillet, and I loved the veggie omelet.
BurgerMaster
New to us, this was a fun fast food joint with a similar feel to Sonic but with a more local set menu. I recommend the turkeymaster and Jeremy enjoyed the double baconmaster, the kids ate their chicken strips and kids burger.
Where To Play
Seattle is full of unique and family-friendly attractions! To help make it to all the amazing places, we recommend using the Seattle CityPASSfor serious savings! Their easy-to-follow directions for utilizing the ticketing system for each individual location will guide you on how to structure your days. We utilized this pass to see the majority of our recommendations below.
Space Needle
You can’t say you’ve seen Seattle without a ride up the Space Needle, right?! We were lucky enough to see Mt Rainier peeking out of the clouds on our visit, which made us feel like real locals! To plan your visit, check their hours of operation and see the info on the recently renovated Loupe Lounge.
Included in Seattle CityPASS
Artists At Play Playground
Sitting just north of the Space Needle, this park was a fun place to wait for our ticketed times for both the Space Needle and the Chihuly Glass Museum. The MoPOP museum is next door as well as the Seattle Monorail, making for a lot of visual beauty and plenty to keep the kids entertained. I will say the playground is mostly built for older kids, around 5+, so be aware of that when planning.
Chihuly Glass Museum
Hands down this was my favorite location we visited in Seattle. The glasswork was incredible, and even the kids could understand the work that went into it, and they were fascinated. There is a small theatre in the museum which was a great spot for taking a break from walking and helped educate all of us on the work glass making requires. We spent about 2 hours here, and I highly recommend giving your younger kids a camera of some kind to take photos with so they won’t be as tempted to touch or climb anything.
Included in Seattle CityPASS
Argosy Cruise
This harbor cruise was included in our City Pass and made for a great midday break to sit, eat a snack, and relax. The kids were contained in the ship and we were able to rest our feet while still exploring. Be sure to plan tickets ahead of time and I would recommend doing this with your kids only after they have been chasing up and down somewhere and need a break, otherwise it will be a very long hour of chaos.
Can be included in Seattle CityPASS
Seattle Aquarium
Located north of Pier 57, this small-but-mighty aquarium is well put together and highly educational. The kids were able to see almost all the animals shown and they were very active on our visit. Definitely fit this into your day spent at Pier 57 and Pike’s Marketplace.
Included in Seattle CityPASS
Seattle Great Wheel
After recent renovations, the Seattle Great Wheel at Pier 57 is ready to go! Fun during the day, but also a breathtaking sight during their evening light shows on the weekends. The lines can be long for riding the wheel, but if you’d rather just hang out around the pier, its a great spot for photos and the kids will love seeing all the fun shops nearby.
Pier 57
Famous for housing the Great Wheel, this pier has plenty of family fun for all! A plethora of food options, an arcade, a carousel, shopping, and beautiful views of the Puget Sound.
Pike Market Place
The famous market of the PNW, it truly lives up to the hype. Stop and see Billie the Piggy Bank statue, explore the vendors, and snag a photo in front of the famous Pike Market sign. For kids, I highly recommend bringing a stroller or wagon to this location, though plan on it being a lighter option to fold up and carry up the many stairs you may need to walk along the waterfront.
Woodland Park Zoo
Located in a park north of Seattle Downtown, this incredibly large zoo has a wide variety of animals. Plan to have or rent some kind of stroller or wagon for the kids, and review the map for route planning, especially if you want to see everything. The historic carousel was a huge hit with the littles!
Can be included in Seattle CityPASS
Golden Gardens Park + Beach
A locally-loved beach for its easy access, beautiful views of the Puget Sound, and inexpensive locally run food shops, the kids played for hours in the water and Jeremy was able to get in some beach volleyball. We loved this so much we came back a couple times to blow off some steam before bed time and have an easy + inexpensive dinner. The playground is extensive and has great options for all ages of kids.
Alki Beach
Another recommended local beach, Alki Beach is on the south side of the Puget Sound. It is a longer but slimmer beach with plenty of local eateries, a bike/walking path, and some volleyball courts available. Parking is street only and can be hard to come by but we were able to snag a spot close to the water.
Additional Seattle CityPASS options
Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)
Located at the foot of the Space Needle, the museum is huge and full of plenty of history for all to explore. Plan and be prepared to spend plenty of time getting lost here, and consider packing a meal to eat in the Artists At Play park afterwards.
Pacific Science Center
Located near the Space Needle, this science center will be a huge hit for families, with plenty of hands-on experiences, IMAX shows, Laser Dome, and plenty more to explore. This is another multi-hour event that will be a huge hit with little scientists of any age.
Museum of Flight
A short drive from Seattle Downtown along the South I5, this museum is a must-see for any budding aircraft lover! This is an expansive museum (it has to be for the planes to fit inside!) and it will be possible for a whole day’s activities. They also have a location for eating your own lunch while still being in the museum (one of our best family budget ideas!).
Seattle Art Museum
This beautiful museum will be loved by all ages, with plenty to explore. Along with their main location a few short blocks from the Seattle Great Wheel, they also have the Seattle Asian Art museum within driving distance above Capitol Hill. And be sure to search for free family events happening in Olympic Structure Park along the pier south of the Space Needle conglomerate.
Sky View Observatory
This amazing view of the harbor from 73 stories up is a great option for those who want more modern architecture in their experience of Seattle. Be sure to plan ahead for their hours and booking according to CityPASS, and know that they have the right to change hours for any reason.
Additional Places to Visit
Seattle Children’s Museum
Recommended for ages 0-10, this museum’s day pass includes in-and-out privileges, making it easy to grab lunch on the go nearby, see other attractions in the Space Needle conglomerate, and keep things moving for everyone to have fun.
Seattle Children’s Theater
For great and age appropriate theater productions for young families, this is a must-check for your time in Seattle. Plan ahead as their shows sell out!
Freemont Troll
This Seattle landmark is full of fun and whimsy, making it a great family stop. Located in Troll’s Knoll Park, this Troll literally is under the bridge.
For a lighthouse lover, remember to stop at the West Point Lighthouse and walk the grounds. This lighthouse can also be seen during the Argosy Tour of the Sound.
Overall Reflections
A great family adventure, this city is customizable to personal interests, ages of the group, and a great spot to visit or start a PNW coastal adventure.
