Activities and Attractions
Indoor Activities:
You may have heard it rains a bit in Seattle, but not to worry, there are plenty of indoor activities to enjoy on those not so pleasant weather days!
Cruises:
Because Seattle is surrounded by both fresh and salt bodies of water, cruises are a great way to spend a day or evening.
Tours:
Whether you’re showing out of town guests the sites of Seattle, or taking a day tour for your own enjoyment, Seattle offers a variety of ways to see the city. Try the traditional bus tour, or get a little “quacky” and take a ride on the duck tour. Although many think of the Pike Place Market as an outdoor market, it is really open air with plenty of cover, so it’s a great place to spend the day, no matter what the weather. Be sure not to miss the Savory Seattle Food Tour of Pike Place Market if you’re down there. Anyone who’s flown in an airplane, or merely heard of airplanes, is familiar with The Boeing Company. Acclaimed as one of Seattle’s best tours is the tour of the Boeing plant to see how it’s all done, from start to flying. But, if you’re more of an outdoors person, but can’t find a dry rock to climb on some Seattle days, not to worry - you’re in luck! Seattle’s Stone Gardens provides plenty of opportunity to climb indoors.
Arcades:
The Seattle Center offers plenty of indoor rides and arcade games year round in the Fun Forest, as well as the high acclaimed and high energy Game Works in the downtown area.
Indoor Exploration:
Sitting on the Puget Sound, Seattle’s Aquarium offers a window to the undersea world, and makes a great outing for the family. Kids from 2 – 92 can find something to capture their imagination at the Pacific Science Center where you can wander through dinosaur sculptures or a butterfly sanctuary, or try your hand at a myriad of scientific experiments from weather prediction to gravity to magnetism. The truly hands on nature of the science center makes it a captivating way to spend an afternoon. After wandering through the science exhibits, relax at the IMAX theatre, or if you’re a music buff, take in Paul Allen’s Experience Music Project.
Outdoor Activities:
Surrounded by water and the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges make Seattle a virtual Mecca for outdoor activities.
Hiking:
You may be ready for serious mountaineering on the face of Mt. Rainier, or you may just want a day hike through the local hills and along breathtaking rivers, complete with waterfalls. The Seattle area, extending throughout Washington, offers something for every level of interest.
Kayaking:
The San Juan Islands provide a rich environment for sea kayaking that will take your breath away. Spend the day among breaching orcas and soaring eagles – all from a kayak.
Biking:
Biking is a growing sport in the northwest offering day rides along the Burke Gillman Trail that stretches from Redmond to Seattle, or the Interurban Trail that stretches from the Seattle area north to Bellingham. Of course there are more competitive venues with the Seattle to Portland Race or other local biking events to benefit local charities. But, not to worry if street biking isn’t your gig. The hills and mountains offer plenty of extreme mountain biking for the adrenaline junkies out there.
Boating:
Boating in Seattle can mean taking a casual cruise to a local restaurant for dinner, chartering a fishing boat to catch the big one, sailing or yachting to the beautiful San Juan Islands, or trying your hand at a flip with a grab on a wake board behind a speed boat on Lake Washington. Pretty much, there is something for everyone!
Camping:
There are many options for camping in the Seattle area. You may prefer a quiet spot next to a river, or a large state park with all the amenities. Regardless of your taste in camping experiences, you’ll have no trouble finding new places to go all year long.
Rock Climbing:
The mountains surrounding Seattle provide a rich environment for rock climbers of all skill and experience levels. You can independently tackle a steep face, spend a weekend, or a guided half day climb. The possibilities are endless.
Snow Related Activities:
There are six challenging ski resorts within three hours of Seattle, so whether you’re a downhill, cross country, or snowboarding person, you’ll never want for more terrain. Additionally, the world renowned and host of the 2010 Winter Olympics, Whistler/ Blackcomb resorts are only a four hour drive away.
River Floats/ Whitewater Rafting:
When the snow melts off the Cascades, the rivers get full and fast, so if you’re into white water, or even just want a meandering float, the pacific northwest is a great place.
Fishing:
Boarding the Pacific Ocean makes the Seattle area a great place to drop a line off a pier for dinner, or charter a boat to fill the freezer.
Whale Watching:
The warm waters of the Puget Sound area from April through September bring the Orca pods from South America each year. Focused on the San JuanIslands, there are all kinds of whale watching opportunities available.
Top Attractions:
Have you ever wondered what are the best, most interesting activities/ attractions in the Seattle area? Well, wonder no more. Listed in alphabetical order, the following are Seattle’s most often visited and raved about attractions:
Hiking
Argosy Cruises
Discovery Park
Experience Music Project
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
Museum of Flight
Sculpture Park
Pacific Science Center
Pike Place Market
Science Fiction Museum
Space Needle
Woodland Park Zoo
Parks:
Whether you’re looking for a playground to take the kids, or a national park to hike, explore, and camp in, the Seattle area offers every kind of park experience you could imagine. With the Rainier National Park, the Olympic National Forest, and the North Cascades National Park, the greater Puget Sound area is rich with adventure opportunities. But, if you’re just looking for a place to enjoy lunch outside in the down town area, waterfront parks along the Puget Sound, or fresh water along Lake Washington, you won’t have to look far.
Some of the more popular Seattle area parks are:
Hiking:
You may be ready for serious mountaineering on the face of Mt. Rainier, or you may just want a day hike through the local hills and along breathtaking rivers, complete with waterfalls. The Seattle area, extending throughout Washington, offers something for every level of interest.
Alki Beach Park
Discovery Park
Gas Works Park
Green Lake
Golden Gardens
The Japanese Garden
The Kubota Garden
Myrtle Edwards Park
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
Seward Park
Volunteer Park
Washington Park Arboretum
Arts and Entertainment
Theatre:
From contemporary to classic, Seattle offers a vibrant theatre life to all audiences.
The Paramount:
The Seattle Theatre Group (STG) is a not-for-profit performing arts organization dedicated to operating Seattle's historic Paramount & Moore Theatres, presenting diverse programming and maintaining extensive Education & Community Programs. We are committed to keeping these theatres alive and vibrant with a broad range of performing arts that enriches our community in so many ways.
The 5th AVE:
Since 1926, the magnificent 5th Avenue Theatre has captivated audiences with music, drama and laughter. Today, we proudly produce top-quality musical revivals, premieres of bound-for-Broadway shows, and present touring Broadway musicals. We also host a variety of special events, and offer a number of education and outreach programs to school-age children and adults.
The Seattle Repertory Theatre,
founded in 1963, is led by Artistic Director David Esbjornson and Managing Director Ben Moore. One of America's premier non-profit resident theatres, Seattle Repertory Theatre has achieved international renown for its consistently high production and artistic standards, and was awarded the 1990 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. With an emphasis on plays of true dramatic and literary worth, Seattle Rep produces a season of plays on two stages along with educational programs and new play workshops.
ACT
has been finding, creating and sharing contemporary theatre with audiences since 1965. ACT made history as the first theatre in Seattle dedicated to producing contemporary plays, and we’re still making history as the most welcoming development house for new plays around. With our multiple stages and diversity of work, ACT keeps you intimately involved with new theatre.
Seattle Children's Theatre
performs in the Charlotte Martin and Eve Alvord Theatres from September through June. Throughout our history, SCT has developed and improved the caliber of plays available for young audiences in the United States and abroad, developing and producing over 90 new works.
Galleries:
Seattle is replete with art galleries displaying contemporary art, traditional fine art, glass art, prints, paintings, sculpture, fine art photography, and others. Native to Seattle, Dale Chihuly’s work is outstanding (displayed below). If you are a serious collector or just enjoy looking at art, Seattle will not disappoint you!
Museums:
Seattle has a wide variety of museums to offer to the visiting tourist, or to the local resident who loves anything from art to history and culture to science fiction to flight. There is also a wonderful Children’s Museum that is fun and interactive for kids of all ages.
Seattle Art Museum
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Children’s Museum
Wing Luke Asian Museum
Science Fiction Museum
Ballet:
Pacific Northwest Ballet, one of the largest and most highly regarded ballet companies in the United States, was founded in 1972. In July 2005, Peter Boal became Artistic Director, succeeding Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, Co-Artistic Directors since 1977. The Company of forty-four dancers presents more than 100 performances each year of full-length and mixed repertory ballets at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall and on tour. The Company has toured to Europe, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada and throughout the United States, with celebrated appearances at Jacob’s Pillow and in New York City and Washington DC.
Seattle Opera:
Seattle Opera strives to produce musically extraordinary, theatrically compelling operas, employing uniformly high-quality casts, dramatically aware conductors, and innovative yet textually concerned directors and designers. By continuing our emphasis on the work of Richard Wagner and by achieving national and international recognition for the quality of all of our performances, Seattle Opera commits itself to advancing the cultural life of the Pacific Northwest.
Seattle Symphony:
Seattle Symphony, a vital part of the Pacific Northwest cultural scene, is recognized for its extraordinary performances, programming, recordings and community engagement. With a dedicated subscriber base of more than 36,000 patrons, the Symphony performs or presents nearly 220 performances annually to an audience of more than 315,000 people. Last season, Seattle Symphony won its first Emmy Award for the self-produced television special, Seattle Symphony From Benaroya Hall.
Professional Sports:
Regardless of the sport, Seattle has the team. Known as the loudest stadium in the country, Quest field, where the Seahawks play, is an experience in itself. Safeco Field, where the Mariners play is a breathtaking, state of the art with some old world charm, baseball stadium.
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Super Sonics
Seattle Storm
Seattle Mariners
Seattle Sounders
Seattle Thunderbirds
Shopping
Seattle's downtown shopping district is a compact square of several blocks with brand names like Urban Outfitters, Gap and Nordstorm. Fashion boutiques like Betsy Johnson and Isadora's Antique Clothing dot the urban landscape and offer Seattle shoppers more eclectic options. Downtown Seattle shopping can feel like Fifth Avenue, especially as you stroll by fashion stars like The Banana Republic or Nike, each occupying their own buildings. Westlake Center Plaza, a nearby mall, features local and international home designers as well as a top floor food consortium. If the Seattle rain catches you, shoppers can duck into Pacific Place and shop at Ann Taylor and J. Crew or catch an afternoon flick on the top floor movie theatre. Seattle shoppers tired of schlepping around their shopping bags can unwind at the many fine high-end spas and salons or duck in for a latte at Nordstrom Cafe.
Outside of the downtown area, there are malls in every direction. With Southcenter to the south of the city, Redmond Town Center and Bellevue Square to the east, and Northgate and Alderwood Malls to the north, there is plenty of shopping for everyone.
- NUMBER1EXPERTS™ 
