Seattle With Kids: A Rainy-Day-Proof City Guide

The best things to do in Seattle with kids are the Seattle Aquarium on the waterfront, the Pacific Science Center and the Monorail at Seattle Center, the Museum of Flight, Woodland Park Zoo, Pike Place Market, and a ferry ride across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island, where kids under 19 ride free as walk-on passengers. Seattle is a strong city for families because its best sights work in the rain. Build each day around one indoor anchor, add something outdoors when the weather breaks, and a wet forecast never ruins the trip.

Know before you go

Plan for drizzle, not a washout. Seattle’s rain tends to be light and steady rather than stormy, and locals simply carry on. Dress small children for it and you’ll be outside far more than you expect. A one-piece rain suit like the OAKI Rain and Trail Suit lets a toddler sit in a wet playground without a full change of clothes afterwards. My toddler packing list has the rest of the layering kit.

Summer is the easy season. Long, dry days make July and August the simplest time to visit with kids, and the zoo and parks are at their best. Autumn through spring is still very doable if you lean on the indoor list below.

Group days by area. Downtown and the waterfront (the aquarium, Pike Place, the ferry), Seattle Center (the science center, the Space Needle), and the north end (the zoo) are three natural days. The Museum of Flight, south of downtown, is a fourth.

Rain-proof anchors (indoors)

1. The Seattle Aquarium

The first stop for most families. The Seattle Aquarium now spans three buildings on one ticket: historic Pier 59, Pier 60 and the newer Ocean Pavilion. It is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with last entry at 5 p.m. Kids 3 and under are always free, and ages 4 to 12 get reduced prices. Buy timed tickets online ahead of time, and arrive at opening for the quietest hour with little ones. You can re-enter the buildings as often as you like on the day, which makes a mid-visit lunch break easy.

2. Pacific Science Center

The Pacific Science Center at Seattle Center is a hands-on science museum with a planetarium and a Tropical Butterfly House. Plan around three details:

It is open Wednesday to Sunday only, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Planetarium and daytime laser shows are included with admission but need free timed tickets, handed out on site, first come, first served. Grab them when you arrive.
Strollers are not allowed in the Tropical Butterfly House, with stroller parking nearby, so bring a carrier for a baby.

Enter through the north entrance in Seattle Center, near the Armory, because the Denny Way entrance is closed.

3. The Museum of Flight

The answer for any child who loves planes, and an excellent rainy-day pick. The Museum of Flight is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Children 4 and under are free, and parking is free. Admission is free for everyone from 5 to 9 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month. It is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The museum is south of downtown, so it’s a half-day with a car.

4. A note on the Seattle Children’s Museum

Many lists still recommend the children’s museum at Seattle Center. As of October 2026, the Seattle Children’s Museum says it is temporarily closed, with no reopening date given. Check its site before you build a toddler day around it, and use the Pacific Science Center instead.

Outdoors when the rain stops

5. Woodland Park Zoo

Seattle’s big zoo is in the north of the city. The Woodland Park Zoo lists daily hours of 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. from September 8, 2026 to April 30, 2027, and 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer. Children 12 and under must be with an adult at all times. Go at opening on a dry morning; the early afternoon closing time in the cool season means a late start leaves very little zoo.

6. Pike Place Market

The Pike Place Market has been a public farmers market since 1907. For kids, it’s flying fish, piles of fruit and flowers, and a dozen snacks in a row. It is also very crowded at midday on weekends, which is hard with a stroller. Go before 10 a.m. on a weekday, use a carrier for little ones, and leave before the crush.

7. The ferry to Bainbridge Island

One of the best-value outings in any US city. Washington State Ferries says children and youth under 19 travel free unless they are driving a vehicle. Walk on at the downtown terminal, sit inside or out on deck, and enjoy the crossing and the skyline. Be aboard at least five minutes before the sailing. Have lunch on the island, then ride back. It is a half-day with a built-in boat ride at each end.

8. Seattle Center, the Space Needle and the Monorail

The Seattle Center Monorail has run between downtown and Seattle Center since 1962. For many kids, the short ride is as exciting as the Space Needle at the end of it. Seattle Center’s open spaces are a good place to run around between the science center and lunch. The Space Needle is a big-ticket view. With small kids, choose a clear day for it, or skip it, because there is nothing to see from the top in low cloud.

Where to stay in Seattle with kids

Downtown or Pioneer Square, for the waterfront. You can walk to the aquarium, Pike Place and the ferry, and ride the Monorail to Seattle Center. The Embassy Suites by Hilton Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square is an all-suites hotel with an indoor pool, which matters in a rainy city: a wet afternoon has a plan.

Near Seattle Center / Lower Queen Anne, for the museums. Quieter evenings, the science center at your door, and an easy Monorail ride into downtown.

A suite or apartment with a separate room is worth paying for here. In the rainy season, you’ll spend more evenings indoors than on a beach trip, and a closing door between a sleeping toddler and the rest of the family makes that easier.

A realistic four-day plan

Day 1: The Seattle Aquarium at opening, the waterfront, and an early dinner downtown.
Day 2: Seattle Center: the Monorail, the Pacific Science Center (Wednesday to Sunday), and the Space Needle if the sky is clear.
Day 3: Pike Place Market before 10 a.m., then the ferry to Bainbridge Island for lunch.
Day 4: Woodland Park Zoo on a dry morning, or the Museum of Flight if it’s pouring.

Add on: national parks and the West Coast

Seattle is the gateway to the Pacific Northwest’s big parks, and it pairs well with a road trip. For a national park with kids, my Yellowstone with kids guide covers the stroller-friendly boardwalks and how to pace the geysers. If you’re working your way down the coast, my San Francisco with kids guide has the next city stop.

FAQ: Seattle with kids

Is Seattle good for kids?

Yes. The aquarium, Pacific Science Center, Museum of Flight and Woodland Park Zoo are all excellent, the ferries are free for kids, and most of the best sights work in the rain.

What can you do in Seattle with kids when it rains?

The Seattle Aquarium, Pacific Science Center (Wednesday to Sunday) and the Museum of Flight are all indoors. A ferry ride also works in the rain, because the boats have indoor seating.

Do kids ride free on Seattle ferries?

Washington State Ferries says children and youth under 19 travel free, as long as they’re not driving a vehicle. That makes the walk-on ferry to Bainbridge Island one of the best-value outings in the city.

What are the best things to do in Seattle with toddlers?

The aquarium (free for 3 and under), the Pacific Science Center’s Butterfly House (bring a carrier), the Monorail, and a short ferry crossing. The Seattle Children’s Museum is temporarily closed as of October 2026.

When is the best time to visit Seattle with kids?

July and August are the easiest, with long dry days. The rest of the year works well too if you plan an indoor anchor for each day.