See What All the Fuss Is About at the Seattle Center
Was the last time you walked past Key Arena way back when the Sonics were still in town? Time to give Seattle Center another try. This place was built for tourists, so much so that you’re gonna have to pick and choose from all the great stuff here… there’s just too much for even a full weekend of fun. The Pacific Science Center ($10-$18/ticket or $13-$21/ticket with Planetarium) is well worth a full day’s visit; chances are if you have kids in the 5-10 range, you’ll go ahead and buy the annual family pass ($100) after you see how much fun they have. Watch the kiddos dodge germs at the Sneeze Wall, interact with giant robotic bugs at the Insect Village, delight at the butterflies landing on their shoulders in the Butterfly House and get the scoop er poop on the human body at the new Grossology exhibit. Littler ones will also love shooting water at the toys in Kids Works. Learn about black holes at the Planetarium (note, no kids under 4 allowed in Planetarium) and get the full body movie experience by taking in an IMAX film ($6-$10/ticket).
Once you’ve had your fill of science, if you’re still in a museum-y mood, head to the Experience Music Project for pop-culture and music madness or to the new Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum ($14-$23/ticket) to see glass transformed into glowing undersea creatures and glass trees that look straight out of Dr. Suess. Or head straight to the Seattle Children’s Museum ($7.25-$8.25/ticket) and let the kids run their crazies out in the many themed rooms. If you get your timing right, you might also be able to squeeze in a play from the Seattle Children’s Theater ($29-$36/ticket).
If the sun is shining, dare to dodge the water in the International Fountain or see if there is live music or movies happening on the lawn in front of the mural wall. If all this playing has you hungry, and you haven’t yet visited the refurbished Seattle Armory, you’ll be happily surprised by this slicked up food court. Visit the Skillet Counter or Mod Pizza for some delish kid-friendly options. Whew! Pretty amazing line up, right? And that’s assuming that you save the Seattle Monorail for another day.
photo: Me H. via Yelp
