FAQs: Seattle Region

What are the top five activities for your teen near/in Seattle?

Seattle offers an eclectic mix of urban and outdoor experiences for teens, from iconic landmarks to nature. While the city has many attractions, here are five activities promising adventure and unforgettable memories.

1. Seattle Center: Originally built for the 1962 World’s Fair, this 74-acre urban park serves as a major cultural and entertainment hub. It has many attractions, including the Space Needle, MoPOP, Seattle Children’s Museum, and the International Fountain. It also hosts festivals and events throughout the year, like Bumbershoot, Northwest Folklife Festival, and Festál.
2. Space Needle: This observation tower stands 605 feet tall and offers panoramic views of the Seattle skyline, Puget Sound, and surrounding mountains. Key features include its revolving glass floor, the Loupe, and an observation deck providing breathtaking 360-degree vistas.
3. Washington State Ferries (WSF): This vital transportation system is the largest ferry fleet in the U.S., providing transportation across Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. It’s a fantastic way to experience the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest (and a great alternative to avoiding heavy traffic congestion on the area roads).
4. Pike Place Market: This public market overlooks Elliott Bay and is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers’ markets in the U.S. It’s famous for its fish market, where fishmongers throw salmon and other seafood at each other. It’s also home to the nation’s first Starbucks. 
5. Seattle Great Wheel: Located on Pier 57, ride this 175-foot tall wheel in a climate-controlled gondola and enjoy stunning panoramic views of the Seattle skyline, Puget Sound, and surrounding mountains.

What are the top cultural activities for teens in Seattle?

The city’s cultural scene fosters creativity and broadens perspectives. Visiting these cultural hubs helps teens develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.

1. Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP): This museum explores the history and contemporary culture of pop music, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and other aspects of pop culture. It also has plenty of hands-on, interactive exhibits inviting visitors to explore, discover, and celebrate the genres and icons shaping our world. 
2. Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour: After the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the city was rebuilt, but the street level was raised, leaving the original streets and storefronts below. The Underground Toor explores these remnants by taking you through underground passageways and basements below Pioneer Square. 
3. Chihuly Garden and Glass: Wander through the Glasshouse, garden, and interior galleries highlighting Dale Chihuly’s glass sculptures. Learn about glass blowing while watching local artists demonstrate their art.
4. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park: This park preserves and interprets the history of the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-98. It’s unique in that it has units in Skagway, AK (Chilkoot and White Pass Trails) and Seattle, WA (Pioneer Square). Visitors can learn about Seattle’s crucial role as a supply and transportation hub for the gold rush.
5. Museum of Flight: One of the largest private air and space museums in the world, the museum houses a vast collection of aircraft, spacecraft, and related artifacts, from the earliest flying machines to modern jets and space vehicles. 
6. Seattle Art Museum (SAM): Learn about Northwest Coast Native American, Asian, African, and modern and contemporary art at the SAM and its annexes — the Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park and the Olympic Sculpture Park. 
7. Kubota Garden: Tucked away in Seattle’s Rainier Beach neighborhood, this serene space reflects the vision and artistry of master gardener Fujitaro Kubota, a Japanese immigrant who began developing the garden in 1927. Enjoy its traditional Japanese garden elements, including ponds and waterfalls, streams and brides, rock formations and stone lanterns, and many plants designed to create a sense of harmony and balance.
   

What are the best Seattle outdoor activities for teens?

Nestled among stunning natural beauty, with countless parks and trails, Seattle offers a blend of urban adventure and outdoor exploration with over 400 city parks, another 205 parks in the surrounding King County area, and over 200 miles of trails for hiking and biking.

1. Discovery Park: Seattle’s largest city park includes 534 acres on Magnolia Bluff (and former site of Fort Lawton) overlooking Puget Sound and the Olympic and Cascade Mountains. Explore its sea cliffs, tidal beaches, meadows, forest groves, sand dunes, and streams. Hike the Discovery Park Loop Trail or take the Lighthouse Loop to see the West Point Lighthouse. 
2. Alki Beach: This beloved beach is a popular spot for volleyball, kayaking and paddleboarding, cycling and skating, and bonfires (in season). Water temps don’t get much higher than 56°, but it’s a great place to watch the sunset on the spot considered the birthplace of Seattle, as the first European settlers landed on this beach in 1851.
3. IslandWood: This environmental learning center on Bainbridge Island aims to inspire lifelong environmental learning and stewardship. Try one of its different hikes — the bird habitat hike, canopy tower hike, or forest hike to learn more about its ecosystems.
4. Whale watching: See if you can spot the Orcas, gray and humpback whales and other marine life swimming through Puget Sound. Take a guided tour via kayak, boat, or seaplane — or watch from the shores of Alkai and other beaches.  
5. Agua Verde Paddle Club: Rent a kayak or paddleboard and explore Lake Union and Lake Washington, just off Portage Bay. Check out Seattle’s skyline, houseboats, and natural surroundings.
   

What are the best Seattle indoor activities for teens?

It may rain about 150 days annually in Seattle, but that shouldn’t slow anyone down. Teens can find plenty of indoor activities to enjoy when it’s a little damp outside — or they need a break from the sunshine.

1. Seattle Pinball Museum: Unlike traditional museums, this one expects you to play with the exhibits. Seattle Pinball Museum highlights the evolution of pinball design and technology and has dozens of pinball machines that appeal to pinball enthusiasts and casual visitors alike.
2. LazerX Arena: This entertainment venue specializes in laser tag played in a large, multi-level arena well-stocked with obstacles, hiding places, and special effects. 
3. Conundroom: Work with your team to decode messages, find hidden objects, and solve riddles as you attempt to escape your themed room in an hour or less. 
4. WhirlyBall Seattle: Combine elements of basketball, lacrosse, and bumper cars and what do you get? WhirlyBall! A fast-paced game requiring driving skills and hand-eye coordination as you drive a bumper car while attempting to play catch.
5. Seattle Selfie Museum: Love to post on social media? Don’t skip this museum, filled with themed backdrops, props, and lighting setups to take photos and videos.
   

What are the best Seattle restaurants for teens?

Seattle’s culinary scene offers foodies a plethora of delicious options from burger and pizza joints to international flavors. While there are many tasty hotspots like Chinatown-International District (CID), the restaurants below provide tasty and memorable dining experiences.

1. Red Mill Burgers: This popular burger joint serves juicy, flavorful burgers in a casual-old-fashioned diner vibe atmosphere. It’s well known for thick-cut bacon, “fried” onions, and using fresh, locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.
2. Tutta Bella: Craving Neopolitan-style pizza? Don’t miss Tutta Bella, which uses traditional Neopolitan methods to make pizzas with thin, soft crusts, slightly charred edges, and fresh, flavorful toppings.
3. Seattle Meowtropolitan Cat Cafe: This cat cafe combines coffee and pastries with the companionship of adorable cats. All the cats are available for adoption through its partner shelter, the Regional Animal Services of King County. 
4. Mox Boarding House: This restaurant combines a full menu with a dedicated space for board games and tabletop gaming. It’s a haven for gamers and a welcoming spot for anyone seeking a fun, social experience. It hosts regular gaming events, tournaments, and demos and sells games (and tasty food).
5. Yard House: This family-friendly restaurant is a popular spot for lunch, dinner, happy hour, and late-night snacks. It’s known for classic rock and a diverse menu featuring items like poke nachos, street tacos, burgers, seafood, and steaks. 

What are the best Seattle museums for families?

While our list highlights attractions perfect for teens, these museums also provide interactive and educational adventures that younger children and adults will enjoy, too.

1. Seattle Aquarium: Located on Pier 59 on the Elliott Bay waterfront, this aquarium educates visitors about the diverse marine ecosystems of Puget Sound and the wider Pacific Ocean. Check out its exhibits like “Life on the Edge,” the Ocean Pavilion, and “Window on Washington Waters.” 
2. Pacific Science Center: This science center offers many exhibits, including interactive science displays about physics, biology, and technology, a planetarium, an IMAX theater, a butterfly house, and a laser dome (with a cool laser show). 
3. Woodland Park Zoo: The zoo is home to many animals from around the world, representing diverse ecosystems. Key exhibits include the African Savanna, Temperate Forest, Trail of Vines, Australian exhibits, and the Tropical Rian Forest.
4. Olympic Sculpture Park: Operated by SAM, this free, open urban green space combines outdoor art with beautiful views of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains. It features large-scale sculptures like Calder’s “Eagle,” Plensa’s “Echo,” and Serra’s “Wake” and spans nine acres.  
5. Hiram M. Chittenden Ballard Locks: Also called “Ballard Locks,” these are a crucial bit of infrastructure connecting Puget Sound with the freshwater Union and Washington Lakes. It includes two locks and a fish ladder, allowing salmon and other fish to migrate between saltwater and freshwater. Watch boats pass through the locks or the fish as they swim upstream to breed.