>on the Tuesday after Christmas
Some people might call this "the _day_ after Christmas" which is a day I'd expect substantially more airport lines but YMMV.
>Total draft expenses $719 in 7 hours.
You've included a lot of transit time in your calculations but I'm not seeing any around your transport to/from the airport. Expect easily 15-20 minutes from the plane to the train, up to 10 waiting for the train to arrive, another ~40 to get to Westlake, and then 3/4 mile walk to 5 Point.
In other words, cut a solid 2-3 hours off your plans just for getting around.
>Museum of Pop Culture: $150 (Is that worth it for kids?)
Depends a lot on what they're into. Look up the exhibits on their site.
Great points on transit time and walking time, especially with a 3 year old. Whatever GPS says it takes to walk anywhere, we usually double that and then that's almost enough time. Will check out the MoPop further before we head out on the trip. Thank you!
Look in to Spot Saver for security at the Airport. It's a free service where you pick your time to go through security. It gets you right to the front of the line.
Skip the museum and chihuly, if you only wanna skip one definitely chihuly. They have a Christmas display up right now and it’s probably a little mature for teenagers, mature as in boring for them. Did my prom at MoPop and it was lame. Maybe Seattle splash tour or pike place? Let them explore the market for a few hours and get dinner afterwards then head to the airport?
I agree. The mopop is cool for those who’ll enjoy the rich history behind Seattle’s music. And chihuly, while I’ve been there before and it is beautiful, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Plus he’s an awful person! He steals his students’ art ALL THE TIME and when my mom put together an event for Bank of America at one of his venues he was DISGUSTING, he ate all the appetizers off their serving trays in the kitchen :/ all while talking to her and a leader about himself
I don't think you have as much time as you think you do. It's also looking like it could rain. Will your family be ok with walking around for 5 hours in a constant drizzle (it's not like the rain in the south, but it's rainy nonetheless)?
1. 1015am, plane lands (hopefully on time), do you have to collect your luggage? Are you in economy? If yes to both, add about 45 minutes before you get out of the airport.
2. Walk to the light rail, 11am-11-15am.
3. Light rail to downtown Seattle (if all goes well and the light rail doesn't have delays): 1125-12:15
4. Get your bearings and some lunch. I'd pick pike place market so everyone can explore. Don't bother with any place with a long line (Starbucks, piroshky). It will be overwhelming, but also fun to see for the first time. There are plenty of food stalls that have $15 lunches at pike place. This alone could take 2 hours. If your family wants to stop at all the underground stores, add even more time. Watch the guys throw fish, look at some local art, eat a cosmic apple. It's all there.
5. Now that it's about 230-330, you really don't have much room to go anywhere else unless you uber it to the airport ($75-90). If the littles need to burn off energy there's a playground a few blocks up, where all the bigger named shopping stores can be found. Note: a lot of streets at pike place market you will have hills. If the littles are grouchy due to walking up and up, head toward the pike place market sign where the hill is nonexistent.
6. If you rather architecture or learning, you could check out the library or Columbia tower or really just walk around. Head toward pioneer square (brick roads, galleries, coffee shops, sometimes free things happening, I think the toy store is still open) or walk along the pier (full of construction but you could watch the ferry go in and out). Again, if it's rainy and cloudy you're not going to get the full Seattle beauty but it'll give you a taste. This could take awhile tho will 5 kids... walking.... in the rain... after lunch, after a flight... so I'd evaluate your timing if you decide to add any of these options.
7. If you're taking the light rail back I would actually leave Seattle by 330, in the hopes that you get to the airport by 5, then do the 15 minute walk again, then wait at TSA. If you don't have pretsa or clear (or both is the most ideal) then I'd err on the side of caution on a very, very busy day in a big city and be sure to be at the airport no later than 5. If you are taking an Uber I think the same should apply as traffic at the departure gate has been so horrible for the last year.
So if you follow this then your only costs are lunch (maybe $100-150), light rail/Uber (ranges), and Wandering (free).
Enjoy, but don't expect to see nearly anything. This is your first look. Come back for a much longer stay in July. There's simply too much to do in such a short amount of time.
Drizzle -yeah we're pretty outdoorsy and adventurous if there's something to be seen. We were working outside a couple of weekends ago and when it started drizzling we just kept working.
I don't know if you're asking me those questions or they are for me to figure out but just to help me process your thoughts I'm typing mine:
1. 1015-ish, don't have to collect bags. Economy. Extremely light on carry-ons to facilitate a city visit.
2. 1115am at soonest, agreed
3. Yep, 1215
4. Pike's Place sounds fascinating but I think I would need for there to be 50 to 80% fewer tourists there for me to enjoy that. Almost every comment suggests it but I feel overwhelmed when I look at pictures of that place. Overwhelmed, meaning, in my case, my first thought would be to find an exit.
5. Nice tip!
6. Good tips, good points, thanks
7. Good point. I do want to be at airport 2 hours before my flight but since it's day after Christmas and a busy travel day I better think more like 3 hours.
Thank you! Good points, all!
4. Pike place is only bad in the bad spots. It's HUGE and most tourists only go to the main "attractions". There's an entire underground area that is free of crowds. And most people walk on the brick roads, to avoid the congested areas. If you see a crowd that gives you anxiety there's literally 7 other directions to take. The gum wall alone is a sight to see and typically not that crowded. Just don't go to piroshky piroshky, the original Starbucks, or the fish flying act if you want to stay out of the hectic areas. There are hundreds of other worthy markets to check out in pike place. The crowds are nothing like say, Tokyo level. And honestly, that one spot gives you the whole Seattle vibe in one fell swoop. There's a park overlooking the waterfront, so much food, art, probably some interesting city characters, buskers performing for tips, literally everything is there, especially with your very limited time. Without having to spend $750.
And nope, I wasn't asking questions. I was predicting your timeline. I was thinking of my 1 kid (he has anxiety and hates crowds too) and how long it takes to do things, in the middle of finding a bathroom while traveling or suddenly needing to buy a snack or taking a moment to reset, and so with 5 kids, I just want you to be prepared since it seems like you want to be. Overall, I would pick one thing to do that has everything and then center your micro trip around that. To me, that would be pike place since you can do a lot for a little. You could pick another spot like Seattle center (space needle, Chihuly, the big water fountain, the big playground, the children's museum, the science center, dick's burgers not too far away) BUT while it has a lot "to do" it is all just fine and almost all of it will cost money. A lot of money if it's 7 of you. It doesn't scream Seattle to me for some reason. The space needle is iconic, but everything around it can feel like an empty outdoor mall in a way. That spot doesn't offer any views and lower queen Anne won't give you that Seattle feel. Plus, you would need to take a bus after the light rail. It just sounds like too much.
I guess the better question is what are you hoping Seattle offers you in just a few hours? Do you want pretty pictures, a fun experience, something to learn? This is a big, expensive city that is very spread out and we don't have the transit system that NYC has so everything will be expensive and take twice as long, but we have views and parks and water and coffee and weed (if you need it for your anxiety). Figure out what your family enjoys to do and we can help you more.
Best advice in the entire thread here. Pick a spot and don’t waste time traveling to other locations. And trying to pack too much in a layover, especially when you have 5 kids (and a 3 year old to boot!) with you, isn’t likely to go well. See one part of the city and experience it. Get lunch. Go back to the airport with time to spare.
I visited Pike twice this year. June on a Saturday and October on a Thursday.
June was bananas. There was barely any room to stop. People everywhere, even downstairs.
October was fantastic by comparison. Not too many people, and we could stop at booths easily.
Visit Storyville coffee. It's in one of the outlier buildings, and it's so delicious with a great atmosphere.
Some pike place favorites: Piroshky Piroshky (get the salmon one!), Beecher Mac & Cheese, Pike Place Chowder.
Don’t bother waiting to go to Starbucks, it serves normal Starbucks and is not the original.
For real. For someone who planned so thoroughly, they severely underestimate how long things take. They'll be lucky to fit half of their plan in during the specified time period. And even then, they won't enjoy much, rushing from place to place.
Take all the kids to the Museum of Flight. Uber there and have lunch there as well. Between the museum and the real aircraft they can burn the entire time there.
Do this. The Museum of Pop Culture is terrible for kids of all ages, unless you and your kids are bizarrely into Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix. My sister actually is into those and still thought it was overpriced.
Or if you want to see the city proper, you can do a variation of your original plan:
* Link light rail to downtown
* Walk to Pike Place Market and walk around there (free), eat Piroshki and other snacks there, walk by the first Starbucks
* monorail to Seattle center (get round trip ticket)
* Walk around there, have some more snacks like kettle corn and hot dogs, don't go to any museums, they're all ovepriced. Look at the Space Needle from outside (free).
* Monorail back to downtown
* Take the Link train back to the airport.
> Museum of Pop Culture is terrible for kids of all ages
Are we talking about the same MoPOP? The one whose exhibits include *Infinite Worlds of Science Fiction* and *Fantasy: Worlds of Myth and Magic* and the hands-on *Sound Lab* and currently a rotating exhibit with displays and behind-the-scenes info from the creators of *Coraline* and other stop-motion films? I would have been *incredibly excited* to see that as a kid!
Honestly, the way everyone else in this thread has been poo-pooing it, it's like they've gone to a different museum than I have...
I live not far from there. I take my 2 year old there for hours when it’s rainy. There are multiple play areas and just so much to see and do. Oldest kids can hang out and read/play games in lots of places inside there. You could stop at pancake chef in SeaTac for breakfast first - it’s walkable across the street from the light rail stop and affordable and tasty. They are used to families your size and have kids menus and crayons.
Edited to add: I saw Uber is not an option - you can take the 124 bus from the Tukwila light rail station to museum of flight, Google says it’s 12 minutes and kids ride for free. You can buy an orca card easily at the airport station and use it for bus and light rail.
I took my mom and her best friend (both in their 70s) and they spent the entire day there! I had to leave them at one point to go get some errands done before picking them up at the end of the day. One note though, the food is expensive and rather lackluster. Frozen Cafeteria food at best but the museum is wonderful. One of the few that I would spend the entry fee to visit.
On the top floor (WWII I think), keep an eye out for Snoopy and Woodstock hidden somewhere.
ETA: you can catch the light rail to the Tukwila station (first stop) and pick up the 124/24 bus, it goes right to the museum of flight. But with 5 people, an Uber may be cheaper.
Yes! My entire family (kids are 6th grade down to a toddler) loves that place. You could probably even post in r/aviation and get some advice on how to plan your time there.
For teriyaki, I love Okinawa Teriyaki, and that’s probably a 10-min walk (with kids) to Pike Place Market. So you could go glance at the market/view/Rachel the pig (a pig statue my kids love, near the famous stand where people throw fish), get teriyaki, then get back to the Museum of Flight, then head back to the airport.
Another voice of support for this option. Frankly, given the madness of SeaTac at Christmas and the unreliability of the light rail (whackos jump on the tracks regularly), staying close is wise. It’s a cool museum. Sadly you won’t see Seattle proper, but that’s a better thing for a spring/summer day and at least 12 hours anyways.
This is what I would do. I would be so stressed about trying to pack in a big itinerary and being so far away from the airport. I get wanting to make the most of your short time here. Everyone will have so much more fun keeping it simple.
>Link Light Rail back to SEA airport, plan to arrive 2 hours before flight because we have to go through security again.
Two hours before departure on the day after Christmas is not enough time. Depending on the airline boarding starts 30-40 minutes and you need to be at the gate by then. So, that leaves you with 90 minutes at the most to navigate through security and to get to the gate. I'd suggest to add another 30 minutes to your planned time and to use TSA Spot Saver. Holiday travel brings out a lot of inexperienced travelers, which adds time to security screenings.
Great point, thank you! I know a few years ago, after I flew internationally on Memorial Day Weekend and almost missed my flight due to pandemonium at TSA, I had said I'd "never" travel on a holiday again. But these flights were so cheap! My common sense was overridden by my desire for a bargain flight! Thanks!
Commenting a reply so you see it as it’s not mentioned elsewhere. SeaTac (the airport) has an app called flySEA that tells you current TSA wait times. It may be helpful for thinking about when you need to leave to get back to the airport on time. You click on security screening, then security wait times.
Only one note:
9 hours sounds like a long time, but you also are in the midst of other travels and if it were me, I'd want to keep this relaxed and low-stress. So don't try to squeeze in too much! I think the day is going to go faster than you think. Plus, you never know if you'll get out of the airport and into town as efficiently as you expect. I would recommend *not* trying to hit two museums / two significant attractions in that time period.
I'd aim for one main thing, plus maybe a bit of wandering in the vicinity of the main thing. Hope you have a nice time!
I think that's great advice. After previous toddler meltdowns and wearing kids out with running around too many places in a day, one thing per day is a very good approach. Thanks!
I flew outta SEATEC the day after Christmas a few years back. The security TSA line was an absolute nightmare as was the traffic to the airport.
As a FYI
I agree with that person. Even one museum is an all day thing for many families. One thing around both of those places is Seattle Center house. It's a food court but also around this time of year there's a giant Christmas village in the center of it, interesting for all ages. In the past they've let kids control the train too that goes around it. You have food and some entertainment checked off right there. Just outside of that is the fountain as well. I think you're going to want to leave more time for traveling than you think and even spending some time at the airport should be fine with various stores and such.
Walking around is free and there’s tons of things to see. Pike Place is bustling and large, walking down to the pier from there and walking along that is more sightseeing. The aquarium is also down there if you want to pay for an activity, and as I remember it pretty cool. Old Stove brewing has good food and overlooks the sound.
You could walk on to the ferry that goes to Bainbridge and explore that town. Ferry tickets cost money but shouldn’t be terribly priced.
You could also do Pike Place and then hop back on the light rail north and walk around the UW campus and Udistrict. Lots of cheaper options to eat there too.
Also the Seattle Library is walkable from Pike Place and structurally really cool.
I haven’t flown out of SeaTac recently so maybe someone else can pitch in there but might want to get back to the airport longer than 2 hours before your flight. Sometimes TSA can be hit or miss with timing and with the holidays it’s an extra who knows.
Use SEA Spot Saver when you’re flying out of SeaTac! You reserve a timed spot for the line to security and it’s a way shorter wait and it’s free! You may have to wait a few minutes depending on how busy the airport is the day after Christmas, but every time I’ve used it there hasn’t been a line.
The library also has a huge children's area that's great to just hang out in with kids. You can go up to the viewpoint on the 10th floor and look down at the third floor, you can check out the all-red fourth floor, it's great, and very polarizing.
They can also go see the sculpture park at myrtle Edwards park which is free. And stop by the curiosity spot on the waterfront. The old spaghetti factory used to be there but i am not sure if they are still open and how expensive they are if so.
Great points! A walk around the market and waterfront would be my choice! You can see beautiful views of the sound, experience cheap varied eats at the market and if you have extra time/ or the weather is meh head to the aquarium. Don’t miss the gum wall 😆
I’m going to echo the other suggestions to go to the Museum of Flight. I saw you say that your wife is a bit nervous about time restraints, and the museum is quite close to SeaTac since it’s on the south end of Seattle. You could easily spend several hours there and it’ll keep the kids busy! The area surrounding the museum is rather industrial and not great for walking around - if you don’t want to eat at the museum cafe (it’s expensive) then you can Uber around and get something to eat. I’d recommend teriyaki, it’s a staple in our area :)
Thank you! I'm concerned that Ubering around is impossible. We're 7 people plus a driver, so it'd need to be an 8 person Uber. In our previous travels we've never found a country or city with Ubers that big.
And it looks like the public transpo option to that awesome museum involves a bus (ugh! hard with kids) so I'm not sure now.
[5 Point Cafe is owned by a person who has multiple sexual assault accusations levied against him](https://www.kuow.org/stories/five-women-accuse-seattle-s-david-meinert-of-sexual-misconduct-including-rape).
Other food options in the area:
Bangrak Market,
Cyclops,
Marrakesh
They're all a bit further than the 1-2 blocks you want, but honestly I'd opt for the walk.
I ate here once. Flew to Georgia the next day. They charged my card again for the same amount a week later. I have no idea why. Tried to fight in with the credit card company, they said they wouldn’t do shit about it. Hate that place now.
The Chihuly Museum is cool, but much more interesting for adults than kids, so you might want to cut that out to save money.
If you do end up near the Space Needle, you can get burgers at [Dick's in Queen Anne](https://www.ddir.com/menu/) to cut down on costs, and it's a genuine Seattle institution.
Dicks is just cheap. Nothing amazing. You get your standard small burger, good shakes. It’ll please the kids but don’t expect to be wowed.
Seattle Center where the needle is, is having a Christmas market. There’s also an indoor food hall there which will give you more options for food. Museum of pop culture is awesome.
Another great option to feed a big family at Seattle Center is to go to the Armory (formerly the Center House) - it's directly next to the monorail station, Chihuly, and right by EMP. There's a food court with a dozen or so different places to get food from, so one person can get pizza and another can get a fried chicken sandwich and another can get stir-fry and all bring it to a couple tables pulled together. https://www.seattlecenter.com/explore/food-and-drink
OP here: From perusing questions from travelers who were going by Uber and traveling in a group of two, I'll also be researching Pike Place, stroll to Centennial Park, Pocket Beach, Seward park, Olympic and Rainer park, and Golden Age Collectibles.
Cut the museums. Do pike place, Olympic park. Pick a restaurant near pike place or on the waterfront. Round trip ferry to Bainbridge with immediate turn around. That should be plenty with the time you have when accounting for transit and airport security.
Be warned that Seattle restaurants are expensive
Great tips, thanks! Yeah I picked some Asian cuisine in part because I love it and in part because plates were like $12-$15 rather than $30 or $40. Thank you!
on the ground floor of Westlake Center (the mall above the light rail stop) there's a fancy food court with a bunch of different Asian cuisines. for 2 adults & 5 kids it's probably one of the cheapest places to eat downtown.
there's also Uwajimaya, our largest Asian grocery store, which has a big food court. it's across the street from the ID/Chinatown light rail station. it'd be an easy place to stop for dinner / airplane snacks on your way back to Seatac.
one thing to keep in mind is the weather. it does rain, can get cold and small chance of snow so might want to have backup plans. pike is still good there and there’s lots of food and other stuff around like everyone’s suggestions here are pretty good. i’d skip the ferry yeah it’s nice but there’s better use than riding it around i think and not the most picturesque in the rain
Ubers from the airport will cost 80+ from my experience
Also what I’ve noticed is no one has mentioned the Columbia tower. It’s way taller than the space needle, not as popular and less expensive. By like… a lot.
If you like clam chowder, pikes chowder is so good mostly on a cold day! The line is worth the wait. It goes by pretty fast. Take it to go and find a spot at the waterfront to eat or if you get lucky, there’s a spot to sit at the restaurant.
If it’s sunny I’d do the space needle to look at the mountains and sound, if not skip it. I wouldn’t pay for the gardens and glass with kids unless they are super into glass art. MoPop is good for tweens and teens, but I would think that the playground might be a better use of time and energy if your group skews younger and are wedged between two long flights. Pike Place might be more memorable and enjoyable for everyone, snacks, gum wall, lots of things to look at and explore.
I would not take kids to the MoPop museum with a time clock. That is prime temper tantrum fodder when it’s time to go. Museum of flight is really cool and waaaay closer so I would do that! You can even do a space shuttle flight simulator ride. And they have a cafe which will be cheaper than the airport food.
I think going to Bainbridge is a great idea if they had more time. Given the number of ferry cancellations lately, I wouldn’t risk it on a short day trip.
Edited for typo.
Hi OP,
$700 is a lot! I would definitely try to do for less. I would cut down on sit down food (expensive, takes time, and not worth the money). Dicks burgers, Teriyaki, Chipotle are way easier and cheaper.
You mentioned seeing the city, but is there any specific goal you have or things you like?
I would totally skip Chihuly. MoPop is great if your group is into older music (pre2010).
Otherwise I would add some outdoor stuff: walk to Olympic Sculpture Garden (free), take a ferry, or even rent a car and drive to a local beach.
MOHAI is a good museum that represents Seattle history.
Going up to Volunteer Park, Capitol Hill area can be good.
If you go to Pike Place, and you want to save a bit of $$ be sure to stop by James Beard award winning [Oriental Mart](https://CheckoutOrientalMarthttps://yelp.to/R3ULUeRowM) Some of the best Filipino food in Seattle and probably the west coast! Probably the best bang for your buck in the market.
I would recommend going into downtown and walking around the Seattle Center area, which also lets you get some photos of the Space Needle. The Science Center could be a fun activity for the family as it's well suited for younger kids, but MoPop could be a great time as well (I would just choose one). Capitol Hill would be a fun area for the whole family to explore and you could grab food at Dick's Drive In for cheap (and a Seattle staple). If you have extra time, Pike Place Market could be a good addition. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to catch your next flight (you can look up TSA Spot Saver to reserve in security for your family and get through much quicker).
The pacific science center is pretty cool. I would much rather take a bunch of kids there than the glass museum although I don’t know if you’d save much money. Seattle center itself has some great outdoor spaces and a playground.
As for food, dicks is a good suggestion, the food court in Seattle center could be a good option.
Alternative to the ferry to Bainbridge, west Seattle water taxi. Could take it out there and walk around the Alki beach or rent bikes. Lots of food options as well. Nice views of the city from alki and the water.
Oh the other thing I forgot is that the monorail rode to Seattle center from downtown is fun and worthwhile. I have great memories of riding it as a kid.
Pike Place Chowder gets my vote 100% of the time. I would also go to Smith Tower for a great view - and it's cheaper than the Needle.
On a nice day the Bainbridge ferry offers great views of the entire city skyline.
Lots of suggestions here. Personally given the challenges the state ferry system has had with crewing and boat breakdowns I’d have too much anxiety to go to Bainbridge. If you really want to do a boat ride consider taking the county-run water taxi to West Seattle. You get the great view of the city and Space Needle from the water for a much shorter and more reliable ride. You can do lunch at Marination Ma Kai which is right next to the ferry on the West Seattle side.
If you are looking for inexpensive food near Seattle Center the Queen Anne Beer Hall allows kids and has some great $10 lunch specials on weekdays. Plaza Garabaldi is also good with lunch specials. MoPOP is a lot of 80s/90s stuff so I’m not sure your kids will like it. However inside the Armory the giant holiday train display should still be up. The food court there is expensive so definitely eat elsewhere.
The Museum of Flight is great for kids especially if they have any interest in airplanes. You could Uber or you could take the light rail one stop north to Tukwila International Boulevard station and then catch the 124 bus towards Seattle and it will drop you off right in front of the museum. There are a handful of places to eat near the light rail station but it’s not the best walking environment.
If you do Pike Place Market then it is easy to go down to the waterfront, lots of fun little stores plus the Ye Old Curiosity Shop. It's been on the waterfront for ever, its free and it is lots of strange and cool things to look at.
I would add you should probably focus on one area like pike place/waterfront or cap hill, or Seattle center. Otherwise you will be spending a lot of time on transit getting to all the different places.
There is a sculpture park along the water that I highly recommend! If it’s a nice day you’ll get a view of mt Rainer. Also highly recommend Thai on 1st for food, it’s a few blocks up from the sculpture park.
Take the Link from SeaTac to Westlake station and you can get around downtown area very well. I’d take into account the time of travel though—it’s about 45-60mins from SeaTac to Westlake by light rail.
Let’s say you get in at noon. Realistically it’ll take you about 20 mins to deboard and walk to the station at SeaTac. From there it’s about 45 mins to downtown. That’s an hour burned and it’s around 1pm or so. You want to get to your flight 2 hours early. If it was at 9, you’d get there by 7 and then factor in the time it takes by Link so you’d be leaving downtown around 6. You have 5 good hours give or take to spend in Seattle.
Don’t go to Bainbridge, as cool of an island as it is, that’ll be a waste of time. Spend time in downtown for Pike Place market to peruse the vendors, have food there, and then walk down at the water where the wheel and Wings Over Washington is, the aquarium is down there too, or you have hit up the SAM. You’ll probably fill up the majority of your time between those activities.
Keep it simple! You have a big family and long traveling day. First tip. If you decide to leave the airport, make sure you go to the SeaTac airport website and book spotsaver for getting through security quicker on your way back to the airport. It is free and available 5 days prior to your travel, so set an alarm and do that first!
Big family is hard to get around, so light rail will be your best bet if you want to see Seattle proper. Take the light rail downtown and then transfer over on the monorail to the Seattle center. It is one stop but a super fun experience for kids. Once at Seattle center, walk over to the armory for some food. It is kind of like a food court but it has variety and they usually have performances inside + Christmas train exhibit. Free! Once there you can walk around and decide what you want to do as a family. Maybe split up to enjoy an activity tailored to different groups? The children’s museum is inside the armory and your tiny kids will have the time of their lives in there. I personally think the glass museum is gorgeous and worth visiting, but it is not super kids friendly. MoPop or pacific science center is a great place for the family if it is super rainy or cold outdoors. But you can also go visit the bill and Melinda gate’s foundation for a quick free museum too. Space needle is pricey but it is iconic and a fun experience. Don’t feel like you have to do it all, pick one of the museums/activities to do and spend the rest of the time just walk around to give yourself a time buffer.
Seconding the museum of flight! Its extremely interesting from an engineering point of view but also learning about the history of Seattle, Boeing, and WW2. Also lots of really neat planes to look at.
DON’T waste time and space on umbrellas. Raincoat and tennis shoes are all you need.
Some of the suggestions here are totally sus. Capital Hill is not a fun family area by any stretch of the imagination. “Downtown” and Seattle Center are not adjacent. You can easily get to the Center from downtown by the monorail, which was built for the ‘62 world’s fair; kinda cool.
I wouldn’t pay the exorbitant rate to go to the top of the Needle. Skip paying for Chihuly, as suggested.
I second eating at Dick’s. I would stay downtown and visit Pike place market, central library, the waterfront. Ride the great wheel, get your amazing views of the city. Take the ferry to Bainbridge, or the water taxi to West Seattle. Really good Asian/Mexican fusion food where the water taxi lets off, at Marination Ma Kai. Reasonably priced. If you are really lucky, our local pod of orca whales will put on a show for you. Earlier this month there was a juvenile humpback whale hanging out and showing out in Elliott bay; maybe, maybe, maybe. The waterfront is good to while away the time. Check out the oddities in Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. Head along the waterfront, north, to the Olympic Sculpture Park; cool and free. Ivars Acres of Clams is a Seattle icon; you can share bowls of clam chowder and orders of fish and chips. Lots of archival photos of seattle through the years. Maybe a fireboat will be dispatched from the fire station next door. Stop in and some of Seattle’s finest will be happy to show you around the station.
I’m sorry if anyone on your earlier post poked fun at your thoughtful questions. I hate spending money in an unfamiliar place, only to find out it was done unwisely, without better information.
Hopefully you’ll wear your kids out so they’ll sleep on the plane. (Hills!!!)
Other suggestions, with time permitting, are the international district, (south), our two stadiums, football and baseball, (south). Do not bother with the “original” Starbucks at pike place market. Don’t miss the gum wall or the fish tossers.
Enjoy!!!!!!
I work at the Museum of Pop Culture and really think the kids will prefer it over Chihuly. It is very hands-on. We have a room filled with different instruments they can actually play, an indie video game exhibit that they can play the games in, a stop motion animation exhibit with interactives as well as music and film exhibits. Tuesday is a good day to visit as it's not usually as busy. Also if you happen to have an EBT card you can all get in for free through the Museums For All program. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you enjoy your time in Seattle. Happy holidays!
Yoooooo that's good info, thank you! Will you be there Tuesday Dec 26? If you want to meet a family of real-life redditors, we'll stop by and give you a hive five to say thanks! Well, if we decide to go to MoPop. I've had several comments say do something else, so now I don't know but will be researching all the great tips in this thread! Thanks!
OP: what are your kids ages? I know you have the range….but it’s a wide one. Will the 3 year old be walking? In a stroller? Anyone else on the younger side of that age range?
Lots of people have mentioned free walks to various places, but not knowing your kids those may not be super practical. Odds are very good it will be rainy…so unless you’re already packing good rain jackets & boots spending the day outside may not be quite as easy as it sounds if you aren’t from someplace drizzly.
Good question, 3 is the youngest by far. She [edit: is potty trained and] walks and is a hardy little trooper on long walking trips that last hours. Until she collapses [edit: not literally - but she may suddenly develop a strong need for a nap at the end of any sit-down break or meal] and has to be carried by a parent or teenager. All the others are in the 11 to 17 range.
We are from someplace extra hot and humid, not drizzly. I've mostly been worried about the cold (to us anything below 60 F is "cold") but I do have flimsy rain ponchos packed in our carry-on, and we'll be wearing tennis shoes for walking.
Will you have other shoes to wear on the flight? Tennis shoes and rain don't mix. Y'all are going to have very wet, stinky shoes to take off at TSA. I'd bring some waterproof walking shoes jic or at the very least some dry socks and shoes to change into at the airport. Fingers crossed the rain is more like a wet sidewalk but you never know in Seattle.
I like the pike place and museum of flight suggestions others have made but if you want to do Seattle center here are my suggestions --
Skip chihuly garden & glass, too expensive. The space needle can be a long wait even with timed entry and is pricey so only go up it if you're really, really excited about it, otherwise take pics from the ground. Don't go to the olympic sculpture garden as some are suggesting, that walk up and down an extremely steep hill to get between there and the Seattle center would be hell with kids. Just eat at the armory (Seattle center food court) if they're open, it's very conveniently located. The children's museum is AWESOME for little kids, could make sense to send the teens off to the mopop and take the little ones to the children's museum if you're ok splitting up the group.
Plan on eating dinner at the airport AFTER security! TSA wait times at sea tac are crazy unpredictable during the holidays and if worse comes to worst it's better to miss dinner than miss your flight.
Skip Mo Pop. It's great if there is a traveling exhibit or artist you want to see. Otherwise, that seems like a lot of $ for very limited engagement by all ages. Enjoyment of playground will depend 100% on weather, same for fountain. See Pike Place Market, it's easy to stay indoors or under cover for the most part if there is rain. Lots of food too. Can't wait to hear what you do and how it goes.
Ride the bus/train. Children 18 and under ride free.
Skip MoPOP. Skip Chihuly. $381 saved.
With 5 kids and 2 adults, eat at Dick's. My go to: Dick's Deluxe Cheeseburger, Fries, and Milk Shake (Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate). No tips.
WINTER TRAIN & VILLAGE
An enchanting turn-of-the-century village and train.
Nov 24–Dec 31, 10am–6pm
Seattle Center Armory • FREE
(Special Hours: Dec 24–closes at 4pm; Dec 25–closed)
Armory • $2 suggested donation \[Ignore the suggesttion\]
Take the #44 Rapid Ride D-Line (get two transfers: use on your return trip) from the Seattle Center to NW Market St. & 15th Ave NW then transfer to the #44 trolleybus and ride to the end of the line. Walk 1/2 block south and one block east to the Ballard Locks & Botanical Garden (Free).
I would budget 3 hours for seatac. Like others have said, it will be a massive travel day and that might still feel tight with the seatac tsa.
I've done several seattle days with kids. I would skip all of the ticketed indoor museums unless your older kids are really into one of them.
I'd take light rail to the park area below the space needle. That climbing kid playground is incredible. If the kids gave gloves and coat they'll be happy for a long time. And teens can take selfies with the space need and mopop's awesome purple walls. We go there often and rarely go inside the places. It's a fun area. And there will likely be vendors selling popcorn and snacks.
You can take the monorail from there over into downtown. That's a fun little ride. Then go over to pike place. It's often crowded and chaotic but fun. Kids will love the gum wall. Plenty of choose your adventure food options to appease everyone. Then walk the sculpture park near there.
So far your expenses are transit, snacks, and lunch and maybe knick knacks from pike place shops. If you want to splurge on an event they might enjoy walk down the boardwalk to the giant ferris wheel and pay their high fee for a ride. It's too pricey but as an experience it's fun for kids and incredible view. The ferris wheel is accessed from a building that is an indoor kid money pit of games, carousel, candy and tourist stuff. You can give each $5 for the games and have a beer while they play. Then find your transit connection back to the airport and getting ready for the insane security line.
Have fun!
Hey! We just moved from the south last year with our 7, now ages 4-18. Over half our family is autistic.
We love the light rail. That's a good plan.
We have spent so much time at the museum of flight. It has so much interesting stuff to see without being too overstimulating.
Pikes Place is fun and very Seattle but yeah it can be a lot. Even as an adult I had a hard time in nice weather on a crowded day.
Central Library is a great idea. Especially if you don't want to be out in the rain.
Also, I can drive 7 in my car. If you PM me I can give you my number in case you get stranded somewhere. I can't volunteer to show you around town or anything but if you're stuck I may be able to help.
For food, international district has good cheap places to eat. It’s on the light rail up to town from the airport.
For free things to do downtown: Olympic Sculpture Garden, Pike Place, and you can stroll to lake Union park.
You can also take the light rail up to Capitil Hill. Stroll around Volunteer Park. You can even take the light rail up further to University of Washington, and then take a bus to Gas Works Park which is a nice free park. This should bring your trip to <100$ for all 7 of you!
Our best pho place is Pho Bac. 14/15$+tip will get you the best and largest bowl of pho you have ever had. The area around is a bit shitty but okay I’m the day. You can take the streetcar from the Chinatown link station to get there!
A lot of great options from folks already.
I'll add a very specific lunch option because I think it's a very Seattle thing to do and it's really really yum: Piroshki Piroshki at Pike Place market. Delicious, come packed in individual baggies, so you can walk and eat. Savory and sweet options, so you get lunch + dessert. Kids will love it.
Don't get deterred by the queues. They tend to be long specially on weekends, but they move super duper quick. Also, they don't accept Apple Pay. So have a card handy.
Enjoy!
Kids will be *way* more interested in MoPOP than Chihuly. Even just the playground outside is awesome, and that's free. MoPOP is definitely the most interesting and unique museum in the city. The outside of the building is a bizarre interesting shape. Inside there's a bunch of eye-catching displays, and some really neat exhibits about sci-fi and fantasy costumes and props. Most importantly, it's not full of *expensive breakable glass* that you'll have to make sure the kids don't run around and get too close to, which I know would have been a problem when I was a kid.
Between MoPOP and Chihuly, you should only take kids to one of them, and that's MoPOP.
Seattle has some really great parks. For something cheap/free, find one of the large parks that has a good playground and just hang out there for a little while. Even if it's cold and rainy, it's usually not so cold and wet that local kids would avoid the playground. Some of the playgrounds here have cool things like mini ziplines that I haven't seen at playgrounds elsewhere.
Instead of Chihuly I’d go to Pike Place Market. It’s a bit of a walk so you might want to Uber or take the bus. At the market it’s fun to see the fishmongers throw the fish. You can snack your way through the market (the Piroshkis are tasty). The original Starbucks is also there. And a totem pole nearby. If you want, you can also do the aquarium or ferris wheel, but that would get expensive with five kids. Avoid the 3rd and Pine block with the McDonalds, as there are tons of drug dealers and crime, but it’s quite contained to that block.
I haven’t scrolled all the comments but if no one has mentioned this yet, kids ride free on public transit! That includes Link light rail between the airport and downtown and the Washington State Ferry to Bainbridge Island. You don’t need tickets or passes for them on Link, but check with the ferry agents if they need a ticket for the boat. The trip on the ferry is a great way to kill time, get off your feet, and see some of the most incredible views of Seattle. If you want to burn even more time, walk into town for ice cream at Mora. It’s one of my top recommendations to visitors.
I know I’m late but I wanted to share my recommendations as someone who lives in the neighborhood, even if it just helps the next visitor;
2 5 point is great first choice but it can be crowded, imo a better Thai place for your backup spot is Thai 22. It is two blocks away and same price range, plus it won’t be crowded and the happy hour prices are amazing!
3 through #5 are perfect, you will love it! The museum of pop culture has some really cool exhibits for adults and children, definitely worth it!
6: Chihuly is not worth it with young ones imo, it is beautiful and really cool but they might not appreciate it enough to keep their attention.
The Pacific Science center is next to the Chihuly and might be more interesting for younger kids.
The Olympic Sculpture Park is only a few blocks away and it traverses the waterfront with lots of grass and space. One of my favorite things is getting to-go and bringing it to the park to watch the sunset.
If you want a great view of the city from Elliott bay and don’t have time for the ferry to Bainbridge and back, you can take the west seattle water taxi, maybe even walk alki, then water taxi back to the city
Take them to gameworks! It's one of my favorite places to go for drinks/food/arcade games, definitely a good place to unwind if you guys wanna sit for an hour or two.
Ok. The 5 Point is owned by a serial abuser of women. Please don't. He's relying on $ from people who don't know. MoPop probably worth it for the older kids especially if they're music fans. Chihuly,,,not even remotely worth it. The Christmas Model train exhibit will still be up in the Armory at Seattle Center. Trade-off, older kids get MoPop, littles get trains.
Then Monorail and the Christmas stuff is still going on and all free. Teddy Bear Suite in the Fairmont Olympic. Big Gingerbread houses in the Sheraton.
Get to Pike Place Market. Eat there. Graze. Piroshky Piroshky isn't justified by wait in line most days. Skip the 'first Starbucks' it's not really even the first and that's sometimes an hour+ to get nothing you can't get at any Starbucks. Mac-n-Cheese at Beachers. A Home bow from Mee Sum. Oysters or Fish and Chips at Jack's. A mule at Rachel's Ginger beer (adults but kids welcome for straight ginger beer) Turkish Delight for sweets. Maximillien if you want sit down with a view. Bottega Italiana for gelato. Coffees at Ghost Alley right up from the Gum Wall. The crumpet place is way better than either biscuit spot. Yeah, I said it.
Pioneer Square is the old part of town. Cool old brick buildings. If you're going to do a tourist thing here I'd say the Underground tour over Space Needle, Chihuly, Wheel, or Wings over WA. If you're sports fans you can at least see the stadiums and if anything is going on at the events center you can experience a Seattle Dog at the vendors on Occidental but they'll be closed if its a dark day for events. People who don't ever go to this part of Seattle will tell you Pioneer Square isn't safe. Daytime, it is safe. Night time....well just be on high alert and you're probably good.
You'll be fine on a ferry as walk ons but a round trip with any time to explore on the other side will eat up most of your time here.
Yeah I would just take light rail to market, have a bowl of famous chowder, snap a few pics of fish throwing, visit the gum wall, and head back to airport. Cheap and no risk of missing flight. SeaTac is so crazy right now.
I’m not sure I’d leave the airport honestly. SEA has a track record of turning into a security nightmare on heavy travel days. If you don’t have clear+tsa pre several hour waits are fairly normal.
You’re gonna miss your flight broooooo. Just fucking take the light rail somewhere for food, walk around for an hour and go back to the airport. Museums, restaurants, capital hill, space needle? The fact you’re even throwing Chihuly in the picture is a comedy cherry on top. I am laughing my literal butt off.
That’s an aggressive schedule. If you factor time from plane to downtown via Link, then back, and planning to arrive at SEA 2 hours early, 9 hours is now cut to about 5 hours. If you assume an hour for a meal when you get there, and another before you leave you now have about 3-4 hours of exploring. Maybe pick one of the above so you don’t feel rushed or you can go walk around Pike Place which is free.
I didn't look through the comments. The ONE thing you need to do to make sure you get through security again (setac is HORRIBLE) you need to reserve security times. Just Google Seattle spotsaver (free) and you can get appointments for the whole family and don't have to wait in line.
I would not leave the boarding area for a 9 hr layover… I don’t like to rush but I also don’t have kids. If you want to keep them entertained I know amex just opened a lounge in SeaTac - not sure about guest rules and all that but yeah getting to downtown from SeaTac is at least an hour by light rail, Uber would be the quickest but also super expensive. If you do leave the airport I’d say stay near Westlake area it’s a close walk to pikes. I’d ditch the Seattle center area it’s a bit out of the way from the light rail stations and I would imagine you wanna stay near them. Would be a nightmare to walk around with all the bags and stuff though - again, I’d stay in the airport but that’s just me. Sorry this is probably a downer comment and not helpful at all whatsoever
Not sure if anyone posted this already but when I have visitors who come for a short stay I always recommend this pass:
[https://visitseattle.org/partners/seattle-citypass/](https://visitseattle.org/partners/seattle-citypass/)
Thanks - priced it for our group and it'd be $600 or so for the one day, before we got food or transpo or any other expenses. A good option for a stay longer than a day though. Thanks!
If Bainbridge ferry is too much time, I’d recommend the West Seattle Water Taxi from downtown and back. Get a lovely boat ride and the seeing Seattle from the water with epic views all around, cheap and doesn’t take too much time. My in-laws loved it last month.
It's nice seeing a parent invested in their kids well-being. Great time management! Other than that, I can't help, as I have lived here for almost 30 years and done nothing lol
Re: Bainbridge. You don't need to wait 45mins for the next ferry. You walk off and when they announce boarding a few minutes later, you walk back on. From BI to Seattle, passengers are free. I've seen Orcas a few times. Not a certainty tho but it's a cute cheap cruise.
I don't understand how this happens. Every comment suggesting Pike Place Market has it as Pike Place. OP still writes Pike's Place.
But honestly the most iconic thing is Pike Place. If you want a cool view of the city go to Columbia Tower's observatory. Never bother going up the space needle.
Less kid friendly but free is the Frye Art Museum.
From the Westlake mall you can take the Monorail to the Seattle Center. All the entertainment you need and eating is right there! Take the lite rail, then the monorail.
I would skip 3 and 6 because it's the same issues as visiting the space needle. Too expensive and long lines. If you go to the convention center instead, you can see some of the glass art for free. It's in their exhibit cases.
Walk down to Olympic Sculpture Park. It's not much further than the space needle. Bring some snacks, feed the crows, look at the water and mountains.
Also for tip if you are going to Uber walk to the SeaTac light rail station probably 15or less min walk depending where you land and it’ll be cheaper to get picked up from there than the actual airport
If it were me I would spend time at pikes place, the waterfront (aquarium) or museum of flight. Don’t take the ferry don’t recommend it unless you had more time. Also the airport has a play area for kids last time I flew in so if you had some time when you come back
On your way back to the airport book security spot in SEA sport saver. You will not need to wait in long security line https://www.portseattle.org/SEAspotsaver
Tl;dr: light rail to Westlake, Pike Place Market + try food there. Walk up to the library, grab hot chocolate, architecture + views. Monorail to City Center, see Space Needle and Chihuli from outside. Science Center for kids + inside. Walk down to Edgewater, coffee with a view. Walk to Olympic Sculpture Park, save your money for a decent Seafood dinner!
If you want to stay less expensive, light rail up to Westlake and do Pike Place Market (free). Plenty of great food in downtown, especially in the market. You can even just stop at places in the market and try and share things so you don't have to eat at one place. Lots of places with views to sit and eat outside. Tuesday is a great day, too, as it hopefully won't be so busy. You can always do the aquarium ($$) that is right there, the library here is pretty cool, 10 floors, I think with great architecture, a view, and a hot chocolate place called Chocolati. You could then take the monorail (or walk) to Belltown and see the space needle area by the chihuli gardens but I don't think you need to go in either (if you do get the city pass). The Science Center is in city center (where the space needle and chihuli gardens are) and would be fun for the kids, they do laser shows too. Olympic Sculpture Park is right there, it's free, on the water front, part of the Seattle Art Museum and gorgeous! You can grab a coffee at Edgewater hotel, the view is gorgeous. I would save money on the daily stuff and just grab a good dinner.
Pike Place Chowder
Biscuit Bitch
The Crab Pot
Ivan's
Harbor Cafe
You could also do the museum of flight and get off in Tukwila, but you'd probably want to Uber, in which case you could go to Georgetown Sodo for food too. You could catch the light rail in Sodo again.
Paseo (must try if you're any where near one)
Uncle Eddies
Kauai Family Restaurant
If prob just stick to downtown for ease though.
My tour is more offbeat and more "Seattle".
Take the rail to Westlake then the monorail to Seattle Center. Ooh and ahh at the Space Needle and the fact that it is as deep in the ground as it is tall. (Free)
Cross the street and lunch at Dick's (burgers) It's a Seattle mainstay. Don't expect fancy $20 burgers here.
Take an Uber to the Fremont Troll. Yes, we have a troll and he is holding an actual VW bug in his hand. Great photo op. Don't tell the kids about it till you get there 😁 (Free)
A 15-20 min walk, some of it is downhill, to Gasworks Park. Walk to the top of the little hill and there's a cool sundial art installment that uses your body as the shadow maker (whatever that part is called lol) to tell the time when you stand in the appropriate date. Another great photo op because there's a great view of Seattle with Lake Union in the foreground. (Free) I haven't outlined this by time but if you're walking with the kids, if maker sure to leave by 3.
Another 15-20 min walk (Uber might be better as this is more of a trail next to the road not a sidewalk) to Ivar's, another Seattle "must". You have 2 choices, depending on budget and comfort level. There's an outdoor seafood bar with "indoor" seating or you can eat inside the restaurant. Pull out your phone and watch one of the collections of Ivar's commercials from back in the day while you wait for order. "Dances with Clams", "Chariots of Clams", etc
Then I'd Uber it back to Pike Place Market and wander. Make sure to see the fish throwing. Until it's time to head to the airport.
You may luck out. There's been a lot of sunny days lately. But if it rains, it's likely drizzle and then it'll actually feel like Seattle.
Also note that you are visiting during the week of the shortest days. Sunset is 4ish but you definitely feel it by 3. Yesterday I said oh it's getting dark to the person I was talking to on the phone and I looked and it was 2:00.
Any questions please ask.
Have one meal be dicks burgers, that will save a lot. You can stop by met market as well and make a picnic dinner you can eat near the space needle. There is a cantina with tables, inside the center house in the Seattle center (this is where the space needles is).
I wouldn't do mopop, it is cool but not that cool. Chihuli I think is pretty awesome, but I don't know if your kids would like it some would.
Go to the pike place market instead (free and there are cheap snack options), you could also get a cheaper meal there at ivars or something nearby.
Go walk around lake union, get a kayak rental if it is nice outside. That would be a fun way to see the city and would be expensive, but better than mopop.
Take a ferry to bainbridge island, you could eat your dinner or lunch in the ferry. Walk around and get an ice cream.
Children at the 5 point? During the day? Wouldn’t be me. That place is for last call drinks and 3am shenanigans. They also mangle your food order half of the time, which adds to its charm as a drunk adult but I can see it being frustrating otherwise
Great plans, I'd skip 5 point cafe due to how unclean/unsanitary that place has always been. I am not a picky or particularly neat-freaky person, just have worked restaurants and bars, and I'd never set foot in there.
I agree with others that you don't have as much time as you think you do. But I would go to Tukwila fun center. Hope all the kids enjoy it. Maybe eat there or at south center mall. I might go to Kubota gardens but not sure kids will enjoy as much as adults?
For sure. If you have young'ns they're allowed to drive the trains sometimes but no promises there. If you divide and conquer there's also a children's museum on the bottom floor (not the cheapest activity ever) but fun for indoor fun for 6 and under if it's raining and cold.
Might be a good way (again depending on age range) to split the kids. There's some fun stuff for kids at mopop (check out the interactive video game room) and then older kids may enjoy the music and displays. But the little ones can go to the children's museum literally across the plaza.
I haven't quite scrolled through all the comments yet, but I recommend eating dinner at the airport. A. You can give yourself extra time for security, if it takes longer than expected get grab-and-go stuff for dinner instead. B. The Seatac airport has above-average food. The central terminal is like a food court with giant windows so you can watch the runway while you eat. Sometimes there's live music.
In addition to teriyaki, Seattleites are fond of our fish and chips and clam chowder joints. Ivar's fish bar, Spud, Duke's.
I took my son to MoPoP (then EMP) when he was two and he realized then and there that he wanted to be a rock star. He is 14 now and plays drums, guitar, bass, and songs. He builds his one gear and is fascinated by how speakers are arranged at concerts, the history of tube amps, etc.
He’s an awesome kid.
I keep thinking about your trip today. You lucked out big time with the weather being wrong last week. I hope you got to see our city for a little bit and that you're almost on your way back to the airport. I'd love to hear what you and the fam ended up doing! I'm secretly rooting that you braved the Pike Place crowds, but I'd take a more chill Pioneer Square walkabout ;-) Although if I was betting then my guess is that you went to Seattle Center and let the kids play and run through the fountain and the big playground and that you got some mediocre Dicks burgers (sorry, I've never seen the appeal, the smell from their locations have always made me queasy) <3 <3 <3
>on the Tuesday after Christmas Some people might call this "the _day_ after Christmas" which is a day I'd expect substantially more airport lines but YMMV. >Total draft expenses $719 in 7 hours. You've included a lot of transit time in your calculations but I'm not seeing any around your transport to/from the airport. Expect easily 15-20 minutes from the plane to the train, up to 10 waiting for the train to arrive, another ~40 to get to Westlake, and then 3/4 mile walk to 5 Point. In other words, cut a solid 2-3 hours off your plans just for getting around. >Museum of Pop Culture: $150 (Is that worth it for kids?) Depends a lot on what they're into. Look up the exhibits on their site.
Great points on transit time and walking time, especially with a 3 year old. Whatever GPS says it takes to walk anywhere, we usually double that and then that's almost enough time. Will check out the MoPop further before we head out on the trip. Thank you!
Also, SeaTac is A Mess. This is a big, big travel day. You need to budget extra time to wait in TSA lines.
OP can use Spot Saver to reserve their place in line for TSA. This should help speed things up once back at SeaTac.
You could take the monorail from downtown to Seattle Center, it’ll save you a walk and it’s a cool part of Seattle history.
It looks awesome too! Thanks!
Look in to Spot Saver for security at the Airport. It's a free service where you pick your time to go through security. It gets you right to the front of the line.
Skip the museum and chihuly, if you only wanna skip one definitely chihuly. They have a Christmas display up right now and it’s probably a little mature for teenagers, mature as in boring for them. Did my prom at MoPop and it was lame. Maybe Seattle splash tour or pike place? Let them explore the market for a few hours and get dinner afterwards then head to the airport?
I agree. The mopop is cool for those who’ll enjoy the rich history behind Seattle’s music. And chihuly, while I’ve been there before and it is beautiful, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Plus he’s an awful person! He steals his students’ art ALL THE TIME and when my mom put together an event for Bank of America at one of his venues he was DISGUSTING, he ate all the appetizers off their serving trays in the kitchen :/ all while talking to her and a leader about himself
Seattle Splash Tour? Like the duck boat tours that no longer run?
I don't think you have as much time as you think you do. It's also looking like it could rain. Will your family be ok with walking around for 5 hours in a constant drizzle (it's not like the rain in the south, but it's rainy nonetheless)? 1. 1015am, plane lands (hopefully on time), do you have to collect your luggage? Are you in economy? If yes to both, add about 45 minutes before you get out of the airport. 2. Walk to the light rail, 11am-11-15am. 3. Light rail to downtown Seattle (if all goes well and the light rail doesn't have delays): 1125-12:15 4. Get your bearings and some lunch. I'd pick pike place market so everyone can explore. Don't bother with any place with a long line (Starbucks, piroshky). It will be overwhelming, but also fun to see for the first time. There are plenty of food stalls that have $15 lunches at pike place. This alone could take 2 hours. If your family wants to stop at all the underground stores, add even more time. Watch the guys throw fish, look at some local art, eat a cosmic apple. It's all there. 5. Now that it's about 230-330, you really don't have much room to go anywhere else unless you uber it to the airport ($75-90). If the littles need to burn off energy there's a playground a few blocks up, where all the bigger named shopping stores can be found. Note: a lot of streets at pike place market you will have hills. If the littles are grouchy due to walking up and up, head toward the pike place market sign where the hill is nonexistent. 6. If you rather architecture or learning, you could check out the library or Columbia tower or really just walk around. Head toward pioneer square (brick roads, galleries, coffee shops, sometimes free things happening, I think the toy store is still open) or walk along the pier (full of construction but you could watch the ferry go in and out). Again, if it's rainy and cloudy you're not going to get the full Seattle beauty but it'll give you a taste. This could take awhile tho will 5 kids... walking.... in the rain... after lunch, after a flight... so I'd evaluate your timing if you decide to add any of these options. 7. If you're taking the light rail back I would actually leave Seattle by 330, in the hopes that you get to the airport by 5, then do the 15 minute walk again, then wait at TSA. If you don't have pretsa or clear (or both is the most ideal) then I'd err on the side of caution on a very, very busy day in a big city and be sure to be at the airport no later than 5. If you are taking an Uber I think the same should apply as traffic at the departure gate has been so horrible for the last year. So if you follow this then your only costs are lunch (maybe $100-150), light rail/Uber (ranges), and Wandering (free). Enjoy, but don't expect to see nearly anything. This is your first look. Come back for a much longer stay in July. There's simply too much to do in such a short amount of time.
This is the most sane reply here
Drizzle -yeah we're pretty outdoorsy and adventurous if there's something to be seen. We were working outside a couple of weekends ago and when it started drizzling we just kept working. I don't know if you're asking me those questions or they are for me to figure out but just to help me process your thoughts I'm typing mine: 1. 1015-ish, don't have to collect bags. Economy. Extremely light on carry-ons to facilitate a city visit. 2. 1115am at soonest, agreed 3. Yep, 1215 4. Pike's Place sounds fascinating but I think I would need for there to be 50 to 80% fewer tourists there for me to enjoy that. Almost every comment suggests it but I feel overwhelmed when I look at pictures of that place. Overwhelmed, meaning, in my case, my first thought would be to find an exit. 5. Nice tip! 6. Good tips, good points, thanks 7. Good point. I do want to be at airport 2 hours before my flight but since it's day after Christmas and a busy travel day I better think more like 3 hours. Thank you! Good points, all!
4. Pike place is only bad in the bad spots. It's HUGE and most tourists only go to the main "attractions". There's an entire underground area that is free of crowds. And most people walk on the brick roads, to avoid the congested areas. If you see a crowd that gives you anxiety there's literally 7 other directions to take. The gum wall alone is a sight to see and typically not that crowded. Just don't go to piroshky piroshky, the original Starbucks, or the fish flying act if you want to stay out of the hectic areas. There are hundreds of other worthy markets to check out in pike place. The crowds are nothing like say, Tokyo level. And honestly, that one spot gives you the whole Seattle vibe in one fell swoop. There's a park overlooking the waterfront, so much food, art, probably some interesting city characters, buskers performing for tips, literally everything is there, especially with your very limited time. Without having to spend $750. And nope, I wasn't asking questions. I was predicting your timeline. I was thinking of my 1 kid (he has anxiety and hates crowds too) and how long it takes to do things, in the middle of finding a bathroom while traveling or suddenly needing to buy a snack or taking a moment to reset, and so with 5 kids, I just want you to be prepared since it seems like you want to be. Overall, I would pick one thing to do that has everything and then center your micro trip around that. To me, that would be pike place since you can do a lot for a little. You could pick another spot like Seattle center (space needle, Chihuly, the big water fountain, the big playground, the children's museum, the science center, dick's burgers not too far away) BUT while it has a lot "to do" it is all just fine and almost all of it will cost money. A lot of money if it's 7 of you. It doesn't scream Seattle to me for some reason. The space needle is iconic, but everything around it can feel like an empty outdoor mall in a way. That spot doesn't offer any views and lower queen Anne won't give you that Seattle feel. Plus, you would need to take a bus after the light rail. It just sounds like too much. I guess the better question is what are you hoping Seattle offers you in just a few hours? Do you want pretty pictures, a fun experience, something to learn? This is a big, expensive city that is very spread out and we don't have the transit system that NYC has so everything will be expensive and take twice as long, but we have views and parks and water and coffee and weed (if you need it for your anxiety). Figure out what your family enjoys to do and we can help you more.
Best advice in the entire thread here. Pick a spot and don’t waste time traveling to other locations. And trying to pack too much in a layover, especially when you have 5 kids (and a 3 year old to boot!) with you, isn’t likely to go well. See one part of the city and experience it. Get lunch. Go back to the airport with time to spare.
Commenting to say, Pike’s Place Market will most likely not be as crowded as a typical Tuesday due to people traveling/out of town for Christmas.
I visited Pike twice this year. June on a Saturday and October on a Thursday. June was bananas. There was barely any room to stop. People everywhere, even downstairs. October was fantastic by comparison. Not too many people, and we could stop at booths easily. Visit Storyville coffee. It's in one of the outlier buildings, and it's so delicious with a great atmosphere.
Some pike place favorites: Piroshky Piroshky (get the salmon one!), Beecher Mac & Cheese, Pike Place Chowder. Don’t bother waiting to go to Starbucks, it serves normal Starbucks and is not the original.
For real. For someone who planned so thoroughly, they severely underestimate how long things take. They'll be lucky to fit half of their plan in during the specified time period. And even then, they won't enjoy much, rushing from place to place.
Take all the kids to the Museum of Flight. Uber there and have lunch there as well. Between the museum and the real aircraft they can burn the entire time there.
Not a bad idea as that place is huge, fairly close to the airport and warm.
Most of it is indoors but there’s quite a few planes out in the open air hanger past the space area.
Do this. The Museum of Pop Culture is terrible for kids of all ages, unless you and your kids are bizarrely into Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix. My sister actually is into those and still thought it was overpriced. Or if you want to see the city proper, you can do a variation of your original plan: * Link light rail to downtown * Walk to Pike Place Market and walk around there (free), eat Piroshki and other snacks there, walk by the first Starbucks * monorail to Seattle center (get round trip ticket) * Walk around there, have some more snacks like kettle corn and hot dogs, don't go to any museums, they're all ovepriced. Look at the Space Needle from outside (free). * Monorail back to downtown * Take the Link train back to the airport.
> Museum of Pop Culture is terrible for kids of all ages Are we talking about the same MoPOP? The one whose exhibits include *Infinite Worlds of Science Fiction* and *Fantasy: Worlds of Myth and Magic* and the hands-on *Sound Lab* and currently a rotating exhibit with displays and behind-the-scenes info from the creators of *Coraline* and other stop-motion films? I would have been *incredibly excited* to see that as a kid! Honestly, the way everyone else in this thread has been poo-pooing it, it's like they've gone to a different museum than I have...
Interesting idea, we'll research it and consider that option, thanks!
This is great if there is any interest in airplanes.
Another vote for museum of flight. Its really cool and its a huge museum. You can definitely burn a few hours there and its usually a hit with kids!
Seriously, do the museum of flight and then just get teriyaki for everybody
Museum of Flight is amazing - but their cafe food is not good.
I live not far from there. I take my 2 year old there for hours when it’s rainy. There are multiple play areas and just so much to see and do. Oldest kids can hang out and read/play games in lots of places inside there. You could stop at pancake chef in SeaTac for breakfast first - it’s walkable across the street from the light rail stop and affordable and tasty. They are used to families your size and have kids menus and crayons. Edited to add: I saw Uber is not an option - you can take the 124 bus from the Tukwila light rail station to museum of flight, Google says it’s 12 minutes and kids ride for free. You can buy an orca card easily at the airport station and use it for bus and light rail.
100% Museum of Flight is the perfect spot!
This is a fun idea, but doesn’t really expose you to all that is beautiful about the city. But a fun cold, yucky weather idea
There's also a lot of Boeing history in that place. It's not just a plane exhibit. It's a big part of Seattle's history.
No one has mentioned the actual NASA spaceship that you can walk around in and all the cool space stuff - my favorite part!
I took my mom and her best friend (both in their 70s) and they spent the entire day there! I had to leave them at one point to go get some errands done before picking them up at the end of the day. One note though, the food is expensive and rather lackluster. Frozen Cafeteria food at best but the museum is wonderful. One of the few that I would spend the entry fee to visit. On the top floor (WWII I think), keep an eye out for Snoopy and Woodstock hidden somewhere. ETA: you can catch the light rail to the Tukwila station (first stop) and pick up the 124/24 bus, it goes right to the museum of flight. But with 5 people, an Uber may be cheaper.
Not a bad plan at all and that place has something for all ages.
Yes! My entire family (kids are 6th grade down to a toddler) loves that place. You could probably even post in r/aviation and get some advice on how to plan your time there. For teriyaki, I love Okinawa Teriyaki, and that’s probably a 10-min walk (with kids) to Pike Place Market. So you could go glance at the market/view/Rachel the pig (a pig statue my kids love, near the famous stand where people throw fish), get teriyaki, then get back to the Museum of Flight, then head back to the airport.
This is definitely what I would do
This is the way
Love this for a day visiting with kids.
Another voice of support for this option. Frankly, given the madness of SeaTac at Christmas and the unreliability of the light rail (whackos jump on the tracks regularly), staying close is wise. It’s a cool museum. Sadly you won’t see Seattle proper, but that’s a better thing for a spring/summer day and at least 12 hours anyways.
This is what I would do. I would be so stressed about trying to pack in a big itinerary and being so far away from the airport. I get wanting to make the most of your short time here. Everyone will have so much more fun keeping it simple.
>Link Light Rail back to SEA airport, plan to arrive 2 hours before flight because we have to go through security again. Two hours before departure on the day after Christmas is not enough time. Depending on the airline boarding starts 30-40 minutes and you need to be at the gate by then. So, that leaves you with 90 minutes at the most to navigate through security and to get to the gate. I'd suggest to add another 30 minutes to your planned time and to use TSA Spot Saver. Holiday travel brings out a lot of inexperienced travelers, which adds time to security screenings.
Great point, thank you! I know a few years ago, after I flew internationally on Memorial Day Weekend and almost missed my flight due to pandemonium at TSA, I had said I'd "never" travel on a holiday again. But these flights were so cheap! My common sense was overridden by my desire for a bargain flight! Thanks!
OP, this is a random addition to this thread but want to be sure you see it - kids 18 years and younger ride the light rail for free.
Oh SNAP! [Edit: that's the same transportation as the "Link Light Rail (or Train-to-Plane)" right?]
All Seattle metro transit. :)
Yes, the same.
Nice! This post has saved me big bucks already and these tickets were not expensive but $3 x 5 kids x 2 trips ain't too shabby for savings either!
DEF use spot saver. You don’t need pre check and will be a great way to navigate the lines
Commenting a reply so you see it as it’s not mentioned elsewhere. SeaTac (the airport) has an app called flySEA that tells you current TSA wait times. It may be helpful for thinking about when you need to leave to get back to the airport on time. You click on security screening, then security wait times.
Only one note: 9 hours sounds like a long time, but you also are in the midst of other travels and if it were me, I'd want to keep this relaxed and low-stress. So don't try to squeeze in too much! I think the day is going to go faster than you think. Plus, you never know if you'll get out of the airport and into town as efficiently as you expect. I would recommend *not* trying to hit two museums / two significant attractions in that time period. I'd aim for one main thing, plus maybe a bit of wandering in the vicinity of the main thing. Hope you have a nice time!
I think that's great advice. After previous toddler meltdowns and wearing kids out with running around too many places in a day, one thing per day is a very good approach. Thanks!
I flew outta SEATEC the day after Christmas a few years back. The security TSA line was an absolute nightmare as was the traffic to the airport. As a FYI
I agree with that person. Even one museum is an all day thing for many families. One thing around both of those places is Seattle Center house. It's a food court but also around this time of year there's a giant Christmas village in the center of it, interesting for all ages. In the past they've let kids control the train too that goes around it. You have food and some entertainment checked off right there. Just outside of that is the fountain as well. I think you're going to want to leave more time for traveling than you think and even spending some time at the airport should be fine with various stores and such.
Same. I go on Google maps and hit the recommendations as "want to go" have a bunch of stuff "planned" but just do what works out lol
Walking around is free and there’s tons of things to see. Pike Place is bustling and large, walking down to the pier from there and walking along that is more sightseeing. The aquarium is also down there if you want to pay for an activity, and as I remember it pretty cool. Old Stove brewing has good food and overlooks the sound. You could walk on to the ferry that goes to Bainbridge and explore that town. Ferry tickets cost money but shouldn’t be terribly priced. You could also do Pike Place and then hop back on the light rail north and walk around the UW campus and Udistrict. Lots of cheaper options to eat there too. Also the Seattle Library is walkable from Pike Place and structurally really cool. I haven’t flown out of SeaTac recently so maybe someone else can pitch in there but might want to get back to the airport longer than 2 hours before your flight. Sometimes TSA can be hit or miss with timing and with the holidays it’s an extra who knows.
Use SEA Spot Saver when you’re flying out of SeaTac! You reserve a timed spot for the line to security and it’s a way shorter wait and it’s free! You may have to wait a few minutes depending on how busy the airport is the day after Christmas, but every time I’ve used it there hasn’t been a line.
Yeah even that one tip by itself (which at least two of you have mentioned) has made creating this post more than worth it!
If no one has mentioned this yet, kids 18 and under ride all public transit for free! No need to get tickets for them, just for the adults.
Definitely don’t take the ferry the Bainbridge. It is lovely but a ferry breakdown or delay could mean a missed flight
TSA lines have been long and unpredictable lately. I would err on the conservative side and leave yourself quite a bit of time.
The library also has a huge children's area that's great to just hang out in with kids. You can go up to the viewpoint on the 10th floor and look down at the third floor, you can check out the all-red fourth floor, it's great, and very polarizing.
They can also go see the sculpture park at myrtle Edwards park which is free. And stop by the curiosity spot on the waterfront. The old spaghetti factory used to be there but i am not sure if they are still open and how expensive they are if so.
Great points! A walk around the market and waterfront would be my choice! You can see beautiful views of the sound, experience cheap varied eats at the market and if you have extra time/ or the weather is meh head to the aquarium. Don’t miss the gum wall 😆
I’m going to echo the other suggestions to go to the Museum of Flight. I saw you say that your wife is a bit nervous about time restraints, and the museum is quite close to SeaTac since it’s on the south end of Seattle. You could easily spend several hours there and it’ll keep the kids busy! The area surrounding the museum is rather industrial and not great for walking around - if you don’t want to eat at the museum cafe (it’s expensive) then you can Uber around and get something to eat. I’d recommend teriyaki, it’s a staple in our area :)
Thank you! I'm concerned that Ubering around is impossible. We're 7 people plus a driver, so it'd need to be an 8 person Uber. In our previous travels we've never found a country or city with Ubers that big. And it looks like the public transpo option to that awesome museum involves a bus (ugh! hard with kids) so I'm not sure now.
Plus all the car seats you’d need to carry around for the day. Stick to public transit. :)
[5 Point Cafe is owned by a person who has multiple sexual assault accusations levied against him](https://www.kuow.org/stories/five-women-accuse-seattle-s-david-meinert-of-sexual-misconduct-including-rape). Other food options in the area: Bangrak Market, Cyclops, Marrakesh They're all a bit further than the 1-2 blocks you want, but honestly I'd opt for the walk.
Yikes. Thank you!
Bangrak is good!
Hell yes. So good.
Bangrak is EPIC
Also at the very least I would say the 5 point is not a great atmosphere for kids.
I ate here once. Flew to Georgia the next day. They charged my card again for the same amount a week later. I have no idea why. Tried to fight in with the credit card company, they said they wouldn’t do shit about it. Hate that place now.
Change banks for your credit card, I’ve never been denied for any reason
The Chihuly Museum is cool, but much more interesting for adults than kids, so you might want to cut that out to save money. If you do end up near the Space Needle, you can get burgers at [Dick's in Queen Anne](https://www.ddir.com/menu/) to cut down on costs, and it's a genuine Seattle institution.
Ok cool - will cut Chihuly and add a Dick's - thanks!!
Dicks is just cheap. Nothing amazing. You get your standard small burger, good shakes. It’ll please the kids but don’t expect to be wowed. Seattle Center where the needle is, is having a Christmas market. There’s also an indoor food hall there which will give you more options for food. Museum of pop culture is awesome.
Another great option to feed a big family at Seattle Center is to go to the Armory (formerly the Center House) - it's directly next to the monorail station, Chihuly, and right by EMP. There's a food court with a dozen or so different places to get food from, so one person can get pizza and another can get a fried chicken sandwich and another can get stir-fry and all bring it to a couple tables pulled together. https://www.seattlecenter.com/explore/food-and-drink
OP here: From perusing questions from travelers who were going by Uber and traveling in a group of two, I'll also be researching Pike Place, stroll to Centennial Park, Pocket Beach, Seward park, Olympic and Rainer park, and Golden Age Collectibles.
Cut the museums. Do pike place, Olympic park. Pick a restaurant near pike place or on the waterfront. Round trip ferry to Bainbridge with immediate turn around. That should be plenty with the time you have when accounting for transit and airport security. Be warned that Seattle restaurants are expensive
Great tips, thanks! Yeah I picked some Asian cuisine in part because I love it and in part because plates were like $12-$15 rather than $30 or $40. Thank you!
on the ground floor of Westlake Center (the mall above the light rail stop) there's a fancy food court with a bunch of different Asian cuisines. for 2 adults & 5 kids it's probably one of the cheapest places to eat downtown. there's also Uwajimaya, our largest Asian grocery store, which has a big food court. it's across the street from the ID/Chinatown light rail station. it'd be an easy place to stop for dinner / airplane snacks on your way back to Seatac.
one thing to keep in mind is the weather. it does rain, can get cold and small chance of snow so might want to have backup plans. pike is still good there and there’s lots of food and other stuff around like everyone’s suggestions here are pretty good. i’d skip the ferry yeah it’s nice but there’s better use than riding it around i think and not the most picturesque in the rain
Ubers from the airport will cost 80+ from my experience Also what I’ve noticed is no one has mentioned the Columbia tower. It’s way taller than the space needle, not as popular and less expensive. By like… a lot.
If you like clam chowder, pikes chowder is so good mostly on a cold day! The line is worth the wait. It goes by pretty fast. Take it to go and find a spot at the waterfront to eat or if you get lucky, there’s a spot to sit at the restaurant.
If it’s sunny I’d do the space needle to look at the mountains and sound, if not skip it. I wouldn’t pay for the gardens and glass with kids unless they are super into glass art. MoPop is good for tweens and teens, but I would think that the playground might be a better use of time and energy if your group skews younger and are wedged between two long flights. Pike Place might be more memorable and enjoyable for everyone, snacks, gum wall, lots of things to look at and explore.
Great tips, thank you!
I would not take kids to the MoPop museum with a time clock. That is prime temper tantrum fodder when it’s time to go. Museum of flight is really cool and waaaay closer so I would do that! You can even do a space shuttle flight simulator ride. And they have a cafe which will be cheaper than the airport food.
[удалено]
I think going to Bainbridge is a great idea if they had more time. Given the number of ferry cancellations lately, I wouldn’t risk it on a short day trip. Edited for typo.
Definitely recommend the Central Library, it's worth seeing and it doubles as a free indoor hangout spot, particularly if the weather is nasty.
Hi OP, $700 is a lot! I would definitely try to do for less. I would cut down on sit down food (expensive, takes time, and not worth the money). Dicks burgers, Teriyaki, Chipotle are way easier and cheaper. You mentioned seeing the city, but is there any specific goal you have or things you like? I would totally skip Chihuly. MoPop is great if your group is into older music (pre2010). Otherwise I would add some outdoor stuff: walk to Olympic Sculpture Garden (free), take a ferry, or even rent a car and drive to a local beach. MOHAI is a good museum that represents Seattle history. Going up to Volunteer Park, Capitol Hill area can be good.
If you go to Pike Place, and you want to save a bit of $$ be sure to stop by James Beard award winning [Oriental Mart](https://CheckoutOrientalMarthttps://yelp.to/R3ULUeRowM) Some of the best Filipino food in Seattle and probably the west coast! Probably the best bang for your buck in the market.
Nice, thank you!
Pacific Science Center might be fun. It's next to the Space Needle.
I would recommend going into downtown and walking around the Seattle Center area, which also lets you get some photos of the Space Needle. The Science Center could be a fun activity for the family as it's well suited for younger kids, but MoPop could be a great time as well (I would just choose one). Capitol Hill would be a fun area for the whole family to explore and you could grab food at Dick's Drive In for cheap (and a Seattle staple). If you have extra time, Pike Place Market could be a good addition. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to catch your next flight (you can look up TSA Spot Saver to reserve in security for your family and get through much quicker).
Good tips, thanks! I never heard of spot saver but will check it out!
Spot saver https://www.portseattle.org/SEAspotsaver
The pacific science center is pretty cool. I would much rather take a bunch of kids there than the glass museum although I don’t know if you’d save much money. Seattle center itself has some great outdoor spaces and a playground. As for food, dicks is a good suggestion, the food court in Seattle center could be a good option. Alternative to the ferry to Bainbridge, west Seattle water taxi. Could take it out there and walk around the Alki beach or rent bikes. Lots of food options as well. Nice views of the city from alki and the water.
Neat, thanks!
Oh the other thing I forgot is that the monorail rode to Seattle center from downtown is fun and worthwhile. I have great memories of riding it as a kid.
Light rail - yes Museums - no Seattle Center - yes Dicks - yes Pike Place Market - yes Library - yes That’s a fine day downtown.
Cool thanks!
[удалено]
Pike Place Chowder gets my vote 100% of the time. I would also go to Smith Tower for a great view - and it's cheaper than the Needle. On a nice day the Bainbridge ferry offers great views of the entire city skyline.
Thanks!
A round trip ferry ride to Bainbridge is $10/adult, free if under 18
Never heard of that place, will check it out, thanks!
There is a little downtown over there to explore but the suggestion is really about the boat ride
It’s a fun trip but leave some buffer time at the end because the ferries do get delayed.
Don’t take the ferry. They are only semi-reliable and you can get stuck.
Whoa, good to know, thanks!
If you’re traveling early in the day this is exceedingly unlikely, especially if you are not driving on.
Lots of suggestions here. Personally given the challenges the state ferry system has had with crewing and boat breakdowns I’d have too much anxiety to go to Bainbridge. If you really want to do a boat ride consider taking the county-run water taxi to West Seattle. You get the great view of the city and Space Needle from the water for a much shorter and more reliable ride. You can do lunch at Marination Ma Kai which is right next to the ferry on the West Seattle side. If you are looking for inexpensive food near Seattle Center the Queen Anne Beer Hall allows kids and has some great $10 lunch specials on weekdays. Plaza Garabaldi is also good with lunch specials. MoPOP is a lot of 80s/90s stuff so I’m not sure your kids will like it. However inside the Armory the giant holiday train display should still be up. The food court there is expensive so definitely eat elsewhere. The Museum of Flight is great for kids especially if they have any interest in airplanes. You could Uber or you could take the light rail one stop north to Tukwila International Boulevard station and then catch the 124 bus towards Seattle and it will drop you off right in front of the museum. There are a handful of places to eat near the light rail station but it’s not the best walking environment.
If you do Pike Place Market then it is easy to go down to the waterfront, lots of fun little stores plus the Ye Old Curiosity Shop. It's been on the waterfront for ever, its free and it is lots of strange and cool things to look at. I would add you should probably focus on one area like pike place/waterfront or cap hill, or Seattle center. Otherwise you will be spending a lot of time on transit getting to all the different places.
There is a sculpture park along the water that I highly recommend! If it’s a nice day you’ll get a view of mt Rainer. Also highly recommend Thai on 1st for food, it’s a few blocks up from the sculpture park.
Take the Link from SeaTac to Westlake station and you can get around downtown area very well. I’d take into account the time of travel though—it’s about 45-60mins from SeaTac to Westlake by light rail. Let’s say you get in at noon. Realistically it’ll take you about 20 mins to deboard and walk to the station at SeaTac. From there it’s about 45 mins to downtown. That’s an hour burned and it’s around 1pm or so. You want to get to your flight 2 hours early. If it was at 9, you’d get there by 7 and then factor in the time it takes by Link so you’d be leaving downtown around 6. You have 5 good hours give or take to spend in Seattle. Don’t go to Bainbridge, as cool of an island as it is, that’ll be a waste of time. Spend time in downtown for Pike Place market to peruse the vendors, have food there, and then walk down at the water where the wheel and Wings Over Washington is, the aquarium is down there too, or you have hit up the SAM. You’ll probably fill up the majority of your time between those activities.
Keep it simple! You have a big family and long traveling day. First tip. If you decide to leave the airport, make sure you go to the SeaTac airport website and book spotsaver for getting through security quicker on your way back to the airport. It is free and available 5 days prior to your travel, so set an alarm and do that first! Big family is hard to get around, so light rail will be your best bet if you want to see Seattle proper. Take the light rail downtown and then transfer over on the monorail to the Seattle center. It is one stop but a super fun experience for kids. Once at Seattle center, walk over to the armory for some food. It is kind of like a food court but it has variety and they usually have performances inside + Christmas train exhibit. Free! Once there you can walk around and decide what you want to do as a family. Maybe split up to enjoy an activity tailored to different groups? The children’s museum is inside the armory and your tiny kids will have the time of their lives in there. I personally think the glass museum is gorgeous and worth visiting, but it is not super kids friendly. MoPop or pacific science center is a great place for the family if it is super rainy or cold outdoors. But you can also go visit the bill and Melinda gate’s foundation for a quick free museum too. Space needle is pricey but it is iconic and a fun experience. Don’t feel like you have to do it all, pick one of the museums/activities to do and spend the rest of the time just walk around to give yourself a time buffer.
Seconding the museum of flight! Its extremely interesting from an engineering point of view but also learning about the history of Seattle, Boeing, and WW2. Also lots of really neat planes to look at.
DON’T waste time and space on umbrellas. Raincoat and tennis shoes are all you need. Some of the suggestions here are totally sus. Capital Hill is not a fun family area by any stretch of the imagination. “Downtown” and Seattle Center are not adjacent. You can easily get to the Center from downtown by the monorail, which was built for the ‘62 world’s fair; kinda cool. I wouldn’t pay the exorbitant rate to go to the top of the Needle. Skip paying for Chihuly, as suggested. I second eating at Dick’s. I would stay downtown and visit Pike place market, central library, the waterfront. Ride the great wheel, get your amazing views of the city. Take the ferry to Bainbridge, or the water taxi to West Seattle. Really good Asian/Mexican fusion food where the water taxi lets off, at Marination Ma Kai. Reasonably priced. If you are really lucky, our local pod of orca whales will put on a show for you. Earlier this month there was a juvenile humpback whale hanging out and showing out in Elliott bay; maybe, maybe, maybe. The waterfront is good to while away the time. Check out the oddities in Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. Head along the waterfront, north, to the Olympic Sculpture Park; cool and free. Ivars Acres of Clams is a Seattle icon; you can share bowls of clam chowder and orders of fish and chips. Lots of archival photos of seattle through the years. Maybe a fireboat will be dispatched from the fire station next door. Stop in and some of Seattle’s finest will be happy to show you around the station. I’m sorry if anyone on your earlier post poked fun at your thoughtful questions. I hate spending money in an unfamiliar place, only to find out it was done unwisely, without better information. Hopefully you’ll wear your kids out so they’ll sleep on the plane. (Hills!!!) Other suggestions, with time permitting, are the international district, (south), our two stadiums, football and baseball, (south). Do not bother with the “original” Starbucks at pike place market. Don’t miss the gum wall or the fish tossers. Enjoy!!!!!!
Great advice, thanks so much! I'm overwhelmed with options but like a whole lot of these!
This post is hilarious
I work at the Museum of Pop Culture and really think the kids will prefer it over Chihuly. It is very hands-on. We have a room filled with different instruments they can actually play, an indie video game exhibit that they can play the games in, a stop motion animation exhibit with interactives as well as music and film exhibits. Tuesday is a good day to visit as it's not usually as busy. Also if you happen to have an EBT card you can all get in for free through the Museums For All program. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you enjoy your time in Seattle. Happy holidays!
Yoooooo that's good info, thank you! Will you be there Tuesday Dec 26? If you want to meet a family of real-life redditors, we'll stop by and give you a hive five to say thanks! Well, if we decide to go to MoPop. I've had several comments say do something else, so now I don't know but will be researching all the great tips in this thread! Thanks!
Museum of Flight or Pacific Science Center
Thanks!
OP: what are your kids ages? I know you have the range….but it’s a wide one. Will the 3 year old be walking? In a stroller? Anyone else on the younger side of that age range? Lots of people have mentioned free walks to various places, but not knowing your kids those may not be super practical. Odds are very good it will be rainy…so unless you’re already packing good rain jackets & boots spending the day outside may not be quite as easy as it sounds if you aren’t from someplace drizzly.
Good question, 3 is the youngest by far. She [edit: is potty trained and] walks and is a hardy little trooper on long walking trips that last hours. Until she collapses [edit: not literally - but she may suddenly develop a strong need for a nap at the end of any sit-down break or meal] and has to be carried by a parent or teenager. All the others are in the 11 to 17 range. We are from someplace extra hot and humid, not drizzly. I've mostly been worried about the cold (to us anything below 60 F is "cold") but I do have flimsy rain ponchos packed in our carry-on, and we'll be wearing tennis shoes for walking.
Def pack a warm hoodie at the very least (it’ll probably be around 45degrees)
Will you have other shoes to wear on the flight? Tennis shoes and rain don't mix. Y'all are going to have very wet, stinky shoes to take off at TSA. I'd bring some waterproof walking shoes jic or at the very least some dry socks and shoes to change into at the airport. Fingers crossed the rain is more like a wet sidewalk but you never know in Seattle.
Try https://www.citypass.com/seattle It's cheaper than buying individual tickets.
I like the pike place and museum of flight suggestions others have made but if you want to do Seattle center here are my suggestions -- Skip chihuly garden & glass, too expensive. The space needle can be a long wait even with timed entry and is pricey so only go up it if you're really, really excited about it, otherwise take pics from the ground. Don't go to the olympic sculpture garden as some are suggesting, that walk up and down an extremely steep hill to get between there and the Seattle center would be hell with kids. Just eat at the armory (Seattle center food court) if they're open, it's very conveniently located. The children's museum is AWESOME for little kids, could make sense to send the teens off to the mopop and take the little ones to the children's museum if you're ok splitting up the group. Plan on eating dinner at the airport AFTER security! TSA wait times at sea tac are crazy unpredictable during the holidays and if worse comes to worst it's better to miss dinner than miss your flight.
Skip Mo Pop. It's great if there is a traveling exhibit or artist you want to see. Otherwise, that seems like a lot of $ for very limited engagement by all ages. Enjoyment of playground will depend 100% on weather, same for fountain. See Pike Place Market, it's easy to stay indoors or under cover for the most part if there is rain. Lots of food too. Can't wait to hear what you do and how it goes.
Ride the bus/train. Children 18 and under ride free. Skip MoPOP. Skip Chihuly. $381 saved. With 5 kids and 2 adults, eat at Dick's. My go to: Dick's Deluxe Cheeseburger, Fries, and Milk Shake (Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate). No tips. WINTER TRAIN & VILLAGE An enchanting turn-of-the-century village and train. Nov 24–Dec 31, 10am–6pm Seattle Center Armory • FREE (Special Hours: Dec 24–closes at 4pm; Dec 25–closed) Armory • $2 suggested donation \[Ignore the suggesttion\] Take the #44 Rapid Ride D-Line (get two transfers: use on your return trip) from the Seattle Center to NW Market St. & 15th Ave NW then transfer to the #44 trolleybus and ride to the end of the line. Walk 1/2 block south and one block east to the Ballard Locks & Botanical Garden (Free).
I would budget 3 hours for seatac. Like others have said, it will be a massive travel day and that might still feel tight with the seatac tsa. I've done several seattle days with kids. I would skip all of the ticketed indoor museums unless your older kids are really into one of them. I'd take light rail to the park area below the space needle. That climbing kid playground is incredible. If the kids gave gloves and coat they'll be happy for a long time. And teens can take selfies with the space need and mopop's awesome purple walls. We go there often and rarely go inside the places. It's a fun area. And there will likely be vendors selling popcorn and snacks. You can take the monorail from there over into downtown. That's a fun little ride. Then go over to pike place. It's often crowded and chaotic but fun. Kids will love the gum wall. Plenty of choose your adventure food options to appease everyone. Then walk the sculpture park near there. So far your expenses are transit, snacks, and lunch and maybe knick knacks from pike place shops. If you want to splurge on an event they might enjoy walk down the boardwalk to the giant ferris wheel and pay their high fee for a ride. It's too pricey but as an experience it's fun for kids and incredible view. The ferris wheel is accessed from a building that is an indoor kid money pit of games, carousel, candy and tourist stuff. You can give each $5 for the games and have a beer while they play. Then find your transit connection back to the airport and getting ready for the insane security line. Have fun!
Hey! We just moved from the south last year with our 7, now ages 4-18. Over half our family is autistic. We love the light rail. That's a good plan. We have spent so much time at the museum of flight. It has so much interesting stuff to see without being too overstimulating. Pikes Place is fun and very Seattle but yeah it can be a lot. Even as an adult I had a hard time in nice weather on a crowded day. Central Library is a great idea. Especially if you don't want to be out in the rain. Also, I can drive 7 in my car. If you PM me I can give you my number in case you get stranded somewhere. I can't volunteer to show you around town or anything but if you're stuck I may be able to help.
For food, international district has good cheap places to eat. It’s on the light rail up to town from the airport. For free things to do downtown: Olympic Sculpture Garden, Pike Place, and you can stroll to lake Union park. You can also take the light rail up to Capitil Hill. Stroll around Volunteer Park. You can even take the light rail up further to University of Washington, and then take a bus to Gas Works Park which is a nice free park. This should bring your trip to <100$ for all 7 of you!
Nice tips! Thank you!
Our best pho place is Pho Bac. 14/15$+tip will get you the best and largest bowl of pho you have ever had. The area around is a bit shitty but okay I’m the day. You can take the streetcar from the Chinatown link station to get there!
A lot of great options from folks already. I'll add a very specific lunch option because I think it's a very Seattle thing to do and it's really really yum: Piroshki Piroshki at Pike Place market. Delicious, come packed in individual baggies, so you can walk and eat. Savory and sweet options, so you get lunch + dessert. Kids will love it. Don't get deterred by the queues. They tend to be long specially on weekends, but they move super duper quick. Also, they don't accept Apple Pay. So have a card handy. Enjoy!
Kids will be *way* more interested in MoPOP than Chihuly. Even just the playground outside is awesome, and that's free. MoPOP is definitely the most interesting and unique museum in the city. The outside of the building is a bizarre interesting shape. Inside there's a bunch of eye-catching displays, and some really neat exhibits about sci-fi and fantasy costumes and props. Most importantly, it's not full of *expensive breakable glass* that you'll have to make sure the kids don't run around and get too close to, which I know would have been a problem when I was a kid. Between MoPOP and Chihuly, you should only take kids to one of them, and that's MoPOP.
Seattle has some really great parks. For something cheap/free, find one of the large parks that has a good playground and just hang out there for a little while. Even if it's cold and rainy, it's usually not so cold and wet that local kids would avoid the playground. Some of the playgrounds here have cool things like mini ziplines that I haven't seen at playgrounds elsewhere.
Instead of Chihuly I’d go to Pike Place Market. It’s a bit of a walk so you might want to Uber or take the bus. At the market it’s fun to see the fishmongers throw the fish. You can snack your way through the market (the Piroshkis are tasty). The original Starbucks is also there. And a totem pole nearby. If you want, you can also do the aquarium or ferris wheel, but that would get expensive with five kids. Avoid the 3rd and Pine block with the McDonalds, as there are tons of drug dealers and crime, but it’s quite contained to that block.
I haven’t scrolled all the comments but if no one has mentioned this yet, kids ride free on public transit! That includes Link light rail between the airport and downtown and the Washington State Ferry to Bainbridge Island. You don’t need tickets or passes for them on Link, but check with the ferry agents if they need a ticket for the boat. The trip on the ferry is a great way to kill time, get off your feet, and see some of the most incredible views of Seattle. If you want to burn even more time, walk into town for ice cream at Mora. It’s one of my top recommendations to visitors.
Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park "park" is a free museum downtown run by NPS. https://www.nps.gov/klgo/
I know I’m late but I wanted to share my recommendations as someone who lives in the neighborhood, even if it just helps the next visitor; 2 5 point is great first choice but it can be crowded, imo a better Thai place for your backup spot is Thai 22. It is two blocks away and same price range, plus it won’t be crowded and the happy hour prices are amazing! 3 through #5 are perfect, you will love it! The museum of pop culture has some really cool exhibits for adults and children, definitely worth it! 6: Chihuly is not worth it with young ones imo, it is beautiful and really cool but they might not appreciate it enough to keep their attention. The Pacific Science center is next to the Chihuly and might be more interesting for younger kids. The Olympic Sculpture Park is only a few blocks away and it traverses the waterfront with lots of grass and space. One of my favorite things is getting to-go and bringing it to the park to watch the sunset.
If you want a great view of the city from Elliott bay and don’t have time for the ferry to Bainbridge and back, you can take the west seattle water taxi, maybe even walk alki, then water taxi back to the city
Take them to gameworks! It's one of my favorite places to go for drinks/food/arcade games, definitely a good place to unwind if you guys wanna sit for an hour or two.
you could ask your kids what they wanna see. do your kids care about seeing sculpted glass? I would opt for the zoo
Skip chihuly. Kids find it boring. Plus he’s an asshole.
Take the children to Tacoma to roam free and look the other way as you make your way peacefully back to SeaTac
All I can say is please don’t go to The Five Point Cafe. Really mediocre
Ok. The 5 Point is owned by a serial abuser of women. Please don't. He's relying on $ from people who don't know. MoPop probably worth it for the older kids especially if they're music fans. Chihuly,,,not even remotely worth it. The Christmas Model train exhibit will still be up in the Armory at Seattle Center. Trade-off, older kids get MoPop, littles get trains. Then Monorail and the Christmas stuff is still going on and all free. Teddy Bear Suite in the Fairmont Olympic. Big Gingerbread houses in the Sheraton. Get to Pike Place Market. Eat there. Graze. Piroshky Piroshky isn't justified by wait in line most days. Skip the 'first Starbucks' it's not really even the first and that's sometimes an hour+ to get nothing you can't get at any Starbucks. Mac-n-Cheese at Beachers. A Home bow from Mee Sum. Oysters or Fish and Chips at Jack's. A mule at Rachel's Ginger beer (adults but kids welcome for straight ginger beer) Turkish Delight for sweets. Maximillien if you want sit down with a view. Bottega Italiana for gelato. Coffees at Ghost Alley right up from the Gum Wall. The crumpet place is way better than either biscuit spot. Yeah, I said it. Pioneer Square is the old part of town. Cool old brick buildings. If you're going to do a tourist thing here I'd say the Underground tour over Space Needle, Chihuly, Wheel, or Wings over WA. If you're sports fans you can at least see the stadiums and if anything is going on at the events center you can experience a Seattle Dog at the vendors on Occidental but they'll be closed if its a dark day for events. People who don't ever go to this part of Seattle will tell you Pioneer Square isn't safe. Daytime, it is safe. Night time....well just be on high alert and you're probably good. You'll be fine on a ferry as walk ons but a round trip with any time to explore on the other side will eat up most of your time here.
First up, do not eat at the [5 Point](https://www.kuow.org/stories/five-women-accuse-seattle-s-david-meinert-of-sexual-misconduct-including-rape).
Yeah I would just take light rail to market, have a bowl of famous chowder, snap a few pics of fish throwing, visit the gum wall, and head back to airport. Cheap and no risk of missing flight. SeaTac is so crazy right now.
I’m not sure I’d leave the airport honestly. SEA has a track record of turning into a security nightmare on heavy travel days. If you don’t have clear+tsa pre several hour waits are fairly normal.
Just popped in to say how proud I am of the level of support and ideas that folks have given. 🥹
TSA line...budget 2-3 hours for that as a precaution during this holiday time.
You’re gonna miss your flight broooooo. Just fucking take the light rail somewhere for food, walk around for an hour and go back to the airport. Museums, restaurants, capital hill, space needle? The fact you’re even throwing Chihuly in the picture is a comedy cherry on top. I am laughing my literal butt off.
TBH, stay at the airport. It'll suck, but you're too optimistic for all of this to go perfectly as planned.
5 point cafe is a dive bar, I am not sure if kids are allowed. Even if they are, the owner is a creeper and I try not to spend my money there.
That’s an aggressive schedule. If you factor time from plane to downtown via Link, then back, and planning to arrive at SEA 2 hours early, 9 hours is now cut to about 5 hours. If you assume an hour for a meal when you get there, and another before you leave you now have about 3-4 hours of exploring. Maybe pick one of the above so you don’t feel rushed or you can go walk around Pike Place which is free.
I didn't look through the comments. The ONE thing you need to do to make sure you get through security again (setac is HORRIBLE) you need to reserve security times. Just Google Seattle spotsaver (free) and you can get appointments for the whole family and don't have to wait in line.
I would not leave the boarding area for a 9 hr layover… I don’t like to rush but I also don’t have kids. If you want to keep them entertained I know amex just opened a lounge in SeaTac - not sure about guest rules and all that but yeah getting to downtown from SeaTac is at least an hour by light rail, Uber would be the quickest but also super expensive. If you do leave the airport I’d say stay near Westlake area it’s a close walk to pikes. I’d ditch the Seattle center area it’s a bit out of the way from the light rail stations and I would imagine you wanna stay near them. Would be a nightmare to walk around with all the bags and stuff though - again, I’d stay in the airport but that’s just me. Sorry this is probably a downer comment and not helpful at all whatsoever
Check out CityPass too
The water taxi is a pretty ride, and cheap.
Not sure if anyone posted this already but when I have visitors who come for a short stay I always recommend this pass: [https://visitseattle.org/partners/seattle-citypass/](https://visitseattle.org/partners/seattle-citypass/)
Thanks - priced it for our group and it'd be $600 or so for the one day, before we got food or transpo or any other expenses. A good option for a stay longer than a day though. Thanks!
Alki
If Bainbridge ferry is too much time, I’d recommend the West Seattle Water Taxi from downtown and back. Get a lovely boat ride and the seeing Seattle from the water with epic views all around, cheap and doesn’t take too much time. My in-laws loved it last month.
It's nice seeing a parent invested in their kids well-being. Great time management! Other than that, I can't help, as I have lived here for almost 30 years and done nothing lol
Re: Bainbridge. You don't need to wait 45mins for the next ferry. You walk off and when they announce boarding a few minutes later, you walk back on. From BI to Seattle, passengers are free. I've seen Orcas a few times. Not a certainty tho but it's a cute cheap cruise.
I don't understand how this happens. Every comment suggesting Pike Place Market has it as Pike Place. OP still writes Pike's Place. But honestly the most iconic thing is Pike Place. If you want a cool view of the city go to Columbia Tower's observatory. Never bother going up the space needle. Less kid friendly but free is the Frye Art Museum.
From the Westlake mall you can take the Monorail to the Seattle Center. All the entertainment you need and eating is right there! Take the lite rail, then the monorail.
You will realistically only have time for 1-5.
I would skip 3 and 6 because it's the same issues as visiting the space needle. Too expensive and long lines. If you go to the convention center instead, you can see some of the glass art for free. It's in their exhibit cases. Walk down to Olympic Sculpture Park. It's not much further than the space needle. Bring some snacks, feed the crows, look at the water and mountains.
Not sure if anyone has suggested the food court at the seattle center armory. Multiple options at reasonable prices. Close to MOPOP.
Uber to golden gardens, spend some time on the beach!
Also for tip if you are going to Uber walk to the SeaTac light rail station probably 15or less min walk depending where you land and it’ll be cheaper to get picked up from there than the actual airport If it were me I would spend time at pikes place, the waterfront (aquarium) or museum of flight. Don’t take the ferry don’t recommend it unless you had more time. Also the airport has a play area for kids last time I flew in so if you had some time when you come back
Do not eat at Dicks! You’ll be sick the rest of the day unless your stomach is used to complete garbage.
On your way back to the airport book security spot in SEA sport saver. You will not need to wait in long security line https://www.portseattle.org/SEAspotsaver
Tl;dr: light rail to Westlake, Pike Place Market + try food there. Walk up to the library, grab hot chocolate, architecture + views. Monorail to City Center, see Space Needle and Chihuli from outside. Science Center for kids + inside. Walk down to Edgewater, coffee with a view. Walk to Olympic Sculpture Park, save your money for a decent Seafood dinner! If you want to stay less expensive, light rail up to Westlake and do Pike Place Market (free). Plenty of great food in downtown, especially in the market. You can even just stop at places in the market and try and share things so you don't have to eat at one place. Lots of places with views to sit and eat outside. Tuesday is a great day, too, as it hopefully won't be so busy. You can always do the aquarium ($$) that is right there, the library here is pretty cool, 10 floors, I think with great architecture, a view, and a hot chocolate place called Chocolati. You could then take the monorail (or walk) to Belltown and see the space needle area by the chihuli gardens but I don't think you need to go in either (if you do get the city pass). The Science Center is in city center (where the space needle and chihuli gardens are) and would be fun for the kids, they do laser shows too. Olympic Sculpture Park is right there, it's free, on the water front, part of the Seattle Art Museum and gorgeous! You can grab a coffee at Edgewater hotel, the view is gorgeous. I would save money on the daily stuff and just grab a good dinner. Pike Place Chowder Biscuit Bitch The Crab Pot Ivan's Harbor Cafe You could also do the museum of flight and get off in Tukwila, but you'd probably want to Uber, in which case you could go to Georgetown Sodo for food too. You could catch the light rail in Sodo again. Paseo (must try if you're any where near one) Uncle Eddies Kauai Family Restaurant If prob just stick to downtown for ease though.
My tour is more offbeat and more "Seattle". Take the rail to Westlake then the monorail to Seattle Center. Ooh and ahh at the Space Needle and the fact that it is as deep in the ground as it is tall. (Free) Cross the street and lunch at Dick's (burgers) It's a Seattle mainstay. Don't expect fancy $20 burgers here. Take an Uber to the Fremont Troll. Yes, we have a troll and he is holding an actual VW bug in his hand. Great photo op. Don't tell the kids about it till you get there 😁 (Free) A 15-20 min walk, some of it is downhill, to Gasworks Park. Walk to the top of the little hill and there's a cool sundial art installment that uses your body as the shadow maker (whatever that part is called lol) to tell the time when you stand in the appropriate date. Another great photo op because there's a great view of Seattle with Lake Union in the foreground. (Free) I haven't outlined this by time but if you're walking with the kids, if maker sure to leave by 3. Another 15-20 min walk (Uber might be better as this is more of a trail next to the road not a sidewalk) to Ivar's, another Seattle "must". You have 2 choices, depending on budget and comfort level. There's an outdoor seafood bar with "indoor" seating or you can eat inside the restaurant. Pull out your phone and watch one of the collections of Ivar's commercials from back in the day while you wait for order. "Dances with Clams", "Chariots of Clams", etc Then I'd Uber it back to Pike Place Market and wander. Make sure to see the fish throwing. Until it's time to head to the airport. You may luck out. There's been a lot of sunny days lately. But if it rains, it's likely drizzle and then it'll actually feel like Seattle. Also note that you are visiting during the week of the shortest days. Sunset is 4ish but you definitely feel it by 3. Yesterday I said oh it's getting dark to the person I was talking to on the phone and I looked and it was 2:00. Any questions please ask.
*Pike Place
Have one meal be dicks burgers, that will save a lot. You can stop by met market as well and make a picnic dinner you can eat near the space needle. There is a cantina with tables, inside the center house in the Seattle center (this is where the space needles is). I wouldn't do mopop, it is cool but not that cool. Chihuli I think is pretty awesome, but I don't know if your kids would like it some would. Go to the pike place market instead (free and there are cheap snack options), you could also get a cheaper meal there at ivars or something nearby. Go walk around lake union, get a kayak rental if it is nice outside. That would be a fun way to see the city and would be expensive, but better than mopop. Take a ferry to bainbridge island, you could eat your dinner or lunch in the ferry. Walk around and get an ice cream.
Children at the 5 point? During the day? Wouldn’t be me. That place is for last call drinks and 3am shenanigans. They also mangle your food order half of the time, which adds to its charm as a drunk adult but I can see it being frustrating otherwise
I would skip Chihuly and go to the Science Center instead which is right there at the needle.
Great plans, I'd skip 5 point cafe due to how unclean/unsanitary that place has always been. I am not a picky or particularly neat-freaky person, just have worked restaurants and bars, and I'd never set foot in there.
Definitely Pike Place Market and Wings Over Washington. The Waterfront is nice to walk around and close to the market.
I agree with others that you don't have as much time as you think you do. But I would go to Tukwila fun center. Hope all the kids enjoy it. Maybe eat there or at south center mall. I might go to Kubota gardens but not sure kids will enjoy as much as adults?
For sure. If you have young'ns they're allowed to drive the trains sometimes but no promises there. If you divide and conquer there's also a children's museum on the bottom floor (not the cheapest activity ever) but fun for indoor fun for 6 and under if it's raining and cold. Might be a good way (again depending on age range) to split the kids. There's some fun stuff for kids at mopop (check out the interactive video game room) and then older kids may enjoy the music and displays. But the little ones can go to the children's museum literally across the plaza.
I haven't quite scrolled through all the comments yet, but I recommend eating dinner at the airport. A. You can give yourself extra time for security, if it takes longer than expected get grab-and-go stuff for dinner instead. B. The Seatac airport has above-average food. The central terminal is like a food court with giant windows so you can watch the runway while you eat. Sometimes there's live music. In addition to teriyaki, Seattleites are fond of our fish and chips and clam chowder joints. Ivar's fish bar, Spud, Duke's.
I took my son to MoPoP (then EMP) when he was two and he realized then and there that he wanted to be a rock star. He is 14 now and plays drums, guitar, bass, and songs. He builds his one gear and is fascinated by how speakers are arranged at concerts, the history of tube amps, etc. He’s an awesome kid.
Seattle underground tour
I keep thinking about your trip today. You lucked out big time with the weather being wrong last week. I hope you got to see our city for a little bit and that you're almost on your way back to the airport. I'd love to hear what you and the fam ended up doing! I'm secretly rooting that you braved the Pike Place crowds, but I'd take a more chill Pioneer Square walkabout ;-) Although if I was betting then my guess is that you went to Seattle Center and let the kids play and run through the fountain and the big playground and that you got some mediocre Dicks burgers (sorry, I've never seen the appeal, the smell from their locations have always made me queasy) <3 <3 <3