Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour (website)
Seattle, Washington
The Underground Tour in Seattle is one of my favorite things we have done in Seattle (even after numerous trips there). It is full of unique history about Seattle, mostly in the time after white settlers came to the area. The tour mainly touches on the early history of the city being built — both in terms of its people and its industries.
Our daughter was almost three on the tour and she enjoyed wandering around under the city, but didn’t get much information from the tour. I could see it being most appealing for kids ages 8+ (small disclaimer: the tour does talk about prostitution as an early industry). The tour guides were very knowledgeable and able to answer questions well. It was a really interesting take on learning about a city and its history!
Pike Place Market (website)
Seattle, Washington
You cannot go to Seattle and not go to Pike Place Market! It is a historic area of Seattle down by the water. There are A LOT of vendors selling everything from pictures to food to gorgeous flowers to clothes — you name it, it’s probably there! Our daughter, almost three at the time, particularly enjoyed watching the vendors at the Pike Place Fish Market throw fish and sing. Watching the staff at Pike Place Fish Market is an iconic experience, and an opportunity to see people truly having fun at work! Depending on the season, the market also offers a lot of great produce (think rainier cherries) and stunning bouquets of flowers.
There are a number of places to eat in and out of the market, including a lot of seafood and ethnic food. You can definitely find something for everyone — whether it’s time for coffee or time for lunch! The original Starbucks is also steps away from the market. I highly recommend going to wander about, enjoy the sights and people watching, and to get a bite to eat.
Seattle Aquarium (website)
Seattle, Washington
The Seattle Aquarium is on the smaller end, but very well done. Our daughter was almost three the first time we went and she loved watching the sea otters and puffins. They also have a very large octopus in one of the main rooms. There is a daily octopus feeding, which is both enjoyable to watch and informational. Outside of that, the aquarium offers a wide variety of fish and other smaller marine life. The aquarium is right on the water, which offers an opportunity to watch the boats in the harbor and see the beautiful scenery across the water.
For a longer visit, it is definitely worth a stop, but for a short weekend visit is an easy skip (unless your little one loves marine life, of course!)
Woodland Park Zoo (website)
Seattle, Washington
The Woodland Park Zoo is a maze (literally) of animals, exhibits, and typical zoo fare. We have been there twice (once without kids and once when my daughter was almost three). It is one of the better zoos we have been to, in terms of animals, but not in terms of the layout. It can be confusing to get around in the zoo, and I often felt like we were getting turned around. Outside of that, we really do love this zoo! They have many animals that we don’t typically get to see at zoos, like meerkats, hippos, wombats, and sea eagles. It is definitely worth a stop with kiddos.
Our daughter loved her time there and really enjoyed the ability to run free for a bit. Also, if you have a membership to your local zoo, there may be a discount exchange. I recommend checking into that before you go!
Fremont Troll (website)
Seattle, Washington
The Fremont Troll is a public art installation under a bridge in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. It is huge and you are able to climb on it to take pictures. There is a small sign about the troll and artist, as well. Our daughter, almost three at the time, didn’t think it was as cool as we did, but I think she would now. Older kiddos will definitely love it!
If you have a car, it is worth a quick stop for the photo op, but not much more than that. However, Fremont is a really fantastic neighborhood. There are a lot of parks, great coffee shops and breweries (Fremont Brewing is one of our favorites), and a wide variety of restaurant options. It’s a bit outside of the downtown area and other touristy parts of Seattle, but worth a day to explore or worth staying in if you want to be outside of the main area. Fremont is our go-to neighborhood when we are in Seattle!
