Seattle Activities by Neighborhood
Seattle spreads out along water, so the easiest way to plan is by area. Pick one neighborhood per half day and you will spend more time looking and less time on buses. Amounts are in US dollars before sales tax, and restaurants expect a tip of 18 to 20 percent.
Downtown and the waterfront
Pike Place Market is at 85 Pike St. Walking in costs nothing, and it is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Most shops work roughly 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., while the produce and fish merchants keep longer days, about 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The market publishes its calendar on the Pike Place Market visit page .
Seattle Art Museum charges about $30 for adults, with lower rates for seniors, military, students and teens. Children 14 and under are free, and so is everyone on the first Thursday of the month. A short walk away, the Olympic Sculpture Park is a free waterfront park with outdoor art. Its hours shift with the season, roughly 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in winter and 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in summer, so check the day before.
Ballard and the north end
The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, usually called the Ballard Locks, lift boats between the salt water of the Sound and the fresh water of the Ship Canal. The grounds and the fish ladder are free and run by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Visitor center hours differ by season and published sources disagree, so confirm with the Corps. A free tour is reported at 2 p.m. on open days. The north parking lot is paid city parking.
Discovery Park covers more than 500 acres of forest, meadow, bluff and shoreline. Daybreak Star, a Native cultural center, is inside the park. The bluffs are exposed, so a windproof layer is worth carrying even on a bright day.
Lake Union
You can hire kayaks and paddleboards from Northwest Outdoor Center on Westlake Ave N, at number 2100. Rates and open days change, so ask before you travel. Washington law requires a Coast Guard approved life jacket for each person aboard a kayak, canoe or paddleboard, and children 12 and under must wear it. Lake Union and Puget Sound stay cold in every season, so dress for a fall into the water and stay in sheltered areas. Gas Works Park on the north shore is a lawn with skyline views. Its old industrial towers are off limits, and the shoreline sediment is contaminated, so stay out of the water there.
Central District and West Seattle
Pratt Fine Arts Center, at 1902 S Main St, teaches glassblowing, metalwork and woodwork in real studios. Look at the class calendar before you plan around it, because sessions fill and schedules change.
The Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center, at 4705 W Marginal Way SW, is run by the Duwamish Tribe and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Sunday and Monday. Admission is not listed online, so call 206-431-1582. Visit as guests of a living community, not as a museum stop. The Longhouse page has the address and contact details.
Moving between areas
Link light rail is a flat $3.00 per ride for adults, free for riders 18 and under, with one tap on a contactless card or phone before boarding. Fares are listed on the Sound Transit fares page . The city is hilly, so shoes with grip help more than a bigger map.
Read more: outdoor activities in Seattle covers parks and trails in more detail, and the Seattle city guide gathers the main pages in one place. To see what else is on offer, search things to do in Seattle .