Swing High, Zip Fast: Most Adventurous Playgrounds Around Seattle
Photo:
The high climber and long tube slide at Seattle Center’s Artists at Play playground. Photo: Nancy Chaney
Artists at Play, Seattle Center
Opened in 2015, the artist-designed Artists at Play playground at Seattle Center (find it between MoPOP and the Armory) is one of the most adventure-oriented playgrounds in the Greater Seattle area. Features include a jaw-dropping, 35-foot climbing structure, one of the tallest such structures in North America. Kids (recommended for ages 5–12) can scale the rope ladders that lead straight to the top, or take the route up through the large climbing net and then traverse the narrow rope passageways to reach the top of two tall tube slides.
Younger kids or the less adventurous will like the ADA-accessible swing set that prompts wind chimes to ring; an ingenious sound fence where kids can pull on a billiards ball and a string plays a perfectly tuned note; a labyrinth; and a smaller play structure.
Location: On the Seattle Center campus, west of MoPOP and east of the Armory. Paid parking is available in several lots and on side streets. Many buses stop close to Seattle Center. Another option is to take the Monorail from Westlake Center.
Next stop: Dune Peninsula