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Best Things to Do With Kids on the Seattle Waterfront

Play hometown tourist at awesome local attractions along Seattle's waterfront

Published on: October 04, 2024

Best Things to Do With Kids on the Seattle Waterfront

aquarium dive show with a diver holding his hand up to the glass for a kid along the Seattle Waterfront
Photo:
Up close and personal with a diver at the Seattle Aquarium. Photo: JiaYing Grygiel

Seattle Aquarium

Find it: 1483 Alaskan Way, Pier 59

The aquarium is so much friendlier to toddlers than a zoo because you can see all the exhibits up close. Seattle Aquarium, the nation’s ninth largest, includes marine mammals, an underwater dome and a 120,000-gallon “Windows on Washington” exhibit. The giant Pacific octopus and the sea lions are our favorites. Fun fact: The water in Pacific Northwest exhibits is pumped in straight from Elliott Bay, right under your feet.

Visitors can check out the Caring Cove play area and meet a giant octopus. During late spring and summer, spot aquarium critters in the wild during free, low-tide beach walks at many Puget Sound beaches and parks.

On Aug. 29 the new, and highly anticipated, Ocean Pavilion opened. Focusing on the Indo-Pacific Ocean and Coral Triangle, the expansion of the Seattle Aquarium emphasizes the interconnectedness of our waters. There is plenty to explore — see if you can spot Indo-Pacific leopard sharks, eagle rays, anemones and coral on your visit.

The Ocean Pavilion has a public rooftop, part of Seattle’s Overlook Walk. The walkway opens on Oct. 4 and gives visitors a direct route from the waterfront aquarium to Pike Place Market. Let the kids climb and slide on Bluff Walk, enjoy the garden of native plants and public artwork, and take in the waterfront views.

Next stop: The Seattle Great Wheel

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