Photo:
Family bowling at Bowlero in Lynnwood. Credit: Diana Cherry
Family-friendly attractions and destinations around Seattle, the Eastside, the South Sound and wider region are reopening. The variety and number of spots opening up seems pretty wild after so many months of nothingness. We'll aim to maintain this list and add new places as we hear about them. If you know of other places that have opened that you don't see on our list, let us know and we'll add them.
Most important: Read up on new procedures and rules and be prepared to fully follow them — and wear your masks.
A couple of really important notes: These places have rules they must follow in order to be open, but we have not visited each one or verified that they're following the letter and spirit of the safety rules that apply to their type of business. If you're considering visiting one of these spots, read the website closely, and as always, use your own judgment and apply your own family's risk tolerance. Nearly all of the places listed here require advance reservations.
Secondly, a visit to your kids' old favorite place is not going to be the same as they may remember with all the new restrictions. Consider prepping them, depending on their age, on what to expect for new procedures and rules.
Children's museums
- KidsQuest Children's Museum in Bellevue reopens on Feb. 17.
- Hands On Children's Museum in Olympia has reopened. Don't miss the super-fun Megan D play ship in the museum's outdoor area.
- Children's Museum of Tacoma reopens April 12.
- Imagine Children's Museum in Everett plans to reopen June 1.
Indoor play places
- We Free Hearts indoor play space is open.
- Safari indoor play space in Southcenter Mall in Tukwila reopens on Feb. 12.
- WiggleWorks Kids indoor play gym in Bellevue has reopened; the Puyallup location reopens on Feb. 12.
- Arena Sports locations in Seattle, Issaquah, Mill Creek and Redmond are open.
- Kaleidoscope Family Gym in Puyallup is open.
- We Rock the Spectrum Kids' Gym in Federal Way is open.
- We Rock the Spectrum Kids' Gym in Bellevue is open.
- Creatively Yours, a paint-your-own-pottery studio in Bellevue, is open for in-studio sessions. They're also offering to-go kits for curbside pick up.
- Funtastic Playtorium with locations in Factoria Mall, Alderwood Mall and Tacoma Mall, are all open.
- PlayDate SEA indoor play space in Seattle is open.
Family-friendly museums and attractions
- The Burke Museum has reopened.
- MoPop has reopened; don't miss the Minecraft exhibit.
- W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory in Tacoma's Wright Park has reopened.
- Fort Nisqually Living History Museum is open.
- Harbor History Museum in Gig Harbor reopens on Feb. 18.
- The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Site in Pioneer Square reopens Feb. 26. (Pro tip: This is a great place to activate your fourth grader's free Every Kid Outdoors National Park pass.)
- The Museum of Flight reopens on March 4.
- Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience reopens March 5.
- MOHAI is reopening Friday, April 2.
- Washington State History Museum — don't miss the fantastic model train display — is reopening Friday, April 2.
- Museum of Glass in Tacoma is now open.
Active indoor family fun
- Splash time! Indoor swimming pools around the region are reopening.
- Elevated Sportz Trampoline Park in Bothell reopens on Feb. 12.
- Defy Seattle Trampoline Park (formerly Flying Circus) in Tukwila has reopened.
- Defy Olympia Trampoline Park (formerly Boom Shaka) has reopened.
- Vertex Arena trampoline park in Redmond reopens Feb. 26.
- Bowlero bowling alley in Lynnwood is open.
- Spin Alley Bowling in Shoreline is open.
- Roxbury Lanes in Seattle is open.
- Edgeworks and Stone Gardens climbing gyms in Bellevue, Seattle and Tacoma are open.
- Vertical World climbing gyms in Seattle, Redmond and Lynnwood are open.
- Seattle Bouldering Project's two Seattle locations are open.
- Brand-new climbing gym Half Moon Bouldering opens in Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood on March 13.
Animal destinations
- Seattle Aquarium reopened on Feb. 9.
- Tacoma Nature Center's private Turtle Time family sessions have started up again.
- Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle is open — this is an outdoor attraction.
- Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma is open — outdoor exhibits are open; indoor aquariums reopen for families on Friday, March 5.
- Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah is open — this is an outdoor attraction.
- Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville is open — this is an outdoor attraction.
