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Families can always find something fun to see or do in the greater Seattle and Puget Sound region of Western Washington. No matter what time of year or what the weather brings, great adventures are just around the corner. Here, we have compiled a list of just a few of the many family friendly venues found throughout the region.
Ballard
Chittenden Locks and Fish Ladder
Address: 3015 NW 54th St, Seattle, WA 98107
Admission: Free
The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks located in Ballard provide a link for boats between the saltwater of the Puget Sound and the fresh water of the Ship Canal connecting to Lake Union and Lake Washington.
Both tourists and locals enjoy watching the parade of sailboats, motorboats, tugs, barges and yachts passing through. Pass a sunny day watching boats of all shapes and sizes come into the locks, and the water level is adjusted to allow their safe passage to the lake or sound.
Stop by the fish ladder, built to allow salmon to pass between fresh and salt water. Glass panels make it possible to view the fish as they navigate their way through the ladder, adjusting to different levels of salt each step of the way. Occasionally, a clever sea lion will hang out, waiting for his next meal. For the historically-minded among you, the locks’ official name is, “Hiram M. Chittenden Locks,” and was built in 1911 so that coal and timber could be easily transported by boat.
Bellevue
Kelsey Creek Park & Farm
Address: 13204 SE 8th St Bellevue, WA 98005
Hours: Barnyard animals available for viewing 9:30am-3:30 daily
Admission: Free to Farm and Park, Farm Tours, $5.00/children, $2.50/adult
The farm features farm animals, restrooms, two historic barns and green pastures containing grazing livestock. The farm receives over 200,000 visits a year, with an emphasis on unique children’s recreational programs, such as seasonal day camps, pony care classes, farm experience tours and volunteer programs. No entrance fee is required, however donation are always welcome. All pets are prohibited from the area surrounding the barns. Dogs and other pets visiting the park must be on leash at all times when visiting.
The park features hiking and jogging trails, picnic areas, playground best suited for young tots, wetlands and open lawn areas, and the historic Fraser Cabin (home to the Eastside Heritage Center's heritage programs). The picnic shelter is located south of the parking lot (see rental information); tables are located throughout the park. Paved pathways meander though the open lawn areas. Sit on one of the many benches and take in the breath taking views. The ridge to the east of the farm harbors a beautiful forest of big-leaf maples, alders, black cottonwoods and vine maples (brilliant in fall), with scattered Douglas firs, cedars and spruce. Rivulets trickle down the hillside, creating a moist forest lush with ferns and a large variety of shrubs and herbaceous plants.
Carnation
Camlann Medieval Village
Address: 10320 Kelly Rd NE, Carnation, WA 98014
Hours: 12pm 5pm, on scheduled weekends
Admission: Village Life Events, $5.00/per person on scheduled weekends, admission varies for select feasts and festival events
Camlann Medieval Village, a living history project portraying rural England in the year 1376, is dedicated to offering the public powerful personal experiences of history, including multiple learning and performing arts opportunities, built upon research of rural communities in 14th century England, to provide a deeper understanding of the relationship between those historical events and western society today.
Camlann offers a unique and entertaining opportunity for schools, organizations, families, and individuals to understand the complexity of our heritage and experience traditions which may continue to enrich our lives today. Camlann’s authentic architecture, food, clothing, and demonstrations allow us to walk a few important steps in the shoes of our ancestors.
The dates of special events open to the general public and members are:
Seminars and Classes March & November, Village Life portrayals - selected weekends May through September, Feasts & Festivals - March through January, (the Bors Hede Dinner Theatre is open year-round). Visit the website, for a complete calendar of events schedule.
Remlinger Farms
Address: 32610 NE 32nd Street, Carnation, Washington 98014
Hours: May through October, varies
Admission: See website, prices vary
What began over 30 years ago as a humble produce stand has grown into a 200 acre tourist center offering a full service restaurant, bakery, ice cream parlor, large picnic areas, U-Pick fields, Birthday Party Packages, fun and educational tours and Country Fair Fun Park. The farm annually hosts more than 200,000 visitors from all over the world. Remlinger Farms is also famous for its pies and other products which are sold commercially in over 200 Northwest grocery stores. Remlinger Farms now hosts the Northwest’s largest Fall Harvest Festival, which attracts 6,000 people a day.
The Country Fair Fun Park features: Pony Rides, a Steam Train, a Carousel, a Ferris Wheel, Spinning Barrels, Flying Pumpkins, Canoe Rides, Electric Antique Cars, and the Mind Twister Roller Coaster.
Eatonville
Stringtown Farms U-Cut Lavender Farm
Address: 9121 Stringtown Road, Eatonville, WA 98328
Hours: Wine Tasting Room and Lavender Gift Shop, 10pm - 6pm, Saturday and Sunday
Admission: Free
We are a small lavender farm in Pierce County growing nine (9) varieties of lavender (both English and hybrid). From our farm you can view Mt. Rainier and avoid the drive to Sequim!
U-Cut Info: The 2010 u-cut lavender season should start in July. The farm will be open to the public daily during the blooming season.
Our products include, Lavender honey, lavender and other scented soaps, lavender oil, lavender spritzer, lavender plants, dried lavender, sachets & more.
We are located on the Eatonville Cutoff Road in Pierce County within easy reach of Tacoma, Spanaway, Puyallup, Graham, Olympia and Yelm.
Edmonds
Funtasia Family Fun Park
Address: 7212 220th SW, Edmonds, WA 98026
Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 2pm - 9pm
Friday: 12pm - 11:30pm
Saturday: 10am - 11:30pm
Sunday: 11am - 9pm
Admission: Free, Pass prices vary depending on attraction package
FUNTASIA is a 7 acre indoor/outdoor Family Fun Park. Indoors there is over 25,000 sq. ft. of fun offering an Adventure Themed Miniature Golf Course, Futuristic Laser Tag, Bumper Cars, state of the art Video Games & redemption games and great Food and Parties at the 200+ seat restaurant, Cafe Funtasia. Outside there are Mini Indy Gas Powered Go Karts on a 20,000 sq. Ft. track, Bumper Boats with water cannons, a Pirate themed Minature Golf Course and the largest 9 station Batting Cage in Washington State.
Federal Way
Wild Waves Water Park
Address: 36201 Enchanted Parkway South, Federal Way, WA 98003
Hours: Vary by season
Admission: General - $39.99, Child under 48"- $29.99, 3 and under - FREE, Senior Citizen 55+ - $29.99, Parking, Bus & Car - $10, RV - $20
Wild Waves & Enchanted Village is a 70-acre combination theme park and water park. Enchanted Village theme park features 32 amusement rides including a double-corkscrew, single-inversion roller coaster and 1906 hand carved carousel. In 2002, the park build ten new rides, including Lumberjack Falls. A year later TimberHawk, Washington state’s biggest roller coaster was added. Wild Waves the largest water park in the Northwest offers nine water slides, a 24,000-square foot wave pool, two speed slides, a raging river ride, and a four-story, interactive water tree house. The main attraction in the water park is Zooma Falls, a mammoth water adventure, which towers five stories tall and includes a crossover curve out of the shoot, four wicked turns and five jaw-dropping acceleration zones.
Grand Mound
Great Wolf Lodge
Address: Grand Mound, WA
Admission: Available only by booking an overnight stay. Included in the Great Wolf Experience; Waterpark passes for your entire stay and daily activities for the entire family
Reservations are required
Great Wolf Lodge features an eight-story, northwoods-themed resort with one of the largest indoor waterparks in America.
In addition to the water park attractions, the Great Wolf Lodge features a huge arcade with redemption games, on-site restaurants, a fitness center, an Aveda Concept Spa to pamper and help get the wrinkles out of waterlogged guests, and a huge conference center.
Other non-watery things to do at the Great Wolf Lodge include a MagiQuest interactive attraction. The extra-charge experience immerses players in a high-tech, multi-player fantasy environment that is somewhat like walking into a video game. The resort also offers a Cub Club activity center for younger children and a Gr8 Space club for older children. For tween girls, there’s a ‘Scooops’ Kid Spa that offers pedicures and other treatments.
Great Wolf Lodge is located on the Chehalis Indian Reservation at Exit 88 off I-5, about midway between Portland and Seattle.
Lacey
Charlie’s Safari
Address: 5400 Martin Way E. Suite J, Lacey, Wa. 98516
Hours:
Monday - Thursday, 11am to 9pm
Friday, 11am to 10pm
Saturday, 10am to 10pm
Sunday, 12pm to 9pm
Admission: Varies by activity
Charlie’s Safari is the premier indoor family fun center in Western Washington. Whether you are coming from Tacoma, Olympia, Lakewood, Dupont, or Lacey, Charlie’s Safari is only a short drive away.
We feature an indoor safari-themed family fun center with 22,000 sq. ft. of family entertainment! Including; Pride Rock Mini-Golf, Big Game Hunt Laser Tag, AAA Reserve (Huge Play Structure), Big Five Pouncing Pit (Bounce), Quiet room for parents, The Watering Hole Restaurant, Arcade with Prizes, Big Five Party Rooms, Tyke Village for ages 4 and under and plenty more!
Mukilteo
Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour
Address: 8415 Paine Field Blvd, Mukilteo, WA 98275
Hours: Open daily, 8:30am - 5pm, closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day
Admission:
General - $15.50
Senior Citizen (65+) - $14.00
Active Military (with ID) - $14.00
Boeing Employee - $8.00
Children (15 and under) - $8.00 (Must be 4' or taller to take the Boeing Tour. No exceptions to this policy)
Gallery Only (no Boeing Tour) - $10.00
Gallery Only Children (6-15 years) - $5.00
Children under age 6 - Free
Boeing Employee (with current ID) - $8.00
Advance Ticket Convenience Charge * ... $2.50
*Applies only to advance tickets for guaranteed tour times. Tickets purchased at the Future of Flight Aviation Center are not subject to a convenience charge. All rates and times are subject to change without notice.
The Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour, located 25 miles north of Seattle in Everett, Wash., showcases The Boeing Company and the Everett product line, the 747, 767, 777 and 787. As part of the tour, visitors will tour the largest building in the world by volume (472,000,000 cubic feet). On the Boeing flight line, visitors will see airplanes in various stages of flight test and manufacture for airline customers around the world. Visitors come from every walk of life and from every region of the globe, all with a common interest - to see the number one aerospace leader in the world: The Boeing Company.
The Boeing Company reserves the right to cancel tours at any time for Boeing company business or emergencies.
Puyallup
Mike 'N' Terry's Outdoor Fun Park
Address: 6326 114th Ave Ct E. Puyallup, WA 98371 (Off highway 512)
Hours: Vary by season, call 253-841-1234
Admission: Prices vary by attraction
Outdoor recreation featuring 36 hole miniature golf course with windmills, waterfalls and more! Also featuring go-carts, paintball, batting cages and slow and fast pitch. Great fun for the entire family!
Seattle
The Gum Wall - Post Alley
Address: 1428 Post Alley Seattle, WA 98101 (Outside the Market Theatre)
Hours: Anytime
Admission: Free
Over the years a tradition has built up that people put their gum on the wall while waiting in line to enter the Market Theater in Post Alley at Pike Place Market. It has become such a huge mural that the theater has given up cleaning the gum up. It has exploded from simply people leaving their gum into a giant “gum art” exhibit that extends into the alleys. Some of the “art “ that has been created is truly remarkable.
Seattle Center
Address: 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109
Seattle Center draws you in. Its vibrant pulse brings together people of all ages and walks of life to create thousands of extraordinary experiences that enrich millions of lives each year. Entertainment options abound - starting with 63 free and low cost public programs and over 5,000 shows and events annually. The 74-acre campus, with its 17 acres of open space, is welcoming to all - and is home to more than 30 cultural, educational, sports and entertainment organizations. This treasured urban gathering place exists to delight and inspire the human spirit in each person and bring our rich and varied community together. For full information about all activites that Seattle Center offers, visit the website.
Some of the main attractions at Seattle Center include:
• Pacific Science Center: Pacific Science Center features five buildings of interactive science exhibits, a tropical Butterfly House, two IMAX theatres (one with IMAX 3D technology), a planetarium and laser light shows. Pacific Science Center is a nonprofit, private foundation.
• Seattle Center House Main Floor: The Seattle Center House is located at the Heart of Seattle Center. Several free public events occur in Center House each year which delight audiences of all ages. The Center House is home to cultural performances, dances, several restaurants, shopping, customer service and Seattle Center administrative offices.
• Seattle Center Monorail: Built for the World’s Fair by Alweg Transit of Germany, the Monorail carried 7.3 million guests during the six months of the 1962 World’s Fair. Following the Fair, the Monorail system was sold to the City of Seattle in 1965 for $600,000. Today, the Monorail carries 2.5 million riders a year, and in 2004, both the Red and Blue Trains have surpassed the one million mile mark. The Monorail departs every 10 minutes from the station at Seattle Center (across from the Space Needle) and from Westlake Center Mall (at Fifth and Pine Street). Each trip takes two minutes to cover the 1 mile route. The train can carry up to 200 passengers per trip.
• Space Needle: A visit to Seattle just isn’t complete without a trip to the Space Needle. Journey skyward for amazing views, fine dining and an experience you’ll never forget. At a height of 605’, the Space Needle boasts fabulous 360 degree views that include Mt. Rainier, Puget Sound, the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, the beautiful city of Seattle and beyond.
The Space Needle is located next to the Pacific Science Center and the Experience Music Project. Take the Seattle Center Monorail to the Space Needle from Westlake Center in Downtown Seattle.
Live the View! The Observation Deck, SpaceBase gift shop and SkyCity restaurant are open 365 days a year.
• The Children’s Museum: The Children’s Museum features interactive child-size exhibits that invite visitors to explore world cultures in the museum’s “Neighborhood,” across the globe and through time. Studio spaces allow children to experience art, technology and the humanities through hands-on activities. The Children’s Museum is located on the first floor of Seattle Center House. The Museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
Seattle Waterfront
Olympic Sculpture Park
Address: 2901 Western Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121
Hours: Open Daily, 30 minutes prior to sunrise, closes 30 minutes after sunset
Admission: Free
The Olympic Sculpture Park has transformed a nine-acre industrial site into open and vibrant green space for art. This new waterfront park gives Seattle residents and visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of sculpture in an outdoor setting, while enjoying the incredible views and beauty of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound.
Tukwila
Family Fun Center & Bullwinkle’s Restaurant
Address: 7300 Fun Center Way, Tukwila, WA 98188
Hours:
Monday-Thursday, 12pm - 9pm
Friday, 12pm - 11pm
Saturday, 10pm - 11pm
Sunday, 10pm - 9pm
Admission: Varies by attraction package
Zoom around the racetrack in the speedy go-carts, practice your swing in batting cages, get soaked in the bumper boats, hunt your pals down in Laser Tag or turn your stomach (literally) upside down in the virtual roller coaster ride. Need more? There’s mini-golf, “Kidopolis” (a world filled with slides and those colored foamy balls) and a driving range. If you can escape for fun during a weekday, you’ll have the place to yourself.
Bullwinkle’s Restaurant features a kid-focused menu: lots of burgers, sandwiches and pizza. |
