Want to explore the Emerald City without spending a fortune? Check out these activities in Seattle—packed with iconic views, local culture, and low-cost fun.
If you are in a hurry, I recommend:
Unique Affordable Activities in Seattle:
1. Wander, Sample, and Savor at Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is one of the United States' oldest continually-operating public farmers' markets, originally opened to the public in 1907. The market is the world's 33rd most-visited tourist attraction, attracting over 10 million annual visitors, and is named after its central street, which runs between Pike Street and Virginia Street. The market overlooks the beautiful Elliott Bay waterfront and offers more than 200 vendors within a nine-acre historic district area, selling fresh produce, meats, dairy, and a variety of specialty goods, including antiques and comic books.
Over 80 restaurants and food vendors also serve a variety of international cuisines, from quick-casual vendor service to full-service fine dining.
The market is open to the public every day of the year with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas, though individual vendor and restaurant hours may vary.
85 Pike Street, Room 500, Seattle, WA 98101, Phone: 206-682-7453, Map, Facebook
2. Soak in Modern Masterpieces at the Frye Art Museum
The Frye Art Museum is a free-admission art museum located in Seattle's First Hill neighborhood, open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays during the morning and afternoon hours, with the exception of major national holidays. The museum was established in 1952, housed within a building designed by architect Paul Thiry.
Today, the museum displays significant works of sculpture and painting from the modern era, including the former private collections of Seattle art lovers Charles and Emma Frye.
Major artists represented include Eugène Isabey, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Franz von Lenbach, and Félix Ziem, with recent contemporary additions to the museum, including works by Toyin Ojih Odutola and Ellen Lesperance, among others.
704 Terry Ave, Seattle, WA 98104, Phone: 206-622-9250, Map
3. Stroll Among Giants at Olympic Sculpture Park
Olympic Sculpture Park is an award-winning free public sculpture park owned and operated as part of the Seattle Art Museum, originally opened to the public in 2007. The park spans nine acres along the city's downtown seawall beachfront at Myrtle Edwards Park and was designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects on the site of a former industrial area.
As one of downtown Seattle's only urban green spaces, the park is open to the public daily between dawn and dusk, with free tours available at select times throughout the year.
Both permanent and temporary rotating exhibits are showcased at the park, including Mark di Suvero's Bunyon's Chess, Louise Bourgeois' Eye Benches I, II, and III, and Beverly Pepper's Persephone Unbound.
2901 Western Ave, Seattle, WA 98121, Phone: 206-654-3100, Map
4. Explore Powerful Stories at The Northwest African American Museum
The Northwest African-American Museum is Seattle's premiere African-American cultural and art museum, located in the city's predominantly African-American Central District within the 1909 Colman School building.
It was opened to the public in March of 2008 and strives to presents cultural links and black experiences throughout the Pacific Northwest through a variety of permanent and temporary exhibits and free public programming.
Prominent works on display include pieces by Seattle African-American artists James W. Washington and Jacob Lawrence. Visitors can explore the 17,000-square-foot museum for free as part of Free First Thursday events.
2300 S Massachusetts St, Seattle, WA 98144, Phone: 206-518-6000, Map
5. Find Stillness at a Silent Reading Party
Silent Reading Parties are a free monthly reading event at Seattle's beautiful Sorrento Hotel, hosted each first Wednesday of the month at 6:00pm. The 1909 Italian-style hotel is a landmark building within Seattle's downtown district, located near the Seattle Art Museum and CenturyLink Field. Since 2011, it has hosted silent reading parties within its Fireside Room, allowing visitors to bring books of their choice and cozy up on overstuffed couches and chairs to peruse the pages of their favorite story or volume.
Fires roar for warmth and waiters offer drinks and snacks, with light ambient background music provided on the hotel's grand piano. Visitors are advised to arrive at least one hour in advance of events, as lines tend to form prior to opening times.
Silent Reading Parties, 900 Madison St, Seattle, WA 98104, Phone: 206-622-6400
Romantic Affordable Activities in Seattle:
6. Take Flight at The Museum of Flight
The Museum of Flight is a private aerospace museum in the Seattle suburb of Tukwila, located within King County International Airport. The American Alliance of Museums-accredited facility was founded in 1965 and has become the world's largest private aerospace museum today, attracting more than 500,000 annual visitors.
It boasts a collection of more than 150 significant aircraft, including a restored Lockheed Model 10-E Electra matching the craft Amelia Earhart disappeared in, the first flight-quality Boeing 747, the first Boeing VC-137B SAM 970 presidential jet, and the Caproni Ca.20, the first fighter plane constructed for World War I. Other exhibits include a restored Boeing manufacturing plant barn and interactive artifact exhibits and archives detailing the history of flight and vessel construction. The museum is open to the public for free the first Thursday of the month.
The Museum of Flight, 9404 E Marginal Way S, Seattle, WA 98108, Phone: 206-764-5700, Facebook
7. Get Experimental at The Henry Art Gallery
The Henry Art Gallery is the official art museum of Seattle's University of Washington, located within the college's campus. The museum was originally founded in 1927 as Washington's first public art museum, housed within a building designed by architects Bebb and Gould. It was named in honor of Horace C. Henry, who donated sizeable collections accumulated following a visit to the Chicago World's Fair.
Today, the museum showcases collections of contemporary art and historical photography, housing a collection of more than 25,000 artworks and artifacts. A unique LED-illuminated skysace, Light Reign, hangs over the museum's galleries, designed by James Turrell. The museum is free to the public Sundays and every first Thursday of the month, with free passes available for Seattle residents through the city's public library system.
The Henry Art Gallery, 15th Ave NE & NE 41st St, Seattle, WA 98195, Phone: 206-543-2280
Affordable Family-friendly Attractions in Seattle:
8. Uncover Ancient and Modern Stories at The Burke Museum
The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture is the official state museum of Washington, originally founded in 1899 as the Washington State Museum, though its roots date back to the Young Naturalists Society, which was established two decades prior.
Today, the museum is housed on the campus of the University of Washington and showcases a collection of more than 16 million specimens and artifacts across significant ornithology, biology, geology, and anthropology collections. Three long-term exhibits display the evolution of the state over 545 million years and present the fifth-largest collection of American indigenous art in the world. The museum is open to the public for free each first Thursday evening of the month.
The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, 4300 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA, United States, Phone: 206-616-3962
9. Dive Into World-Class Collections at The Seattle Art Museum (SAM)
The Seattle Art Museum is Seattle's premiere public art museum, showcasing more than 25,000 significant classic and modern artworks throughout three museum facilities in the city's downtown region. The museum operates its main downtown Seattle campus, along with Capitol Hill's Seattle Asian Art Museum and the open-air Olympic Sculpture Park on the city's Puget Sound waterfront.
Notable collections include works by Italian painters such as Camille Pissarro and Luca Giordano, along with 20th-century American works by Mark Tobey and Jacob Lawrence and a substantial collection of Aboriginal Australian works. Modern installation pieces including Stage One by Cai Guo-Qiang, Wake by Richard Serra, and Eagle by Alexander Calder. The museum is free to the public on the first Thursday of each month. Its main campus' permanent exhibits are also viewable on a pay-what-you-can basis.
1300 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101, Phone: 206-654-3100, Map, Facebook
📔 I get asked this a lot so I decided to include it:
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Can visitors explore Seattle on a budget?
- Visitors can explore Seattle on a budget and take in free attractions such as the world-renowned Pike Place Market, the city's most-visited tourist attraction, or the facilities of the Seattle Art Museum, which offer free admission days throughout the month.
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What are some low-cost transportation options in Seattle?
- For a low-cost transportation option, visitors can get around the city using bus and light rail services offered by the King County Metro Transit system.
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Are all attractions free in Seattle?
- Some attractions are free only on certain days – please check before you go.
Map:
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