Seattle, when you hear Seattle you probably think about rainy days, Grey Anatomy, music and the Space Needle. However it doesn’t rain much more in Seattle than in London and the rain isn’t constantly. So don’t let this stop you discovering beautiful Seattle.
But if there is a chance you are in Seattle when it is raining I have some ideas for you.
Because Seattle is a must visit.
Space Needle
If you are going to Seattle and not visiting the Space Needle then I wonder why you are there ;-).
The easiest and driest way to get to the Space Needle is with the Monorail. With it’s 184m high you will get a beautiful view of Seattle. Inside there is this ‘wall’ where you can type in your name and hometown and it will tell you how far you are from home. You can also take a picture and e-mail it to yourself or someone else.
You can also eat, drink and (gift) shop here.
Pacific Science Center
Just some steps away from the Space Needle you will find the Pacific Science Center. Here you will find a planetarium, laser light shows, IMAX movies and changing exhibits. Enough to keep you busy!
Experience Museum Project Museum (EMP Museum)
There are a lot of museums in Seattle but one of the must-see is the EMP Museum and definitely when you love music. The museum is dedicated to science fiction, pop music and pop culture. You can also make your own music and play video games. You won’t get bored here easily!
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is another famous attraction of Seattle and a must! Get your fruit and vegetables here and buy some souvenirs for back home or have some lunch/dinner here. You will also find the gum wall here.
Back in November 2015, when I was there, the city cleaned the wall. First time in 20 years and it took them 130 hours to clean it and they removed 2350 pounds/1070kg of gum! But people are already putting their gum on it again. So you don’t have to worry you missed it 😉
Starbucks
Seattleite love their coffee so it wouldn’t surprise you that Starbucks was founded here! If you love Starbucks coffee or just want an original mug then I would recommend going there but I have to warn you that there will be a line, a very long line.
What if you don’t want to wait in line or not a big fan of Starbucks but love coffee? Then you won’t have trouble finding another amazing, cozy coffee shop.
Seattle Aquarium
One of my favorite things to do when I am in a new city is to go to their aquarium. They look all so different and you learn something new every time. When I was there they had a scuba Santa talking about all the fishes. You can also pet a starfish or a sea cucumber and learn more about their octopus, which is huge! This aquarium is not big so a bit expensive but nice to see. Definitely worth going with kids.
Learn about the history of Seattle
If you love history then you don’t want to miss this guided underground tour. Here they will tell you all about the original Seattle, learn about its beginnings and how it became the city it is today. You will probably also see some rats. We did and I think I was the only one that noticed it, haha. The tour takes about 1,5 hour but when I was there it almost took us two hours, which I didn’t mind at all!
Go to a concert
When I was in Seattle I also went to a concert at the Showbox, I saw Yellowcard and New Found Glory. You can do this too or surprise yourself with some new music.
Of course you can do all of this when the sun is shining 😉
Would the rain stop you discovering Seattle?
I’ve not yet been to Seattle when in the US and it’s definitely on my list! I know it rains a lot there (like London) so I think I’d be prepared! The Pike market would be my first stop as I’m a foodie!
I have never been to Seattle, but have always been a fan of the tower and Supersonics! Guess that’s reason enough to plan my trip there! Loved the aquarium pictures too. Good for a rainy day:)
Informative post. Will visit some of these places when I am in Seattle.
What a great compilation of things to do in Seattle when it rains. I feel like many travelers (even myself included) don’t properly prepare for when it rains. I know I totally assume it’ll always be good weather when I travel haha. I love the sound of traveled up 184m into the Space Needle…and I love that you can type your hometown and it’ll tell you the distance from home. And ohh man the science centre has gotten me excited as I absolutely love planetariums! I also would so find myself at the Pike Place Market as I am such a foodie and this would be a great place to try out some of the local delights.
This is such a great list of things to do in Seattle when it rains! I’d heard of the Space Needle before but never the Experience Museum Project Museum (EMP Museum), which sounds really cool and interactive. I’d love to take the underground tour but I’d probably be super squeamish of the rats (thanks for the warning).
I haven’t been to Seattle but it’s so good to know there are things to do if the weather is less than ideal. I would however love to visit the Experience Museum Project (even if it wasn’t raining) – it looks like a great exhibit which touches on topics that you don’t get in ‘traditional’ museums. Oh and the Pike Place Farmers market looks like a great spot for souvenir shopping!
Traveling during rain can be a nuisance. However, as you said, it can be a pleasure if done wisely. In fact, if it’s raining moderately, then I actually enjoy traveling in rains. This guide on ‘Seattle in rains’ is refreshing! It makes me look at Seattle with new eyes. I like that you have included many indoor activities like Experience Museum Project Museum. Though I am not very fond of aquariums but concert sounds good!
What a quality destination and one I will surely add to my list. I have travelled the east coast quite a bit but not done Seattle. As you say no point visiting this city if you don’t visit the space needle. There seems to be plenty to keep the kids occupied as well from the sea life at the aquarium to the science museum. Thanks fir sharing a great destination.
This is one exceptional guide on Seattle which I am definitely saving to use, Marlies. When you want to explore a place, even a rain or bad weather can’t stop you. 😉
So much of quirkiness to savor in Seattle! Lovely pictures. 🙂
What a great city Seattle is. They had an unbelievable snow storm recently, did you see that? My brother has been there for a couple years and he said it was the most snow he’s ever seen.