Exploring in Seattle can get expensive, and finding (not lame) free things to do can be a chore.
Often, when you search for free things to do in a given city, you get many results that skew toward statues, signs, and visitor centers.
Those are fun activities, sure.
But they’re not exactly location-specific, and they don’t really give you ideas that you may not have already thought of.
This is not one of those lists – Here are 21 free Things To Do in Seattle:
Tip: Save $$$ by knowing what to pack for the weather in Seattle.
1. Pike Place Public Market
Pike Place Market is as much an icon of Seattle as the Space Needle (and older, too!). More than 10 million people visit the market each year.
Built on a steep hill, Pike Place is made up of several levels stacked on top of each other, with each level having its own unique collection of vintage shops, colorful bouquets, and handcrafted goods of every variety.
If you’re a food lover, Pike Place is a great place to invest in a food tour, and if you want to stay near the Market, check out hotels in Downtown Seattle.
2. The ‘First’ Starbucks
While it’s often called the very first Starbucks, this is the second location, as the first-ever building has been demolished.
Still, you can’t deny the historical and cultural significance of one of the founding stores that would become one of the most well-known businesses worldwide.
Make sure to check out the original brown logo on the signs!
Pro Tip:
Customers literally line up around the block during peak hours. Get there early. Here’s how to find it.
3. The Great Gum Wall
When added to many other strangers’ chewed gum, one person’s chewed gum is often seen as a pile of disgusting trash. But under the right circumstances, those same gum piles can equal art.
The Gum Wall has been considered a Seattle art staple since 1993. It’s said that the wall was started that year by guests of a nearby theater.
Eventually, the theater employees got tired of scraping the wall clean, so they gave up and allowed the wall to keep collecting gum.
4. Kerry Park
Kerry Park is a must-see for any first-time visitor to Seattle.
The park itself is pretty tiny, but the views of downtown Seattle and the Space Needle are killer. This is one of my favorite free things to do in Seattle for that reason.
Expect to have the place to yourself early in the morning, except for a few locals walking their dogs. The rest of the day, KP stays busy and is packed at sunset.
5. The Beach
Due to the moody, rainy, writer’s paradise reputation of the city, ‘beach’ is not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Seattle.
But in truth, Seattle is surrounded by scenic and seasonal beaches, and they’re all free things to do.
Popular beach areas include Discovery Park and Alki Beach in West Seattle.
6. Amazon Spheres
Ominously referred to as “The Spheres,” this indoor city forest is an attempt to add what is typically missing from urban offices– nature.
The Spheres themselves serve as an ultra-modern workspace for Amazon employees.
More than 40,000 plants from over 30 countries thrive in The Spheres, but the outside of them (currently closed to the public due to the pandemic) is equally as cool.
7. The Birth Place of UPS: Waterfall Park
Fun fact: The United Parcel Service, more commonly known as UPS, was born in Seattle back in 1907, eventually becoming one of the world’s largest delivery services.
Today, the original birthplace of the company is memorialized with a plaque inside a small park with its own waterfall.
8. Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park
The Klondike Gold Rush is a story about 70,000 people headed to the Yukon Territory in Canada searching for gold, thanks to some clever marketing.
See a film or catch an interactive exhibition at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park.
9. Kurt Cobain Benches
Viretta Park is located a little south of the former home of grunge legend Kurt Cobain. Nirvana fans gather at the park on the anniversary of Cobain’s death and birthday to pay tribute to him.
The park’s wooden benches have become an unofficial memorial to Kurt Cobain and are covered in messages, flowers, stickers, and other mementos.
*Note:
While you can drive by the original house Kurt Cobain lived in when he died, the greenhouse he was found in was torn down very quickly after his death. Make sure to be respectful to the current owners.
Here’s how to find the benches.
10. Ballard Locks Fish Ladder
The Fish Ladder was constructed to enable salmon safe passage to their upstream spawning grounds from late spring to fall.
Inside a viewing chamber, you can watch the salmon as they swim upstream, which is actually way cooler than it sounds.
The locks help boats pass between Puget Sound and Lake Union by holding by lowering or raising the water level between the two bodies of water.
Sound confusing? Stop by and watch the locks in action with your own eyes.
11. Freeway Park
Jim Ellis Park is perched above Interstate 5 in downtown Seattle, the first park ever built over a highway. A great spot for urban photos with sharp angles!
12. The Fremont Troll
The Troll is a mixed media art piece under the George Washington Memorial Bridge. The beast clutches an actual Volkswagen Beetle as if it had just snatched it from the roadway above.
13 Gasworks Park
On what was once the site of the Seattle Gas Light Company Gasification Plant, just north of Lake Union, stands a quirky industrial park.
Much of the plant’s structures have been repurposed into a children’s play area, while other pieces have been retired, standing as relics of the early 1900s.
Gasworks Park has a very industrial and steampunk look!
14. Seattle Center
Initially built for the 1962 World Fair, Seattle Center is a gathering space that contains many of the city’s icons, such as the Space Needle, Museum of Pop Culture, and Chihuly Garden.
If you want to see the Space Needle but don’t want to shell out the cash, this is a great spot to get photos.
15. Jimi Hendrix Park
This park is shaped like a guitar, with a timeline of Hendrix’s life and lyrics to Hendrix’s ‘Angel’ and ‘Little Wing’ engraved around the park’s edge.
The Northwest African American Museum is nearby and has free days and specials throughout the year, so check their schedule.
16. Discovery Park
At Discovery Park in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood, you can wander through the forest, meadows, beaches, and bluffs with views of the Puget Sound.
This is one of the best free things to do in Seattle if you want to get all of your nature in one place.
Don’t miss the West Point Lighthouse, which also happens to be an excellent spot for views at sunset.
17. The Washington Arboretum
The Washington Botanical Gardens offers a wide variety of gardens, a wetlands nature trail, and acres of mature forest waiting to be explored.
Popular in the spring, Azalea Way is a trail that winds through the arboretum, lined with an array of azaleas and rhododendrons. This is one of the best free things to do in Seattle during the summertime.
18. The Center for Wooden Boats
Explore Seattle’s heritage of shipbuilding, fishing, and general sea activities. The Center for Wooden Boats is more than preserved boats, and artifacts-you can also learn to sail or rent a boat.
19. Pacific Bonsai Museum
Over 100 bonsai trees from various countries in Asia are displayed in a serene outdoor area with paved paths.
There are free public tours every Sunday at the Pacific Bonsai Museum but double-check on their website.
20. Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill
This one is a favorite among urban explorers- here, you can climb an old water tower with great views, the Seattle Asian Art Museum, and a stunning, vintage glasshouse.
21. Grab a Photo outside of Legendary Reciprocal Recording Studio
Some seriously iconic names and albums have connections here, including:
- Nirvana’s first demo
- Nirvana’s first album, Bleach
- Soundgarden
- Mudhoney
- TAD
Reciprocal itself is no longer in business, and the building is currently occupied by an active recording studio, so be polite and respectful when visiting. Find it on Google
Where to Stay for Cheap in Seattle
Green Tortoise Hostel is my favorite- clean, centrally located, and a minute’s walk from Pike Place Market, so you can shop early.
Hi Seattle is in the International Neighborhood, steps away from public transit (including the ferries), and the light rail will take you from the airport to Hi Seattle’s front door. Also, Asian food and culture <3
Hotel Hotel is the best option if you want to stay in the artistic Fremont neighborhood and still be within walking distance of food, coffee, and cocktails.
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How many of Seattle’s free things to do have you experienced?
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