Seattle Children's Museum

Let your kids' imaginations run wild at the Seattle Children's Museum.

The Seattle Children's Museum is perfect for kids under age 8, with a special area for toddlers.

It's located at the Armory building at the Seattle Center, inside an 18,000 square foot basement that enables kids to roam for hours.  

There's so much to explore, climb on, create and build, and you can finish off the day by visiting the food court upstairs.

The Seattle Children's Museum is also near other fabulous attractions at the Seattle Center, like the Space Needle, Museum of Pop Culture and Chihuly Garden and Glass.   ​

Go to 305 Harrison Street, Seattle WA 90109 at the Seattle Center. Check hours & admission.

​10 best things to do at Seattle Children's Museum

1. Follow the mysterious winding path up The Mountain.

The centerpiece of the Seattle Children's Museum is The Mountain.  Kids can follow a winding path around The Mountain, stand beneath a waterfall, crawl inside a log, and hide in a marmot's den.  At the base of The Mountain there's an enclosed play area for toddlers.

Hide inside a fun marmot's den!

Look up at a waterfall.

2. Crank a conveyer belt at Cog City.

Next up at the Seattle Children's Museum is Cog City, where kids can crank a conveyor belt, drop balls into tubes, or observe a ball magically floating above an air chute.  This introduces them to basis concepts of physics like gravity and velocity.  There's also a soft play area for toddlers attached to this space.  

3. Explore shops and homes from Ghana, Japan and the Philippines.

The Global Village at the Seattle Children's Museum has an exciting layout for kids, depicting typical scenes from Ghana, Japan, and the Philippines.  Kids can pound on drums in an African village, order sushi at a restaurant, ride the subway in Japan, step inside a Japanese house, and shop at a market in the Philippines.  So many things to touch and play with. 

Just outside is a car and sailing boat to climb in.    

The car is loaded up with suitcases on it's roof, and has flashing lights to press on the dashboard. 

4. Visit the Post Office, Optometrist and Market at the Seattle Children's Museum.

There's a wonderful cluster of shops on the other side of the Mountain for kids to explore.  They can try on glasses and sit in the examination chair at the optometrist, post a letter at the Post Office, load up their trolley with items at the market, make a burger at the cafe, and assemble giant foam pieces in a construction area.  

Trying on glasses at the optometrist.

Shopping at the market.

Sorting letters at the post office.

5. Perform to your hearts content on stage at the Bijou Theater.

Kids can perform onstage at the Bijou Theater at the Seattle Children's Museum.  There are fading lights, vanity tables with mirrors, and cool dress-ups.

6. Ride on the cool Fire Truck.

Ride onboard the firetruck, with rotating steering wheel and flashing signals.  There's a fireman's hat and jacket to dress-up in.  Great for photo opportunities!

7. Spend some quiet time in the Reading Room.

A Reading Room is tucked away just near the entrance of the Seattle Children's Museum, with some comfortable chairs and a great selection of books. 

8. Get messy in the Imagination Studio Art Area.

There's also the Imagination Studio art area with clay and paint provided. 

9. Play with the train table at the Sound Transit Play Area.

The Sound Transit play area is tucked away in a quieter part of the museum, with a train table to play with.

10. Load up on food and coffee at the Food court.

The food court is upstairs, including a convenient Starbucks.

Know before you go 

• Seattle Children's Museum address:  305 Harrison Street, Seattle WA 90109.  
• Hours: check here.  Closed Mondays.
• Tickets: check here.
• Food:  Food hall upstairs at the Armory.
• Parking:  There's paid on-street parking around the Seattle Center.   You can also try the Mercer Street Garage (650 3rd Ave N, 98109), or the 5th Avenue No Garage (516 Harrison Street, 98109).   Avoid days where there is a major event at the Seattle Center, because parking will be extremely difficult.

Other kids' museums in Seattle.

Other kid friendly activities at the Seattle Center are the excellent Artists at Play Playground and the wading area at the International Fountain.The Pacific Science Center is also at the Seattle Center.  It has a toddler play area, planetarium, maker's area, dinosaur exhibit, and science experiments.  

Drive 25 minutes out to the Eastside of Seattle, to the KidsQuest Childrens Museum. It's a similar concept to the Seattle Childrens Museum, but something new for kids to explore.