# Visiting Seattle with toddlers and little kids: the plan > Stay downtown or near Seattle Center. The aquarium is on the waterfront, Pacific Science Center is at Seattle Center, and Woodland Park Zoo is a short drive north. KidsQuest is across the lake in Bellevue. Here’s a plan with nap time built in. - Last checked: 2026-10-26 - One- and two-day plans with a nap in the middle - Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/seattle/visiting/ - This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/seattle/index.md - City guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/seattle/guide/index.md - City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/seattle/llms.txt ## Top 2 can’t-miss spots - **Pacific Science Center** (Seattle Center, 200 Sue Bird Court N.): Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Site: https://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/visit/ - **Woodland Park Zoo** (Phinney Ridge, 5500 Phinney Ave. N.): Open 9:30am–4pm through April. Site: https://zoo.org/ ## If you have one day 1. **MORNING**: Pacific Science Center (Opens at 10am, Wednesday to Sunday · Seattle Center, 200 Sue Bird Court N.). https://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/visit/ 2. **LUNCH**: Armory Food & Event Hall (A short walk away · Seattle Center). https://www.seattlecenter.com/explore/attractions/armory 3. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop. 4. **AFTER NAP**: Seattle Aquarium (Last entry 5pm · Downtown waterfront, 1483 Alaskan Way). https://www.seattleaquarium.org/visit/ ## If you have two days Day 1 is the one-day plan above. Day 2: 1. **MORNING**: Woodland Park Zoo (Gates open at 9:30am · Phinney Ridge, 5500 Phinney Ave. N.). https://zoo.org/ 2. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop. 3. **AFTER NAP**: The Museum of Flight (Open until 5pm · South Seattle, 9404 East Marginal Way S. · $21 kids, $29 adults). https://www.museumofflight.org/plan-your-visit/ ## Where to stay - **Harrison Street** (seattle center): Pacific Science Center and the Armory food hall are a short walk apart here. Near Pacific Science Center. - **Waterfront and Pike Place** (downtown): Close to the Seattle Aquarium and the Central Library. Near Seattle Aquarium and Seattle Central Library. - **Bellevue** (eastside): Close to KidsQuest Children’s Museum, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Near KidsQuest Children’s Museum. ## Easy restaurants near the big stops - **Armory Food & Event Hall** (Food hall, Seattle Center): Several local counters under one roof, a few minutes’ walk from Pacific Science Center. https://www.seattlecenter.com/explore/attractions/armory - **Ivar’s Acres of Clams** (Seafood, Waterfront): Fish and chips on Alaskan Way, open from 11am. https://www.ivars.com/acres - **Din Tai Fung (Pacific Place)** (Dumplings and noodles, Downtown): Inside Pacific Place, open daily 11am to 9pm. https://dtf.com/en-us/locations/seattle-pacific-place ## Rainy-day backup plan - **Pacific Science Center**: Indoors. - **Seattle Aquarium**: Mostly indoors. - **KidsQuest Children’s Museum**: Indoors. - **The Museum of Flight**: Mostly indoors. - **Seattle Central Library**: Indoors. - **Imagine Children’s Museum**: Indoors. ## Practical tips - Mondays and Tuesdays: Pacific Science Center is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. - Mondays: Imagine Children’s Museum is closed Mondays. - Half-price days: Imagine Children’s Museum is half price on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. ## Free and cheap wins - **Seattle Central Library**: Free. All free things to do in Seattle: https://littlesweekly.com/seattle/guide/#free ## Happening this week - **Pumpkin Bash at Woodland Park Zoo** (Sat 9:30am–3pm) at Woodland Park Zoo. Free with zoo admission; one child 12 and under gets in free with each paid adult. https://littlesweekly.com/seattle/#e-wpz_pumpkin_bash - **Día de Muertos Festival at Seattle Center** (11am–6pm) at Seattle Center Armory. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/seattle/#e-seattle_center_dia_de_muertos - **Halloween Spooktacular at KidsQuest** (Sat 9am–4pm) at KidsQuest Children’s Museum. Regular admission ($16.75 ages 1 and up (prices can change on busy days); babies under 1 free); reserve ahead. https://littlesweekly.com/seattle/#e-kidsquest_spooktacular - **Trick-or-Treat Story Time (Redmond Library)** (Fri 11am–1pm) at Redmond Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/seattle/#e-trick_or_treat_story_time_redmond_librar - **Halloween Story Time and Costume Parade (White Center Library)** (Sat 11:30am–12:30pm) at White Center Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/seattle/#e-halloween_story_time_and_costume_parade Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/seattle/index.md ## Holiday pages - [Santa in Seattle: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/seattle/santa/index.md) - [Christmas lights in Seattle for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/seattle/christmas-lights/index.md) ## About this list - Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city. - How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com). - Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list. - How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote. ## FAQ ### Is Seattle kid-friendly? For a family with kids under 6, yes. Our Seattle guide lists 12 places we checked for little kids, plus 1 free place and 5 picks for babies and toddlers. This page adds 3 easy restaurants near the big stops and free storytimes at 3 library systems. This week’s list has 34 dated outings for ages 0–6. See [free things to do in Seattle](https://littlesweekly.com/seattle/guide/#free) and [this weekend’s list](https://littlesweekly.com/seattle/). ### How many days do you need in Seattle with a toddler? Two works well: one at Seattle Center and the waterfront, and one at Woodland Park Zoo. ### Where should we eat on the Seattle waterfront? Ivar’s Acres of Clams is on Alaskan Way. It’s open until 8pm, and 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. ### Where should we stay in Seattle with a toddler? Downtown near the waterfront puts the aquarium and the Central Library close. Bellevue works if KidsQuest is your main stop.