The 9 Best Attractions in Seattle

A 230-acre living plant museum managed jointly by the city and University of Washington, the Arboretum is one of Seattle's great free outdoor treasures. The Japanese Garden within it charges a small entry fee and is exquisite in spring cherry blossom season and fall foliage. The Azalea Way trail in April and May is genuinely one of the most beautiful walks in the city. Parking can be tight on sunny spring weekends.

Free, fascinating, and beloved by locals: watch boats ride the water elevator between saltwater Puget Sound and the freshwater lakes, then see salmon climb the fish ladder through underwater glass. Add the botanical gardens and it's an easy, genuinely charming couple of hours. One of Seattle's best free outings.

A 35-minute ferry ride across Puget Sound to a walkable small town with galleries, wineries, and forest parks. The ferry itself is the star: sunset skyline views for the price of a coffee. Go as a walk-on; you don't need a car for Winslow's downtown.

One of the top-rated zoos in the country, Woodland Park consistently earns acclaim for its naturalistic habitat design and conservation programs. The African Savanna, Jaguar Cove, and Humboldt penguin exhibit are standout areas. It's a genuine full-day outing and well worth the $25 adult admission. Go on a weekday to avoid the densest family crowds, and note that the zoo is hilly so comfortable shoes are essential.

The Amazon Spheres are three interlocking glass domes at Amazon's downtown headquarters, packed with more than 40,000 plants recreating a cloud-forest environment inside the city. The domes themselves open to the general public only on the first and third Saturday of each month with a free advance reservation. If you cannot get in, the ground-floor Understory visitor center is free and open with no reservation, giving a taste of the plants and the building's story.

A solid mid-size aquarium on the downtown waterfront, now much bigger thanks to the new Ocean Pavilion showcasing Coral Triangle tropical life. Great for families and a rainy day; the sea otters and the underwater dome are the crowd favorites. Prices swing high, so buy weekday timed tickets online to save.

A thundering 268-foot waterfall about 30 miles east of Seattle, free to visit with an upper viewing platform steps from the parking lot. Genuinely spectacular after rain or snowmelt. The catch: it's a car trip and the overlook itself is a quick stop, so pair it with the trail down or the nearby town.

The Seattle Great Wheel is a 175-foot observation wheel jutting out over Elliott Bay on Pier 57, with enclosed climate-controlled gondolas offering views of the downtown skyline, waterfront and, on clear days, the Olympic Mountains. Rides last about three revolutions and it is a fun, easy stop on the newly rebuilt waterfront. It is short and fairly pricey for the length, so it is more a pleasant add-on than a destination in itself.

Seattle's signature 605-foot tower, with 360-degree observation decks and a rotating glass floor. The views are real and the glass benches are fun, but it's pricey and touristy. Worth it once for the skyline-and-Rainier payoff; go on a clear day or skip it, since fog erases the whole point.