Whether you’re visiting Seattle for the first time or with the family, most tourist websites and even locals will advise you to purchase the Seattle CityPASS. It’s the quickest and most economical way to enter Emerald City’s best tourist attractions. The motto of CityPass is “Spend Less, Experience More,” and it stays true to its word. Basically, the CityPass for Seattle is a booklet of 5 tickets for admission to some of the city’s biggest and best attractions and sights – all for a discounted price. The pass must be used within a year of purchasing it but lasts nine consecutive days from the first day you use it.
Besides the obvious money savings, you can even skip queues at the ticket office in some cases (read: Seattle Aquarium). In fact, the CityPass allows you to save up to 46% of the admission amount of the five top attractions! To that end, here are the 6 top attractions to visit with CityPass for Seattle.
Woodland Park Zoo
6
The Woodland Park Zoo is one of the best family-friendly sights on the CityPass for Seattle attractions. Families with children will love this award-winning zoo with more than 1,000 animals from more than 300 species. These include the rhino, one of the largest land mammals, as well as clever ambassador animals like parrots, hornbills, and porcupines. The little ones will especially love the Zoomazium, an indoor nature play space where they can be inspired to save wildlife by exploring it to the fullest. Back outside, you guys can see sloth bears, grizzly bears, tigers, lions, and more. Finally, the zoo even hosts many fun community events annually, including adults-only wine, whiskey, and beer events and the WildLanterns light show during the holidays.
Chihuly Garden And Glass
5
Those who love glassblowing and glass sculptures and structures will be enthralled at the Chihuly Garden And Glass. Prepare to be “blown” away – pun unintended – at this amazing museum and garden that’s an easy walk from the Space Needle. It’s all inspired by 1941-born artist Dale Chihuly who revolutionized the way glass, charcoal, acrylic paint, ice, and neon are used in sculpting blown glass flowers. That, too, they sit amidst natural flora in a mind-bending fusion of curiosity and color. What’s more, you’ll also see another avant-garde sculpting, all blown from glass, live and thrive here. Thanks to the audio tour, you can enjoy the tour of the museum and the gardens, as well as the live glassblowing demonstrations, which shouldn’t be missed.
MoPop: Museum Of POP Culture
4
The MoPop: Museum Of POP Culture is one of the best attractions on the CityPass for Seattle attractions. This amazing museum was founded by Paul Allen, Microsoft’s co-founder, and is a multimedia mecca at its finest. It explores some of the most significant moments in pop culture history, ranging from sensory challenges to the reflective orangish wave exterior. Some of the most popular exhibits include Heroes and Villains: the Art of the Disney Costume, Jack Black’s fun outing School of Rock, The History of Sci-fi and Fantasy, and Horror and Marvel Comics. What’s more, they range from huge media screens to iconic artifacts and even massive guitar sculptures.
Argosy Cruise Of Elliott Bay
3
Argosy Cruises is famous for offering family-friendly and fully-narrated boat tours around Seattle. The CityPass includes its 1-hour Harbor Cruise, which cruises around the Seattle Harbor and Elliott Bay. What’s more, a live narrator regales you with tales of the Seattle waterfront, shipping containers and shipyards, and the majestic Olympic mountains and Mount Rainier, one of the best places to visit in Washington State. The guides are well-versed in history and legend and keep you entertained with their wonderful narrative. You can even spy on marine wildlife, especially seals. Pro tip: The best seats are on the northern side (left when you face the wheelhouse), allowing you to get fabulous city and Puget Sound views.
Seattle Aquarium
2
Seattle Aquarium has so many things to see and do that you’ll be glad it’s included in the CityPass for Seattle attractions! After gaining express entry, do check on the times for presentations, such as the daily diver shows, as you wouldn’t want to miss them. Many first-floor exhibits combine techy and real-life displays to allow you to understand the Pacific Northwest wildlife. Continuing along the well-marked paths and through a small tunnel will lead you to the 360-degree Underwater Dome. It’s filled with hundreds of fish found in Puget Sound, such as the silver-backed open-water salmon, rockfish, sharks, sturgeon, and lingcod. However, no matter what, you see or do not miss otter feeding time! You can call beforehand and ask about the same.
Space Needle
1
We finally come to the attraction that practically defines Seattle, the iconic Space Needle that also sits on the CityPass for Seattle attractions. When the Seattle World Fair took place in 1962, the Space Needle opened for the first time, but it wasn’t quite what it’s now. Due to the lack of technology available then, there was no way to get in there, and the glass panels weren’t as large as they’re today. However, a 100 million USD renovation later, this futuristic beacon is what it’s today. With three floors of observation decks, your CityPass ticket price also includes a bungee jump from the top and a virtual reality encounter in the lobby. Finally, the revolving platform on the top deck allows you to stay firmly rooted in one spot for an entire revolution. Or, you could move about and spy views of the entire cityscape.
How To Choose The Best Attractions to Visit with Citypass for Seattle?
First-time visitors
- Whatever you do, don’t buy your Seattle CityPASS at the Space Needle, as it’s very busy, and you’ll end up wasting a lot of time. Also, make maximum use of your ticket by returning at night to see the city lights.
- The cruise is easiest to skip in the pass, as you can independently purchase tickets for that. What’s more, you even have the option of doing the Locks Cruise then, which ventures beyond the waterfront. Don’t forget to ask about the weekend special event cruises.
- Since the pass “activates” once you use it the first time, try and begin on a weekday. So, you can possibly avoid weekend crowds and still make the most of your pass.
Free Attractions
Besides these attractions above, Seattle has many sights and attractions that you can check out and explore for free. These include the likes of the iconic Pike Place Market, one of the USA’s top tourist attractions, the Seattle Public Library, Ballard Locks, and the many parks and gardens that the city is famous for. Here are some of the best tips and tricks to explore some of Seattle’s attractions for free:
- Kids under the age of 5 can get free or discounted tickets for some sites – check out the Seattle CityPASS website for more information.
- There are designated free days or free evenings (some specifically for seniors and/or teens) to Seattle’s many museums, such as Tacoma Art Museum, Bellevue Art Museum, Seattle Asian Art Museum, and Seattle Art Museum.
- If you snag one of the best cheap Seattle hotels near the Waterfront, then you could simply walk along it and explore attractions such as Olympic Sculpture Park and Pike Place Market.
- Hit the beaches such as Discovery Park Beach, Alki Beach, etc.
Can we split up and visit different attractions?
Yes, travelers from the same party can visit different attractions. But if any attraction requires reservations, please contact CityPASS Customer Care prior to your plans.
Can I visit more than one attraction in a day?
Yes, there’s no limit on how many attractions you can visit in a single day.
When can I use my tickets?
The pass “activates” the first day you visit an attraction, with the validity period being nine consecutive days. Also, you must use the tickets within a year of purchasing them.
Some images on this article are copyrighted by CityPass.
