Free Summer Activities in Seattle, Washington

Seattle's summers start when school is out, even if the rain doesn't stop until after the 4th of July. Fortunately, Seattle has plenty of free indoor and outdoor summer activities for the whole family.

Seafair's Free Events

Seafair has been Seattle's annual summer festival since 1950. With festivities starting in late June and ending in early August, you can easily find free events for the whole family to enjoy.

The Seafair Pirates land at Alki Beach to start the summer season with their rantings and ravings. Swords spark, cannons boom, and captives are taken as the pirates rally the crowds for Seafair celebrations.

The Torchlight Parade, the Northwest's largest lighted parade, is also a must see. Lit floats, marching drill teams, towering helium balloons, and blustering pirates and clowns start at the Seattle Center and travel down Fourth Avenue to Second Avenue and King Street.

The Blue Angles wrap up the festival in August with their crowd-pleasing aerial acrobatics at the Seafair Air Show. Military and civilian plans also join the show, crossing over south Lake Washington. You view the air show from a number of area parks or purchase tickets for a closer view.

Free Pass To Seattle Area Museums

Nearly all of Seattle's museums open their doors for free on the first Thursday of the month. Some museums are only free for part of that day.

At the Museum of Flight you can check out Boeing's beginnings, walk the Air Park where retired Air Force One and Concorde jets wait, or learn about aviation history.

The Experience Music Project is also open to the public on Thursday night. Here you can admire rare Jimi Hendrix artifacts, mix music in the sound lab, or read about the local area's music history.

Swim Free At The Beach

Seattle's Parks have nine lifeguarded beaches for summertime swimming. With no aquatic weeds or boat traffic, these beaches are made for safe swimming.

The city will also fill twenty-nine wading pools as weather allows. These shallow pools are a great spot for little ones to wade in or to dip your feet in.

Story Time At The Library

The Seattle Public Library offers a number of activities when the summer days are too wet or hot. National poets, authors, and speakers are regularly brought in to speak about issues or read their work.

Weekly reading programs are also available for children and teens. Story time for infants, toddlers, and preschool age groups often includes songs, puppets, games, as well as books. Teenagers can join a book club or participate in a poetry slam.