Seattle - Washington State - page 112

Children's Museum Seattle's Children's Museum is located in the base-
ment of the Center House at Seattle Center, which is partly why Seattle Center
is such a great place to spend a day with the kids. The museum includes plenty
of hands-on cultural exhibits, a child-size neighborhood, a Discovery Bay for
toddlers, a mountain wilderness area, a global village, and other special exhibits
to keep the little ones busy learning and playing for hours.
305 Harrison St. at Center House in Seattle Center. & 206/441-1768. www.thechildrensmuseum.org.
Admission $6 children and adults, $5.50 seniors. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm; Sat-Sun 10am-6pm. Closed Thanks-
giving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Bus: 1, 2, 3, 4, 13, 15, 16, or 18. Monorail: From Westlake Center at
the corner of Pine St. and Fourth Ave.
Seattle Center If you want to keep the kids entertained all day long,
head to Seattle Center. This 74-acre cultural center and amusement park stands
on the northern edge of downtown at the end of the monorail line. The most
visible building at the center is the Space Needle (p. 107), which provides an
outstanding panorama of the city from its observation deck. However, of much
more interest to children is the Fun Forest ( & 206/728-1585 ), with its roller
coaster, log flume, merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, arcade games, and minigolf.
Seattle Center is also the site of the Children's Museum (see above) and Seat-
tle Children's Theatre ( & 206/441-3322; www.sct.org). This is Seattle's main
festival site, and in the summer months hardly a weekend goes by without some
special event filling its grounds. On hot summer days, the International Foun-
tain is a great place for kids to keep cool (bring a change of clothes).
305 Harrison St. & 206/684-7200. www.seattlecenter.com. Free admission; pay per ride or game (various
multiride tickets available). Fun Forest outdoor rides: mid-June to Labor Day Mon-Thurs noon-10 or 11pm;
reduced days and hours other months (call for hours); indoor attractions open at 11am year-round. Bus: 1, 2,
3, 4, 13, 15, 16, 18, 24, or 33. Monorail: From Westlake Center at the corner of Pine St. and Fourth Ave.

Kids

Kids

6 Organized Tours
For information on the Underground tour, see the box titled “Good Times in
Bad Taste” on p. 105.
WALKING TOURS
In addition to the walking tours mentioned here, there are walking tours of Pike
Place Market offered by one of the market's organizations. See the Pike Place
Market listing on p. 104 for details.
If you'd like to explore downtown Seattle with a knowledgeable guide, join
one of the informative walking tours offered by See Seattle Walking Tours
( & 425/226-7641; www.see-seattle.com). The tours visit Pike Place Market,
the waterfront, the Pioneer Square district, and the International District. Tours
cost $20 and can last a half day or a full day, depending on how much stamina
you have.
You can also learn a lot about Seattle history and wander through hidden cor-
ners of the city on 2-hour tours run by Duse McLean/Seattle Walking Tour
(tel] 425/885-3173 ). These tours start with a ride through the Bus Tunnel to
the International District and then make their way back north to Pike Place
Market, taking in historic buildings, public art, and scenic vistas. Tours are $15
per person and are offered year-round by reservation.
For an insider's glimpse of life in Seattle's International District, hook up
with Chinatown Discovery Tours ( & 425/885-3085; www.seattlechamber.
com/chinatowntour). On these walking tours, which last from 1 1 ⁄ 2 to 3 hours,
you'll learn the history of this colorful and historic neighborhood. “A Touch of