If you have family this would be a great place to bring your kids to, it's very educational and they always have something new to look at every few months, IMAX theater and laser show are amazing, family year passes are cheap and I go almost every other weekend! read more

It's hard to contemplate an organization which values science and customer service doing the absolutely worst job at getting guests checked into their center. If you go to the Pacific Science Center expect great things, however prepare yourself for mind boggling inefficiency at getting your tickets and through the door. It's hard to imagine a worse system. Pacific Science Center why don't you join the 21st century? read more

honestly? fine place if your kids like science and you don't really like your kids. majority of the exhibits don't even work (at least while i was there), plus it's very expensive for what you're getting which isn't much. best room was the butterfly room... i guess read more

Good: (1) Love the butterfly and insects display (2) Planetarium is excellent. (3) Rest of displays are OK Needs Change: (a) Dino display seems to have consumed large space and budget. I am not sure why this is so because the budget could have been used to improve planetarium. (b) Entrance ticket cost is pricey and many of my friends question the value of ticket cost in comparison to the center's educational value In spite of the negatives, I love this place and will be there as often as I could (and afford). read more

Admissions is kinda expensive, but once you see the many exhibits, IMAX theaters and attractions the Pacific Science Center has got to offer then its worth the price. The Tropical Butterfly House is the center piece to this great science center. They got a couple hundred perhaps thousands of unique butterflies from around the world. Be extra careful where you step! The staff makes sure that they don't sneak through the doors. After you enter through one of the two main entrances there are good exhibits. The information desk provides a helpful amount of information. The stage next to desk has shows at various times of the day. The dinosaur exhibit is to the right of the desk that provides a good amount of knowledge. The Planetarium is definitely worth the wait! You can learn so much about astronomy! The main area of the building has naked mole rats, boa constrictors, domesticated rats (where you can pet if they choose to come out of their cage.) The Bodyworks exhibit provides useful amounts of information about how your body works! There is a play area for toddlers that includes a small water area, various toys, and a slide. You can be a weather meteorologist just like King5's Jeff Renner. Have fun! There is a computer area where you can surf for a bit. The gift shop is in the next building over to the left of the computer area. The Boeing IMAX theatre always has a great movie showing a couple times everyday. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 3D, so its much better than the regular theater experience. The second IMAX has a good variety of interesting movies! Check the current schedule for what is available. Science rocks!!! read more

I've been a member for over 5 yrs and will continue for at least another 5! My 3 children have the best memories from our outings at the PSC!!! read more

This was a fun place to take the whole family. There are lots of activities for the kids and plenty of neat exhibits to keep mom and dad interested as well. The IMAX theater is certainly a draw, and the films they show are fresh and interesting. If you've got a group of kiddos, this place will keep them entertained for hours. If your group is all adults, some might find the place a little below their age level. For us, seeing our kids have fun, is entertainment in and of itself, which makes this place worth a visit. If I were to change anything, it would be to refresh several of the exhibits, some of which have been there for a decade or more. And of course, Seattle being what it is, parking can be a pain. Other than that, it's a great place for a family day. read more

We recently visited the Pacific Science Center when hiking in the area. I was very impressed with the museum not having been there for many years. There are several interactive exhibits that I think would be really fun for younger kids. We did not do the show just stuck to the free stuff. If you are in the area or are consider a hike then I would definitely allow time to pop into the building. read more

It is quite the tourist trap, and not something I would ever enjoy. Not worth the money i paid to see some crappy exhibits which were not too well kept I have to say. It was really a disappointing visit. read more

I went with my family when they visited me recently and we had a great time showing my little niece around. However, I had a few challenges with some poor communication with the staff (though my experience was unique, as everyone else loved the time there). I was a bit annoyed by the interaction and felt compelled to provide feedback with an email. The response I got blew me away and I think sharing it is a great way to show how much they care about your experience at the Pac Science Center: My name is ------------, Guest Services Director at Pacific Science Center. First and foremost - I'm so appreciative you'd chosen to visit and support Pacific Science Center this weekend and am genuinely sorry your experience was a negative one. I thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I value all feedback, both positive and negative, as it gives us a chance to hear our guests voices and share those thoughts with relevant parties. To that end, I've shared your experience with our Science Interpretation Manager, ---------, who oversees the particular floor staff groups you mentioned. She asked I also apologize on her behalf for your negative interactions and was frustrated along with me as we have regular conversations and trainings, including last week, about positive, welcoming customer service. We also talked about your recommendation for a sign at the tide pool and are looking into that as an option going forward. I'm hoping you might be able to provide me any additional information you have (e.g. the day you were here, what time, whether the staff were male/female, older/younger, in staff/volunteer shirts, etc.). While we're happy to do general reminders and training reinforcement, --------- and I's hope is that we can drill down and find the exact staff members you speak of in order to really connect one on one with them about this incident, their quality of work and using this as a learning opportunity. I'd also love to offer you a pair of passes to visit us again in the next 6 months to enjoy our general exhibits and your choice of a documentary IMAX or planetarium show. If that sounds of interest to you, please let me know your address and I'll mail those out to you this week. Thank you again, Justin, for taking the time to write. Often people don't share their positive or negative experiences and that information is invaluable to us putting our best foot forward. Have a terrific afternoon! read more

Love this place. Wish they would stop telling everyone they have VR so we could still be on the down low and not have to reserve a ticket time! Too much fun and love the tinker lab. read more

Okay, just got back from a visit to the California Academy of Sciences in SF. Pacific Science Center is pathetic compared to Cal Academy. I no longer have any tolerance for PSC now. The exhibits are terrible, poorly maintained, and ill-designed. Their exhibit team should be replaced with staff as skilled and knowledgeable as that of world-class institutions like Cal Academy. I have a hard time understanding how the science institutions of Seattle (PSC, Seattle Aquarium) could be so bad in a city with as much science and tech interest (and the money to go with it) as Seattle. Boo on Seattle for caring so little about the informal education of our children. read more

Not worth the admission price for a place that needs some revamping. Exhibits very much geared to children, but also very much worn down. A lot of the interactive exhibits were either broken or turned off. Their "planetarium" that we paid extra for is not that great either. You know it's bad when the presenter is wistfully wishing for a better setup like the one at the Griffith Observatory in LA, and comparing it throughout the night sky presentation. I too buddy, wish that we had one like that here as well. The place is kind of sad all around. The dinosaurs I am sure when it first came out was amazing, but they look kind of blah now. The bug exhibit was okay, the mole rats make me cringe. The best part of the attraction was the Butterfly House. That alone made the trip worth it. With Seattle being a big metropolitan city, I hope one day they will renovate or update their exhibits. I don't see myself returning here. read more

This place is fantastic for the kids. In Seattle, where kid friendly activities are somewhat hard to find, this is a go to place. Located at the Seattle Center, this place has a lot to offer kids from ages 3-12 The butterfly exhibit is always a hit, along with the dinosaurs and the healthy you section. We last saw the Ripley's Believe It Or Not special exhibit, and it was very good. There are also what seem to be impromptu science presentation (impromptu because we never seem to be able to find the schedule) on things like weather and volcanos. As you travel around the grounds, there are outdoor water activities and indoor hands on experiences that keep the kids' minds busy. I have also been to their after hours, adult centered activities. The latest being a science of wine event, where you could learn about various wine making techniques, flavoring, wine glass science, and more all the while sampling represented Washington state wines (did I mention that the sampling was unlimited... defiantly adult fun). If you live locally, I would suggest a membership. It's cheaper, gives you access to the IMAX and other activities with no additional cost. From the special adult activities, the traveling exhibits, the IMAX theaters, and the Laxer Dome, there is something for all and a destination in Seattle. read more

Went here because I haven't gone since I was a little kid and I was not amazed or surprised with anything good here. Everything is so outdated and old. Admission alone is $20 and they want an extra $9 just for the special exhibit (anything that's more than general admission is gonna cost more) which is just plain stupid. I pay $20 for a little museum tour with old outdated stuff and if I want to go check something else out in the exhibit it's gonna cost me more!!? Wow. And $5 for some frozen hot dogs and chicken sandwiches don't help either. Will not be coming back anytime soon. Very disappointed. read more

This review is for the King Tut exhibition. Like many others, I feel completely ripped off and duped by the false advertising (the gold mask used in all the promo). I saw the REAL King Tut exhibition back in the 1970s, both in Washington D.C. and in San Francisco, and it was breathtaking, stunningly beautiful and unforgettable. PSC's King Tut exhibition should be called Ancient Egyptian Artifacts with a Few of Tut's Things Thrown in at the End. While the items on display were beautiful and fascinating, there was no rhyme or reason to the way they were arranged. Room after room, without a timeline or real plan, and no Tut artifacts until the end. Most of the fabulous stuff was shown on videos on the wall; there were a few jars and necklaces but - as previously mentioned - this exhibit, imo, has no right to call itself the King Tut Exhibit since only about 10% of the articles on display are from King Tut's tomb. That feeling of being bait-and-switched, combined with the very high cost of tickets, the Disneyland-like cattle call crowds and the dreadful, cheapo Made in China offerings (teddy bears wearing Tut headpieces!) at the gift shop, unfortunately add up to two stars. read more

We are a member and I have had nothing but disappointment at the center. The kids do like the exhibits but they don't seemed to have changed in about ten years and they are pretty basic. We bought the membership because it made sense since we wanted to go see King Tut. As many reviews have said the Pacific Science Center's Tut Exhibit is a rip-off and I would give it a 0 stars. They lied to me like many others about the exhibit - I saw the death mask and tomb in Chicago years ago and wanted to show my children. It has left Egypt and if they were going to advertise this exhibit they should have been honest. We just went over there for a movie today, ended up standing in the "Members" line for 15 minutes while they took everyone from a nearly empty "non-members" line and no one from the members line. We finally got into the non-members line, got to the admissions person and they told us they weren't showing the movie. In addition all the free movies tickets that come with the membership are only for the very few short movies they show not all the rest. Every time we are their I regret getting the membership - never again. read more

As a lover of the Ancient World, I was excited when I found out that the Exhibit was coming to the Science Center. When I got there, my discount from them wasn't honored. Oh well I wanted to see the exhibit and I just paid full price. I get to the actual exhibit and the staff were rude and not accommodating of my disability when I requested to sit on the bench while I was waiting to go in. I'm recovering from a broken hip and I had a cane that I use to walk. While in the exhibit, I had several of the staff tell me I couldn't take my backpack in with me or to hold it on the front of me. The backpack contained my purse and several different pain management medications and I was told I had to throw away my bottle of water or I couldn't go in. I was planning on keeping it in my backpack to take a pain medication if needed, but I was told no. While in there, several staff told me that my cane wasn't allowed in as it could have damaged something. I then explained that I'm disabled and it's allowed under the Americans with Disability Act and was asked to provide proof. Once in the exhibit, it was a giant waste of money as there was very little about King Tut actually there. Between the lack of artifacts and the rudeness of the staff, I will never go back. In addition to that, the place is extremely rundown and dirty. read more

Nothing beats second grade field trips to the pacific science center! Ahhh the feeling of excitement as I would sit on the bus awaiting my visit with the lifelike dinosaurs, the water fountains, the bug exhibit, the gravity portal thingy and so much more. This was a kid's dream place during the late 90's...Now I often take my nephew here and he loves it just as much. The imax theatre here is the largest screen in the world! I've seen avatar and tron in 3D on this screen and it doesnt really get much better! Everything about this place is terrific....the location is also great...next to the key arena where the Sonics used to play...the food court and the arcade and mini rides and of course the space needlee..not to mention the easy access monorail that can take you to other places of downtown including westlake and pike...okay I'm getting off topic....but a day at the science center is a must if you're tourist coming to Seattle or if you're a local that has simply been living under a rock and/or was homeschooled. read more

Fantastic! Way better than similar one in SF, in our opinion. Very roomy and TONS of handson exhibits. Lots of show options and I like that you pick your shows at ticket entrance which is so much easier. Absolutely recommend and great deal with city pass read more

The Pacific Science Center is a great museum for little kids. My six and four year old nephew and neice loved it. They have a lot of fun interactive exhibits at kid-height ... There were also a number of exhibits that intrigued adult interest, but I wouldn't recommend going to the museum itself without kids. We were unable to catch any of the Imax shows (which are more adult appropriate) but watched the planetarium show geared for young children. If I lived close to downtown, I could see coming to the museum as a parent regularly. The best part of the Pacific Science Center is that the membership is an awesome deal. Given the size of our group, we were only $8 away so we bought it. The $80 membership includes membership for six people (in our case four adults and two kids), guest passes, free Imax tickets, discount on Imax movies (which I am happily passing onto my Seattle relatives), and notably RECIPROCAL memberships at other science and art museums nationwide (that my sister and I will be able to use ourselves). read more

The butterflies saved this place! They were awesome. They landed on you, stayed in one place for a photo op and the laminated guides to butterflies made them easy to identify. PSC- I wanted to love the rest of this place but it is definitely outdated and needs some TLC. Also it is really geared at very young children. So it wasn't for us. It was part of the City Pass and thank goodness. (Although this place punishes you for being with the city pass by making you stand in the line for everything and saying no city pass for the VIP line). If you aren't from Seattle you see the signs all over town thinking you will see the Tut mask and exhibit. When you arrive it is extra cash for the exhibit and there is no mask. Weird. You think you get an IMAX ticket to a new movie like Batman etc that they are showing but you only get a choice of two documentary type movies. Everything is older. The Saltwater tide pool exhibit is not as good as most aquariums we've been too. The water tide with the ink needs more to grab the kids. The dinosaurs needed more interaction and items to draw you in. At one point there was what looked like a library book opened to tell you about dinosaurs. The Planetarium was closed for a show. The courtyard was a good place to sit and take your snacks from the cafe. The water stuff in the middle was a fast look. There was a toddler type area with activities that were really only interesting to them and their parents. If you go go early. Get an IMAX ticket, hit the planetarium before the show goes in, bring young kids, get a locker fr your stuff, rent a stroller, pay extra for everything, but linger in the butterfly exhibit. It touts teaching math, science and technology but we saw no math or technology or big time science. Shame for tech savvy Seattle. PSC needs to get this science center updated for today's science pronto. read more

get your act together, pac sci! every time we've come to the cafe, the pickins are slim and the fruit is always, ALWAYS rotten. and I'm not just talking slimy and browning. I've had to return fruit multiple times after opening it and finding MOLD. not good. I really want to support your cause but you can do so much better! read more

this review may be a little colored by the fact the while i was standing in line to buy my ticket for the king tut exhibit, a woman walked by asking if anyone needed a ticket, and so being quick on the draw, i was bestowed a gift and hastily put my $30 back in my pocket. who wouldn't enjoy the day after that? but, the king tut exhibit would've stood on it's own two legs (so to speak). it was fascinating, well done and i loved the audio that went with it on my free ticket. the pieces were beautiful and i learned a lot. i'd been to the music museum before with my kids, and we all loved it. this time, i roamed through the science museum, which compared to others i've been to, was a little beat up, but interesting none the less. and those naked mole rats.....! i would definitely recommend a trip to the pcs, at least once! read more

I hate to say this, but I have been to many many museums throughout the U.S. and this was by far the worst. I live here and just went for the first time with my daughter, and wow, what a rip off. The exhibits are old and dirty with many not working. Can I have my $33 back? I felt like I stepped into a time warp from the 80s/90s. Time for an overhaul! If you're going to spend money going to a museum on a rainy day, go to MoPop. A zillion million lightyears better! read more

Having a Science Center in Seattle is wonderful, I appreciate the dinosaur, butterfly and science experiment exhibits most. We visited the Star Wars special exhibit today and it was really good.The facility itself is not kept up-to-date though with faded/chipping paint and lights that don't work. The Science Center is great but it needs an upgrade. read more

Very outdated!!! And the cost of admission is insane now! I came here as a child many times yearssssss ago and nothing seems to be updated at all. Things are broken, uninteresting etc. Very outdated "science" exhibits. Science and technology has changed SO much throughout the years and it's sad this place hasn't been able to keep up with the times. read more

This place is great. You definitely get to explore your inner child here, with all the exhibits and demos they have going. Alot to see. We even caught "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs" in IMAX. My only gripe is that the theater seats were straight old school theater seats. You will leave with a bad back. Otherwise, Lots of fun for kids of all ages. read more

This review is for the King Tut exhibit. Don't waste your money. The exhibit itself is really a let down. We spend a lot of time at things like this and for the hype this was a complete disappointment. Rooms filled with random (albeit very old) statues, little chronology or context. A (very few) random videos, then a long walk up a ramp to the big finale: a few pieces of gold jewelry taken from the tomb (as you view these astounding pieces you will hear a background of 'Is this it?' from the crowd...). One map in the whole place, no real explanations for the artifacts. In contrast we were in Chicago recently at the Field Museum to see the Genghis Khan exhibit. It was about the same size but a completely different experience as whoever put that together knew that an exhibit is not just throwing a bunch of artifacts in rooms. In addition to the less-than-exciting exhibit itself was the overall mismanagement of the event. We were herded through with an overlarge group of rabid dogs (er...teenagers) from a local school. Judging by the number of people they let in at each timed sequence, the Science Center is far more interested in raking in as much cash as possible than creating a safe and comfortable atmosphere (I heard one of the docents remark at the beginning how crowded it was). I spent most of my time trying to keep my niece from getting trampled by kids whose chaperones were enjoying their free trip to the exhibit rather than keeping track of their students. We were interrogated at every juncture by docents who had been apparently told to 'keep groups together'. While they seemed oblivious to the raging herds of out-of-control kids, this is what we endured at the entrance to every room: "Are these your kids?" ('yes'). "Are they all here?" ('yes') "Are you sure your group is all here?" ( (sigh) 'you got me...i left my two smallest kids back in the room in the hopes that someone might pick them up'). I'm sorry to have to write this....I've always supported this space and each year bring the kids a few times. We were considering finally getting a membership but not now. After this truly crappy experience we are unlikely to go back any time soon. Kudos though to the employee at the end of the exhibit who saw us coming out (in the middle of a student-tsunami) and apologized. read more

So I have been to a lot of science museums before, and this one was kind of disappointing. It was 90% kids running all over the place, trying their hardest to rip apart the exhibits. If you're a family, great, but if you are one or two adults looking for an interesting place to visit, try the EMP museum across the way instead. read more

LOVE the Pacific Science center. It is the perfect place to spend a whole day with curious kids. My son loves going here and looks forward to checking out the exhibits and learning new stuff.Their Live science shows are very well done and the tinker tank has provided many hours of learning /play.we frequently pack sandwiches and spend spend the day here, checking out the exhibits ,taking in a laser show or a planetarium feature.They often have excellent special exhibits to explore .Highly recommended for families with children. read more

Went here with my 9 year old son as part of the CityPass. We only spent an hour, but we could have spent a lot longer. It was pretty cool. I was pretty impressed. Good for a 9 year old. We also got to see a IMAX movie as part of the CityPass. It was a film about animals. It was done well and funny. The IMAX was a great big screen, but the seats were pretty crappy. Compared to a regular movie theatre like AMC. read more

17 bucks for the exhibits and the planetarium? hmm...a bit disappointed. this is more suitable for kids...but it's not even that great for kids. read more

I love the Pacific Science Center and didn't realize how much I loved it until I found myself at the SF Exploratorium. I can't find much that beats a butterfly house! read more

Very disappointed in my visit. At $20 per adult admission plus $8 parking. I had very high expectations. Luckily my two year old was free or I would have been even more disappointed! Considering this place is definitely aimed towards older children but even then I wasn't impressed. Most exhibits were broken down, temporarily out of service or straight up dirty. The Toddler station had lots of of broken down toys and the music spot was completely filthy. Everything looked like it hasn't been wiped down in ages. The only cool part about our visit was the butterfly exhibit and the outdoor waterworks. Although it was very cold outside it was nice to get out of the facility. I would like to check out their laser dome or the IMAX theater but other than that I will not return. If you plan on making a visit with your young kids I highly suggest bringing some antibacterial wipes to keep handy. Cleanliness is not a priority here. read more

A lot of complaints about needing updates...being new to Seattle, we had a pretty objective view of this museum, and we thought it was awesome. Lots of cool stuff and my kids really enjoyed it. I actually wanted to spend more time there myself so I could really dive deep into the exhibits, but kids' attention span limited that. Recommended. read more

I took my 5 year old nephew to the Pacific Science Center. He loved it! It's educational, fun, and very hands on. I have to admit, I was entertained as well, but I probably wouldn't go unless I was taking kids with me. The price was decent for the number of attractions. You could easily spend most of the day there. Unfortunately, you have to pay extra for the IMAX, but it's worth it, even just for a chance to sit for a few minutes in the middle of a long day! read more

It's a fun place when going along with kids. It has small models for many scientific experiments, solar module, mechanical dinosaurs, musical laser show, food joint etc. For adults, it's still worth wile but certainly, kids of age 4+ will likely enjoy a lot more.. read more

We had an amazing experience at the Pacific Science Center! We attended the Theory Festival 2017 which was truly a wonderful time. I want to highlight Dave, who spent at least an hour in the planetarium completely enchanting my boyfriend and I with his extensive astrobiology knowledge. I'm extremely impressed with the caliber of employee here, you will not be disappointed with this learning experience. Everywhere you turn is a new, thrilling piece of information. This is a great place to take your family, friends and anybody really read more

Came here for the King Tut exhibit. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they handled the crowds. The major drawback was only one set of restrooms for the entire complex which was a pain since my mother has a bad knee and walking all around that place from one corner to the other to use the restroom was difficult. read more