The Seattle Children's Museum is a great spot for little kids, but getting there the first time is a bit of a maze. It's on the bottom floor of the Armory building -- make sure you take the main elevator in the center of the food court, not the side elevators, or you'll end up wandering around confused. Once you're inside, though, it's fantastic. There are tons of activities and play areas, and plenty of seating scattered throughout so parents can actually sit down while the kids explore. My 18-month-old had an absolute blast, and even two hours wasn't enough time to cover everything at her pace before nap time. The changing rooms and stations are clean and well-maintained, and there are designated snacking areas too. My biggest complaint -- and the reason I don't get a membership -- is the parking situation. It's a mess. There are lots of different parking lots around Seattle Center, but they're expensive, and most involve a long walk if you're hauling strollers and kids. If they ever fix that, this place would be perfect. It does get busy, especially on rainy days but it's so big and spacious that it didn't feel too crowded on a Tuesday morning. read more

Seattle Children's Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Frannie was fantabulous! We walked in to tour facility and ended up experiencing the place for 3 hours flat..gio was helpful too, recco for kids under 10! Fascinating art, science & what not fun frolic STEM activities & motion/sensory play:) win-win for grown ups as well! read more

Seattle Children's Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

The staff gave us a quick tour before we decided to spend the $$$$$$ as we wanted to make sure our 6 year old grandson would enjoy. He head right for the theater, grabbed a cape, stood on the stage and entertained us with the microphone and then sound effects. After 30 minutes we lured him away to the other areas. Four hours later, we left feeling the $$$$ was worth it! Enjoy! read more

Seattle Children's Museum - Camping fun - Children's Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

The museum is located on the basement floor of a food court, a short walk away from the public transportation. Outside of the strange location in the basement, it's in a good overall spot by all of the other touristy stops in downtown Seattle. Although this is smaller than other children's museums I've been to, this one is a lot heavier on the play aspect, which is to say, my daughter probably had more fun here than other bigger places. Kids are zooming all over the place with different stations all over for kids to interact with. The immediate flashiest spot is the woodlands/forrest looking area with tents and rocks to lift to find critters to learn about. You can see that portion from the food court railing above. What you can't see until you actually go into the museum are areas for the kids to play dress up - mail carrier, veterinarian, grocery store, firetruck, a theater. My daughter, who suspiciously recovered from how tired she was walking around outside earlier, was zooming from each station to the other alongside several others doing the same. If you have children in the 3-8 range (there's a play area dedicated to younger children) then this is a great spot to burn out the kids energy and give yourself a break. Any older than that age range, and perhaps the kids will enjoy but not as much or get tired of it quicker. read more

Really cool museum with a lot of fun exhibits about music, movies, and pop culture. The building itself is pretty impressive too. It can feel a bit pricey, but overall it's a great spot to check out if you're in Seattle. read more

We could spend all day here! Both my kids loved it (4&2). There are many different rooms and activities for the kids. They even had story time. We left to have lunch upstairs and came back after. My daughter loved the stage/theater. My son loved all the vehicles he could drive. read more

I was tempted to take off a star because Imagine Museum is so much bigger, but then I realized that this one has things that Imagine Museum in Everett doesn't. However they are similar and both of them in my opinion are worth the visit. I'm not going to give less than 5 stars because another museum is better. But if I had to rank all the children's museums I have taken my son to, it would be ordered like this: 1. Imagine Museum-Everett 2. Seattle Children's Museum 3. Kids Quest- Bellevue 4. Tacoma Children's Museum All of these locations give you the option to have a membership. And with that membership, you can pay extra to get a discount at the others. So I have an Imagine Children's Museum Membership right now, if I went to Kids Quest, Seattle or Tacomas Children's Museums, I would get 50% off. Pretty good deal, and the membership supports the museum. In the end, even though I ranked them, they are all worth visiting at least once. read more

See all

Great place to burn a few hours while waiting for the space needle! Lots of play areas, my kids were 11 and 7 at time of visit. My 11 year olds had fun but are probably too old. My daughter loved the grocery store, the vet and the optometrist. There was also a little theater and a post office. read more

Absolutely amazing children's museum! We bought tickets for the whole family and then converted them into an annual pass for the grandkids. All kinds of interactive displays, Post Office, Theatre, and the Market was a huge hit. A wonderful way to spend the whole day with clean bathrooms and a snack area if you brought lunch. read more

See all

Went after their renovation twice now, and was disappointed. A whole section of old exhibits is blocked off so a third of the usable space of the museum isn't available. There are a few new exhibits, but most of the old ones are still there and showing their age. Be sure to check out the art area, my kids have a lot of fun painting or coloring there. read more

There are many engaging activities for kids and families to enjoy together. I have taken kids as young as toddlers and my 5 and 10 year old still find the activities fun to play together. I love the Native American and forest information. read more

See all

I enjoyed myself at the Seattle children's museum with my 9 month old. I felt that the exhibits were fun and very interesting for this age group. My little one is walking so he enjoyed all the museum had to offer. I was a little skeptical during the grocery store part as it wasn't as clean as I'd like, but overall great experience. read more

Walked in on a Wednesday afternoon and it was amazing. Basically got to enjoy the entire place to ourselves. No lines or waiting. The girls absolutely loved this place and cried when we had to leave. Clean restrooms for all sizes and the friendliest staff. Highly recommend read more

Seattle Children's Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

I took my kiddo here for the first time today and brought along a friend and her daughter who are visiting from out of state. They had SO much fun! Both the kiddos are 5 years old and they had plenty to do. My son is autistic and has mobility and sensory sensitivities, so activities like this are hit and miss. He definitely needed a little time to acclimate, but once he did it was great. For the families with kids on the spectrum/spd/disabilities: They have a cool vacuum tube thing right when you walk in where you put scarves in and they go through the tubes and fly out the top. It's a little loud, so it threw my kiddo off. Just be prepared that if your kiddo has a hard time with fans/vacuums it may me challenging. They don't currently have quiet/sensory friendly hours but are working on it. The staff was very helpful and receptive to input on this. They are very accommodating if your kiddo needs a little quiet break and will let you use the closed rooms of needed. There is a reading/library area where there are lots of pillows and it's pretty quiet. The lighting is bright, however. My son uses a wonderfold wagon to help him when he is feeling overwhelmed. It was able to go everywhere in the museum! He enjoyed all the different areas in his wagon and then felt ready to explore on foot. If your kiddo uses a mobility aide, it's a great option for them as there are no stairs! It's much easier to navigate than kids quest in Bellevue. My kiddo really liked the toddler area. There's a nursing/changing area that he was able to dim the lights in and have a break. The theater area is really cool, but if your child struggles with lights or sounds that are unexpected this may be challenging. There's a control panel where the kids can play sounds such as applause and a howling wolf. They also can adjust the lighting for the stage, so be prepared if there are sensitivities with that. There is really nowhere to change your bigger kiddos if they need a lay down diaper change, but there are kid sized toilets. The accessible stall was a bit on the small side and it's a weird angle to get into. Overall, it was a really great experience and I'm glad we went. read more

See all

There are many rooms with different subjects. My 9 years old girl enjoyed the stage room and my 3 years old boy enjoyed the construction room the most. The rest rooms are all interesting as well. Overall it was a great experience for our family. The museum is closed to downtown and parking lot. We picked the city of Seattle parking lot $25 up to 12 hours just for security reasons. It's about 5 minutes walking distance from the parking lot to the museum. read more

See all

We hosted a party at the Seattle Children's Museum and added an extra activity -- the kids had a blast! While the process was a bit disorganized, everything came together in the end. Overall, a fun experience for the little ones! read more

Today was our first visit to the museum and wish we started coming sooner. My daughter is almost seven and while this was still very fun for her, most kids there appeared to be under five. Nevertheless, she still enjoyed exploring and playing in all the different play areas, especially the market and the theater. To be honest, I had lots of fun here and even out on a show in the theater. It was a much bigger museum than I expected and we kept finding new rooms to play in. I loved all the different themes. We didn't get to spend too much time in the craft room, but my daughter made a few creations in the 10 minutes we were there. I imagine if we had more time we'd have been in there for an hour alone. In total we were there for about two hours and if I didn't get hungry, we would've been there another hour easily. Price was $13 for adult, $13 for child. They offered discounts but we didn't fall under any categories but that price is for the whole day. Before 12p, everyone above 3 (2 or 3) had to mask up, but after 12p, not required. The restrooms were clean and accommodating for adults and children (two tiny toilets). Cubby holes for jackets and bags. Stroller parking. Coat racks. 100% recommend for the little ones and little ones at heart. read more

Amazing place! So many different areas or rooms for the kids to play and explore. I loved that they had a toddler section for my 2 year old however he had no problem following his brother around playing in the other sections. I enjoyed that different sections were geared towards making the kids think and problem solve how to build things. The stage was a big a big hit for my 6 year old. read more

I brought my sister and her Grandson (from out of state) to the Seattle Center for lunch and fun. We noticed the Children's Museum. I was dumbfounded when I was told it was 15 dollars for adults. Why would we be expected to pay. When the whole place was for children. I have no problem paying for kids, as they would be enjoying the attraction. I should not have to pay to just watch kids play. Tacoma children museum takes donations why can't Seattle, or at least not charge adults. read more

I felt a little strange as an adult playing with the exhibits in the Seattle Children's Museum.... but... I had a designated child with my party. My nephew who was about four years old... wanted to talk with me... so I played with the things and items. He asked me a few questions about playing. I said "Playing for children is like stress relief for adults." I don't know if he knew what stress is back then. My nephew is in high school now. I doubt he remembers wanting to talk with me so much during his visit with Schmoopie, his dad (my younger brother) and myself... although he might remember. There were a bunch of single fathers with their daughters inside. I don't like that the parking in Seattle is so hectic... but if you can locate parking near the venue... all the better. read more

A nice spot to take your wee ones for a bit of indoor fun when the weather turns cold and wet. It can be busy, but seems to calm down in the afternoons (after 2:00) presumably as many kids will head home to nap. The staff offer a daily program of activity including such things as story time, alphabet exploration, mini cooking opportunities, petting live snakes and craft time. A dedicated 0-3 area makes it easier to keep the tiniest ones safe, and even has a live aquarium tank with a dozen or so fish. Check out the Post Office, Bus Station, Fire Truvk, Eye Clinic, Cafe, Theater, and Construction Zone, not to mention the mini Metropolitan Market, sailboat, car, and a quick trip to Africa, Lain America and Japan. read more

Seattle Children's Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Exceptional Educational and fun for my granddaughter , a whole day activities! Lots a great things to do here at Seattle Center read more

Two stars only because I like the world village section. That's it. My daughter enjoys playing anywhere. In a car, in a park, on a bench, etc, so of course she wants to play here. This museum is more of a play place, not really educational or interactive. The way I see it, this is a place for kids to run around and play. Definitely not a "museum." It has a gloomy look to it and there isn't much to do. However, this is an option when it is pouring rain and the kiddos want to run around. This "museum" is geared for children under 5. Any child over 5 would be super bored and would want to leave, so don't waste your money. I did get a deal on Groupon, so check there for tickets. The restrooms are outdated and dirty. See photos. They look like they get maintained/cleaned once a year, if that. The only positive is that they are stocked with toilet paper and paper towels. Another thing, this is the museum Blippi on Youtube did a review on and I heard many kids (including mine) scream Blippi! Blippi! So I guess this is a cool experience for kids to tell others. read more

See all

Lots of great areas for different interests. It's in a great location for an all day trip. We loved the postal service station and the building room. The 0-3 space is great and quartered off from the high traffic thoroughfare. We'll definitely be back. read more

My daughter always has a lot of fun in this museum , it has a bit of everything from theater to a fishing boat

During the Bite of Seattle, we figured we'd go check out the Children's Museum after we were done stuffing our face. Our son was ready to get out of his baby Bjorne and run, and we figured that was the best place to do so. For it being a pretty busy day outside, the museum was pretty slow! That made it easy for us to check everything out and for our son to have all the freedom he wanted. I love the exhibits they have here. The construction area, the little store, the optometry area... So cute! I think my son would appreciate it more if he was older, but at one all he wants to do is bang things against other things and run. The little play area with the fish tank was his favorite spot. They had all sorts of toys and he *loves* fish, so that was a hit. That being said, I don't think you could really spend too much time here. Sure, there's quite a bit to look at, but I don't see a reason to come back again anytime soon. Another thing that's kind of off-putting is how expensive it is for parents to get in! It's not like the parents are coming here to play, so for the parents to be admitted at the same price as children ($12 per) is a little ridiculous. The only reason we went was because we scored a Groupon that saved us about $10 and our son was under one at the time we went so he was free, - probably wouldn't have gone otherwise. I think it's worth checking out for sure, but... Check Groupon first, and don't come here anticipating to spend the whole day! read more

Our first time visiting one of these and it was probably the highlight of our trip. The admission is good all day so you can come back even if you're not a member. read more

Lack of creativity, lack of really everything. I expected it to be a bit more grand for the kids but it was bland and too expensive for what it offers. We won't return in the future, it's better to save money and just take your kids to the fountain if it's warm read more

This place is unique, an indoor play area for kids, perfect for those In The aged 2-5 range. There's a lot for a toddler to do here to entertain themselves with activities and play adventure. You can do in and outs, and must accompany your child to supervise them, this is not a daycare for drop offs. There's good food options in the food court upstairs for breaks or bring your own food. There is a place called AdventurePlex in Southern California that has similar aged play area, maybe more for older kids as well. But this place has more expansive things to do (although a lot of the same activity, just different theme). A parent must be a good parent and interact with their kids, not just sit nearby on their smart phones playing games, surfing the web or texting, in order to maximize enjoyment. Groupon offers deals on their admission prices too. It is walking distance from the Monorail station from Westlake to the Space Needle (a $5 round trip, 5 min ride). read more

A little indoor place with lots of cool stuff in downtown Seattle. This months theme is animal and the kids get to find all the animals on the map. And lots of other pretend play area, pretty cool ones include the eye doctor office, and little home in Japan, Philippine, Africa, and also a seriously kids robbed empty supermarket haha the moment you put back the product on the shelf, another kid came to shop it all out into their cart right away! But it's so fun! You can park at science center parking, it's only $15 for 2-12 hours. Really good deal for downtown parking. $12 admission only. And there's a huge playground just outside. What a nice day activity for the kids! read more

See all

Stopped in for a short visit with a 10 month old non walking baby. We were disappointed that this Children's museum is so small for a bigger city area. There are multiple room options, but again the area is small. We enjoyed the reading room which was unoccupied but very noisy. The small kids section is 0-3 years old. The bigger kids can be a bit much with small crawlers around. Wish they had a strictly baby quiet area. The whole place is pretty loud. Seeing as this place is so compact, crowded and loud, we probably will not be back. read more

$12 entrance fee for adults. I'm not sure how well they clean the camp/trees/rocks area. It's more for kids under age 4 doing exploration. I regret coming here with my kids. Oh well. They don't do reciprocity either from other places. read more

Now for someone who lives in walking distance to this, it's been a lifesaver. Specially since we live in a tiny apartment and our 10 month old son, needs daily physical activity to sleep at night. Anneli and staff are incredible and we look forward to seeing them. I've been coming to the CM since I was a toddler in the 80's. This place is great for toddlers and young elementary kids. We don't go on weekends, because it's usually packed with birthday parties and big kids who run wild there. But the 0-3 area is great for little ones to roam and have fun. If you see any kids in there older than 3 and not with a younger sibling, just tell the staff, they are there to help you and wrangle those kids outta there! Plus the nursing room is so nice. If you are looking to really have a great time here, come on a weekday. Buy a membership, that way you only come for an hour or two, whenever you please. read more

See all

30 years ago my parents used to take us here when I was a kid and it looks EXACTLY THE SAME. The theater, food market, and world village all look worse for wear and poorly maintained. The carpets and toys look like they haven't been cleaned in 30 years either. My daughter is crawling and standing so I spent a lot of time looking at the nasty carpet. The museum itself is tiny and is in a dark, windowless, dingy basement with very dim lighting. Worst $12 that I've spent in a while! This place is best for kids 2+ and walking well because all of the play areas are imagination based - optician, fire station, metro bus, large foam building blocks, cafe, etc. However I wouldn't recommend this place to kids of any age. Try the next door Chihuly Glass museum for something unique (but not interactive) or my personal favorite the Woodland Park Zoo which is 20mins north of downtown Seattle. It's more park than zoo and absolutely beautiful. Also, a general word of caution is that Seattle Center is a pain in the ass to get to with heavy traffic on weekends and weekday nights. Mercer Street is always packed with cars and is basically a parking lot. Parking is also expensive and stalls are small. On Sunday street parking is free (if you're lucky to find it) and less traffic. Overall access to the museum is terrible and makes it hard as parent to navigate your stroller, diaper bag, kid, etc. Also not good when you have a cranky overtired kid that needs to nap or eat. Food options located on the floor above the museum are expensive and then you're forced to listen to whatever concert/event thing is going on upstairs (today it was create play doh Ganeshas with Indian dance and music) so not really my cup of tea. If you HAVE to come here because of a birthday party or you have free tickets, try to come on Sunday if possible. Kids 11 months and under are free, 12 months and older are $12 (not worth it). There is a gated area for kids ages 0-3 with some dirty foam blocks, some wooden peg/abacus type toys, and a fish tank but it's shabby and dilapidated. Bigger running kids are still allowed in there which makes it dangerous for kids under 18 months. No employees are enforcing the age limit and people are allowed to wear shoes in there which is gross. Most indoor play places require you to wear socks and remove shoes. If you need to breastfeed, there is a private nursing area located in the gated younger kids area with a door and I saw a few moms using the vacant party rooms. The bathrooms were a decent cleanliness level but I only used one of them. They have small kid size toilets and sinks which is nice and saves your back. Try to change any diapers in your car before you get inside because the changing tables were pretty dirty. You will also need to park your stroller in the designated area (you can't push it around inside) so take note if you have a newborn or sleeping infant in a car seat or a large bag. You will need to haul your bag and car seat with you without your stroller. Hopefully I can go another 30 years without coming back here! read more

My daughter loves this place but it bugs me that it costs $23 for both of us to go and the place is so run down. The newish theatre remodel is pretty awesome but they wildly overspent on it (note the dressing room area that is filled with high end educational furniture). The restaurant food is lost, the grocery store is the saddest thing you've ever seen with white food and empty shelves, the international area is either empty or the stuff is in a locked display case, and the formerly awesome central mountain is shabby with disrepair and gross dusty plastic plants. You guys have the best location of any children's museum ever. This place should be nicer. Both Olympia and Everett's museums are worth the drive since this museum is so bad. read more

See all

When my two daughters were young, they used to love this museum. We took our 20-month old grandson here today and it was a big disappointment. The museum now has many loose item (building blocks, etc) in several of the rooms and it's a big fat mess (see my 2 pictures). I tripped and fell on one of the blocks. There was only 1 staff on duty that we saw; the cashier at the front. Not sure if they ever pick up or organize the items at the end of the day but it was a hazard while we were there. This place can use a long overdue remodel. Many of the exhibits are the same as those I saw over twenty years ago. Not recommended. read more

This place gets a solid 3 stars from me. I have been holding on to a free pass from my PEPS group and recently bought a Groupon while my in-laws were in town. So, we finally made the trip to visit. The person at the front was slightly annoying. She tried charging for my 10-month-old daughter (at age 1 and up they have to get their own pass). I would have preferred she would have asked first what her age is, as I felt she was implying I was trying to avoid paying the extra $12. Then she wanted to get my "kiddo's" attention and verbally telling him the rules. He won't listen to me, so yeah, good luck getting him to listen to a stranger. The museum itself felt big at first. The play areas are a decent size and not too messy. The theater area was probably the most interesting to me. There is a sound and lighting board, which my son really liked. I also liked that my mother country -- the Philippines -- is represented. The Sari Sari with a lot of familiar goodies brought joy to my heart. Too bad they didn't have free samples. Since we were there from about 11 til almost closing at 4:30/5, it felt smaller as we'd go to the same places over and over. For the regular cost, I'd expect the upkeep to be better. The bathrooms probably haven't been cleaned since the place originally opened. There also doesn't seem like there is much for kids to do. I guess the art studio was kinda cool. At least the paints weren't totally dried up like their markers to be used on the double-sided plexiglass easel. Overall, I'd say this is probably good for littles ones up to maybe age 3. Older kids would get much more entertainment at Pacific Science Center or the Artists at Play Playground outside MoPop. For now, all I can say is I crossed another museum off my Blippi Bucket List. read more

See all

I have avoided the children's museum for years because of the steep price of admission and the inconvenient location. I finally stopped in with my kids recently and was pleasantly surprised by how much fun they had there. This is a great toddler-friendly sanctuary in the middle of the city. I don't think it's worth the price of admission for a single day, but we got a family membership. We will probably visit a lot when it's too wet or smoky to play outside or stop in when we're near the Seattle Center for an event. read more

My kids (4 and 1) love this place. It's not particularly big but every inch is full of entertainment for kids. I don't understand the reviews criticizing the lack of creativity - the kids add the creativity! read more

Elli C says it all exactly. This place is dark, old, dirty and rundown. All the exhibits seem like the originals from when the museum opened decades ago. Doesn't look like anything gets updated. Not sure it gets cleaned either. All the toys and exhibits/equipment have a gross grime on them from all the kiddo hands over the years. If no budget for hefty updates, at least a good scrub down would be nice. Because it's in the basement, it's dark and depressing with no natural light and exposed ductwork and piping visible in the ceilings. It sounds like they have a number of programs, which seems like a nice addition, but we've only attended the baby/toddler one the section for babies. Unfortunately it's pretty lackluster, with a bucket of toys dumped out and minimal engagement. And they're super strict about the toys not leaving the 3x3 space they're dumped in even though the baby area is completely sectioned off (ie toys aren't going anywhere). Staff are a mixed bag: some friendly and engaging, others unfriendly and strict. Be warned that coffee is not allowed. So if you buy a coffee nearby right before you go in, you will be asked to chug or dump it. No accommodations are made either, for storing it or a designated place within the museum to leisurely finish it. In fact, I don't think there's even an area to eat lunch or snacks while visiting. Anyway, I get the burn risk with hot coffee, but seems like there's a better solution. Lastly, I find it silly that parent admission costs the same as kids even though there's minimal parents can actually do in the museum. Everything is kid-size and targeted at the kids. If there's one place where adult admission should be less than kids, it's here. A few pros, hence the extra star: - arts and crafts room seems great - lots of different areas with themes and learning (all just need cleaned and updates as per above) - good location (aside from being in a basement) - young kids can easily entertain themselves, so despite my gripes, my kiddo has fun most visits read more