Free Activities in the Seattle Area

A special thanks to my friend Cindy who e-mailed me this list of free and darn close to free activities to do in the Seattle area. Let me know how your outings went! :)


Seattle Art Museum
Seattle Permanent collection includes Australian Aboriginal art, African art, American art, ancient Mediterranean and Islamic art, Asian and European art, modern and contemporary art and textiles, SAM Shop, Taste restaurant; special exhibit, "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness," American paintings, through May 25; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 100 University St., Seattle; $9-$15, ages 12 and younger free, first Thursdays free admission for all, first Fridays free for ages 62 and older, second Fridays free for ages 13-19 with ID from 5-9 p.m. (206-654-3100 or www.seattleartmuseum.org).

Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame
Seattle Music museum with interactive and interpretive exhibits on rock 'n' roll, its roots and recent genres; sci-fi robots, monsters, aliens, spaceships, art and literature, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, hours may vary due to special events, Seattle Center, Seattle; combo EMP/SFM admission $15/adults, $12/ages 5-17 and ages 65 and older; free admission 5-8 p.m. first Thursday of each month (206-EMPLIVE or www.emplive.com).

Frye Art Museum
Seattle Collection of 19th- and 20th-century American, German and French representational paintings plus temporary exhibitions, museum store, cafe, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, until 8 p.m. Thursdays, noon-5 p.m. Sunday, 704 Terry Ave., Seattle; free (206-622-9250 or www.fryeart.org).

Museum of History & Industry
Seattle Photographs, artifacts and exhibits on the growth of the Puget Sound region including Seattle in the 1880s, Great Seattle Fire; special exhibit "The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons," drawings, paintings and related objects featuring Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Sylvester, Tweety Bird, Yosemite Sam and other characters from classic Warner Bros. cartoons of the 1930s through 1960, through May 17; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, until 8 p.m. on first Thursdays, 2700 24th Ave. E., Seattle; $6-$8, free on first Thursdays (206-324-1126 or www.seattlehistory.org).

Wing Luke Asian Museum
Seattle The history, culture and art of Seattle's Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Pacific Islander and Southeast Asian communities, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, 719 King St., Seattle; $5-$8, free on first Thursdays and third Saturdays of every month (206-623-5124 or www.wingluke.org

Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Seattle "Coffee: The World in Your Cup," the story behind the coffee we drink, with weekend coffee tastings, at the museum through Sept. 7; permanent exhibits, dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, a walk-through volcano, traditions of the Pacific Rim; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, open until 8 p.m. first Thursdays, 17th Avenue Northeast and 45th Street, University of Washington, Seattle; $5-$8, free admission on first Thursdays (206-543-5590 or www.burkemuseum.org).

Log House Museum
Seattle Restored 1903 structure a few blocks from the site of the 1851 landing of the Denny Party, the first white settlers in Seattle, with historical displays; noon-4 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays, 3003 61st Ave. S.W., Seattle; $1-$3; one hour tour, $2 (206-938-5293 or www.loghousemuseum.org).

Museum of Flight
Seattle Display of aircraft, air-traffic control tower; children's area, history of aviation, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, until 9 p.m. first Thursdays, airpark plane tours 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. daily, 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle; $7.50-$14, first Thursday of each month free from 5-9 p.m. only (206-764-5720 or www.museumofflight.org).

Bellevue Arts Museum
Bellevue Exhibits and programs exploring art and design, emphasizing the work of regional artists, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; guided tours at 1 p.m. daily, 510 Bellevue Way N.E., Bellevue; $7-$9, half price on Mondays through April, free on the first Friday of each month (425-519-0770 or www.bellevuearts.org).

KidsQuest Children's Museum
Bellevue Indoor treehouse, backyard nature, garage workshop with tools and basic machines, waterways activities, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday, in Factoria Mall, 4091 Factoria Blvd. S.E., Bellevue; $7, 5-8 p.m. free every Friday (425-637-8100 or www.kidsquestmuseum.org).

Kids Discovery Museum
Bainbridge For children through age 8, creative play, hands-on art room, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 305 Madison Ave. N., Bainbridge, $5, free on first Thursdays (206-855-4650 or www.kidimu.org).

Renton History Museum
Renton Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit on the nation's diverse regional cooking and eating traditions over 500 years, through May 9, history of the Duwamish Indians and Renton's coal-mining and logging days, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 235 Mill Ave. S., Renton; $1-$3, free on the first Wednesdays and third Saturdays (425-255-2330 or www.rentonhistory.org).

White River Valley Museum
Auburn Pioneer, Native American and Japanese history, 1920-era downtown Auburn exhibit, noon-4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, 918 H St. S.E., Auburn; $1-$2, free on Wednesdays (253-288-7433 or www.wrvmuseum.org).

Shoreline Historical Museum
Shoreline Hands-on exhibits on the history of Lake Forest Park/Shoreline/North Seattle with general store, farm house and photo archives, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 749 N. 175th St., Shoreline; free (206-542-7111 or www.shorelinehistoricalmuseum.org).

Washington State History Museum
Tacoma Washington's geographic diversity and human history from the indigenous peoples through 20th-century immigration, featuring "Women's Votes, Women's Voices," through Sept. 27, celebrating 100 years since women were granted the right to vote with artifacts and interactive activities, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Ave., Tacoma; $6-$8/person or $25/family, two adults and up to four children; free admission 3-8 p.m. on third Thursday of each month (888-272-3500 or www.washingtonhistory.org).

Tacoma Art Museum
Tacoma Art from the 18th century to the present, including an extensive collection of Chihuly glass, resource and education center; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, until 8 p.m. Thursdays, noon-5 p.m. Sundays, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma; $6.50-$7.50, third Thursday free (253-272-4258 or www.tacomaartmuseum.org).