Listen, I don’t think it’s any secret that it rains a lot in Seattle. In fact, it’s what many people know this city for, even though in reality it’s nowhere near the rainiest city in the country. That being said, when it does rain, we would still like something to do. So today, we’re looking at 5 of the best Seattle rainy day activities so you have something to do even when the weather is not ideal.
5 of the Best Seattle Rainy Day Activities
1. Visit the Seattle Aquarium
© Cody Logan / Wikimedia Commons / “Seattle Aquarium exterior, May 2018”
If water is already pouring from the sky, you might as well surround yourself with more of it, right? The Seattle Aquarium not only has tons of awesome exhibits for you to see, but is also in a super cool location, right on the water near Pike Place Market. Most of it in inside, so you won’t have to worry too much about the weather, just enjoy the fish!
The Aquarium and many other things on this list are part of our Ultimate Seattle Bucket List. Check it out!
2. Explore the Seattle Underground
Ronincmc, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
It’s raining above ground so the perfect place to go to escape it is – below ground! If you didn’t know, Pioneer Square sits above the remains of an old Seattle. After the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the city updated their building code and regraded the streets about 1-2 stories higher than they were previously. The businesses left underground that escaped the fire continued to use the area until 1907 when they were forced to close due to fear of the Bubonic Plague. From then on, the space was used as storage, with a few illegal speakeasies, gambling halls, and more.
Today, a small part of the underground was made safe and now allows tours to go through. I went on a tour of the underground while I was in elementary school, and it is really a cool place. Definitely check it out when you get the chance.
3. Pick Up a Book at Seattle Central Library
© Steven Pavlov / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Senapa
The Seattle Central Library is an awesome work of architecture, and is especially magical in the rain. The entire building is made of windows at all different angles, and it has multiple levels too. Pick up a book and relax while the rain hits the roof above you.
This library is also very photogenic, and is included in our list of Seattle’s best Instagram Locations. You can find that article here.
4. Stroll Through the Volunteer Park Conservatory
Rootology, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
If you want to go somewhere pretty and warm, definitely check out the Volunteer Park Conservatory. The Conservatory is basically a 100+ year old giant greenhouse made of five different temperature houses. The houses have a variety of tropical and subtropical plants, some of which are over 100 years old. Another fun fact is that the Conservatory has 3,426 panes of glass, which are all covered in a coating through the summer to keep the places from getting too hot.
If you like plants at all (like my girlfriend is a sucker for), then you should definitely give this place a try. There may be a few that you haven’t seen before.
5. Take a Trip to a Museum
Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Seattle has a few awesome museums that you should definitely visit if you haven’t yet done so. Being completely indoors, these are the perfect activities to do on a rainy day. The first of the two I’m going to mention is the Seattle Art Museum (or SAM for short). This museum has tons of awesome exhibits (including some cars casually hanging from the ceiling), and would make for a great activity on a rainy day in the city.
The second museum is, of course, the Museum of Pop Culture (or MoPOP). This is easily one of the most recognizable buildings in Seattle for its incredible architecture. The building itself is a work of art, but this inside is just as spectacular. Just like with SAM, there’s plenty of awesome exhibits to be explored, though they are about pop culture rather than art.
Conclusion
Hopefully this brief list can give you a better idea of what you can do on a rainy day in Seattle. If you have any suggestions that you think should have made it in the list, leave me a comment down below and I might include them in a future article.
Hi, I’m Jared. I’m a life-long Washington resident, and love the big city. In my free time, I do YouTube, photography, coding, and more.
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