Best Free Experiences in Seattle

As an au pair in the 7th most expensive city in the United States, my off-time was synonymous with free activities in and around the city. Be it, watching the sunset at Gas Works Park, dancing around the bonfires at Golden Gardens or picking up my favourite read from the Seattle Public Library. These free experiences in Seattle were so versatile in category that I could never get bored.

1. Gas Works Park

Probably one of my favourite parks in Seattle. Once a coal gasification plant, before it closed in 1956, Gas Works Park transitioned into a space that has hosted free concerts, kite flying and even athletic competitions. My friends and I really enjoyed popping a blanket on the floor and playing card games while we admired the skyline in front of us as kayakers and paddle-boarders paddled by.

2. Pike Place Market

This was the first tourist spot I explored when I arrived in Seattle in 2018. Operating since 1907, Pike Place Market is now home to over 240 small businesses. Not only will you find fish flying over your heads at any time, you will also find antique shops, craft stalls, fruit vendors and some of the best food Seattle has to offer. In the spring and summer, especially, vendors will take up the whole one side of the first level selling the most gorgeous bouquets of flowers at only $15. And trust me, for the size and quality they are, that’s cheap.

3. Fremont Troll

The Fremont Troll is a public sculpture that came about in 1989 after the city asked the Fremont Arts Council to hold an art competition to rehabilitate an area under a bridge as it had drug dealers lurking there and the area was ultimately becoming a dumping ground. When you go, you will see tons of kids, and the occasional grown up (*cough* *cough* me) climbing this 18-foot-tall creature.

4. Seattle Central Library

As a long-time bibliophile, this free attraction was on the top of my list. This 11-story civic space is so inviting to the public because of its unusual robust shape. It has the capacity to hold one and half million books. This is thanks to the innovative organizing system for an ever-growing physical collection known as the Books Spiral. This allows visitors to leaf through the library’s entire non-fiction collection without using stairs or traveling to a different part of the library. And they have other really cool rooms too such as the Auditorium on the ground floor, and two reading rooms on the third and tenth floors.

5. Olympic Sculpture Park

This 9-acre outdoor sculpture park and beach is located in Downtown Seattle. It is free to the public and is covered in monumental artworks. I didn’t explore it as much as I wanted but the views of the water (Elliot Bay essentially) were enough to get me hooked.

6. Kerry Park

Whenever someone new to Seattle came, whether it was my family, friends, new au pairs, I took them to Kerry Park. Or at least I told them about it. Based on the top of a Queen Anne hill, Kerry Park provides one of the most iconic views of Seattle. You see the Space Needle, Alki Beach, Bainbridge Island, and on a really clear day you may even see Mt. Rainier. 

7. Snoqualmie Falls

After being in Seattle for two years, I had never visited Snoqualmie Falls. My host dad was shocked. I mean I used to go to Snoqualmie almost every weekend in the winter and even summer when I went skiing and hiking. So, the fact that I didn’t stop by is shocking. It’s only a 30-minute drive from Downtown Seattle and is not technically a part of Seattle itself. However, this overwhelming cascade is totally worth the drive. 

8. Seattle Center

The Seattle Center is an art, education, entertainment and tourism gathering place. It houses some of Seattle’s most esteemed attractions such as the Space Needle, the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPop) and Chihuly Garden Glass. The center itself is free but these attractions are not. 

9. Alki Beach

The place that kept me coming back for more. This 2-mile stretch of beach in West Seattle not only offers exceptional views of the Seattle skyline but so much more. Here you’ll find ample tide pooling opportunities, volleyball courts, restaurants and cafes as well as a pathway for walking, skateboarding or cycling. Add more adventure and awesome Insta pics to your day trip by opting to take the water taxi from Downtown Seattle.

10. Golden Gardens

When the sun started setting late, indicating the start of summer, my friends and I could be seen in the stores buying firewood and goodies for s’mores. We were prepping for bonfires at Golden Gardens. During the summer months this popular spot in Ballard is filled with beachgoers enjoying the sunset and dancing to the music with the light of the bonfires illuminating their smiling faces.