10 Things To Do Indoors When It Rains In Seattle, Washington - Updated 2024

Ryan Joshua
Ryan Joshua 
Updated
| 4 min read

In Washington’s biggest city, there is no way that you’ll run out of things to do or places to visit, Seattle offers a lot of things and activities to do such as coffee brewing classes, looking at the best museums and paying a visit to Seattle’s most unique spots such as the Space Needle and Seattle Art Museum. The city is also known for its very authentic art and culture scene that is very popular among tourists. However, the city is also known to experience a lot of rainy days. Its a little bit of bummer, right? But if it happened to be raining while you’re in the city, don’t be sad as we have compiled the best things to do while indoors when it rains in Seattle, Washington.

1. Tour the Seattle Art Museum (from USD 13.99)

things to do indoors in seattle | tour the seattle art museum

If you are into arts, then you should definitely tour the Seattle Art Museum. Since its inception in 1933. the Seattle Arts Museum has been the center of Pacific Northwest’s world-class visual arts. The museum has three unique areas that symbolizes the region as a crossroad wherein modernity meets antiquity. Its diverse array of collections, installations, exhibitions, tours and programs features different kinds of art found around the world and links cultures and time.

Visited this place?

Seattle Self-Guided Audio Tour

Duration: 3.0 hour

2. See a show at the Paramount Theater


The Paramount Theater has been Seattle’s most premier center for entertainment that locals and tourists alike have enjoyed for more than 90 years. Countless people have already been entertained with the shows they have watched in the theater, aside from its architectural wonder and the number of world-class performers from around the world. Through the years, it has been known as the “Most Opulent Movie Palace.”

Paramount Theater

Address: 901 Pine St. Seattle, Washington

Website: Paramount Theater

Visited this place?

3. Read at Seattle Central Library (from USD 59.0)

things to do indoors in seattle | read at seattle central library

Whether you’re in the mood to read some great books, do some research, or just marvel at its bizarre yet breathtaking architecture, the very iconic, glass-clad Seattle Central Library is a must visit for both local and foreign tourists. This state-of-the-art library features a total of 1.4 million books in its 362,987 square feet (33,722.60 square meters), 11-story building. The facility doesn’t only features books but also around 400 computers, several gathering areas, special places for kids, some meeting rooms and a cafe. Its defiance from your usual public library has become an inspiration to other public libraries across the United States.

Visited this place?

Seattle: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

Duration: 1.0 to 2.0 day

203 reviews

4. Sit on a sofa, get dinner and watch a movie at Central Cinema


Situated on an old brick warehouse, the Central Cinema is a great neighborhood theater that offers an experience that is better than your usual Netflix nights. What makes this theater a cut among the rest is having dinner while watching a movie on the big screen. Take a break from your usual movie nights or movie binging with old-time popcorn and instead try watching at the Central Cinema.

Central Cinema

Address: 1411 21st Avenue, Seattle, WA

Website: Central Cinema

Opening hours: 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM

Price: 10 USD

Visited this place?

5. See the fish at the Seattle Aquarium (from USD 59.0)

things to do indoors in seattle | see the fish at the seattle aquarium

Explore the wonders of the sea by visiting the Seattle Aquarium! Be amazed by the living sea critters swimming around you, play with the ever-energetic sea otters and octopuses, and see the jellyfishes light up the surroundings. You can also try touching a live sea star, urchins and more while you explore the wonders you can find under the sea. You won’t also want to miss the diver shows and animal feeding sessions everyday. After hours of exploring the “sea”, you should also try Seattle’s authentic coffee and treats at their cafe or head to the gift shop to remember the day you explored underwater.

Visited this place?

Seattle: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

Duration: 1.0 to 2.0 day

203 reviews

6. Grab a beer at the Redhook Brewlab


There’s nothing more relaxing than a bottle of cold brew or beer at the end of a whole day of exploring Seattle. The best place to have a bottle of beer in Seattle is at the Redhook Brewlab. The brewery features 16 taps of rotating small-batch beers brewed on site by Nick Crandall, Redhook’s head brewer. Redhook Brewlab primarily focuses on experimenting and creating new kinds of beers, and acts as a testing ground for their new creations before brewing it on a large scale to Washington and other places. Aside from the beers, the Redhook Brewlab also serves specially curated food that features local Seattle produce and ingredients.

Redhook Brewery

Address: 714 E Pike St. Seattle, WA

Website: Redhook Brewlab

Opening hours: 12:00 PM to 12:00 AM

Price: 11 to 30 USD

Visited this place?

7. Watch the indoor animals at Woodland Park Zoo

Woodland Park Zoo is an award-winning zoological garden that has a total land area of 92 acres (37.2 hectares) dedicated to conserving the wildlife and the natural flora and fauna. The zoo features around 1,000 animals that represent nearly 300 species that can be found from around the world. Kids and animal lovers would surely love a visit to the Woodland Park Zoo.

Woodland Park Zoo

Address: 5500 Phinney Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103, United States

Website: Woodland Park Zoo

Opening hours: 9:30am - 4pm (daily)

Price: 22.95 USD

Visited this place?

8. Play mini golf at Flatstick Pub | Pioneer Square


Flatstick Pub is an underground pub that allows you to enjoy playing your old time mini golf at their indoor, nine-hole golf course while drinking some of Washington’s best brews and ciders. If mini golfs are not your thing, the place also has a variety if games for you to play.

Flatstick Pub | Pioneer Square

Address: 240 2nd Ave S, Seattle, WA

Website: Flatstick Pub | Pioneer Square

Opening hours: 12:00 PM to 2:00 AM

Price: 11 to 30 USD

Visited this place?

9. Stroll through the Volunteer Park Conservatory

Volunteer Park Conservatory

The diversity of the flowers and plants and the exquisiteness of its Victorian design makes the Volunteer Park Conservatory a must-visit for the young and the young at heart who has the love for gardening. You will surely love to see some exotic and other amazing plants in this 10,400 square feet (966.19 square meters) greenhouse built in the 1910s.

Volunteer Park Conservatory

Address: 1400 E Galer St, Seattle, WA

Website: Volunteer Park Conservatory

Opening hours: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Visited this place?

10. Find new vinyl at Easy Street Records & Café

things to do indoors in seattle | find new vinyl at easy street records & café
Source: instagram

If nostalgic music is your jam, then the Easy Street Records & Café is a must visit for you. The record store sells used CDs, vinyl records and everything about music starting from the 50s. Its on-site cafe is also a great place for a quaint refreshment, offering authentic nostalgia while listening to some great old-time music.

Easy Street Records & Café

Address: 4559 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA

Website: Easy Street Records & Café

Opening hours: 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Price: under 10 USD

Visited this place?

Enjoy rainy days at Seattle!

Day or night, hot or cold, sunny or rainy, the city of Seattle surely has something for you to visit and do while you’re in town. So cover up, bring your coats and umbrellas, and visit these great indoor attractions in Seattle - even if it is raining!

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

History


Get Trip101 in your inbox

Unsubscribe in one click. See our Privacy Policy for more information on how we use your data

Ryan is a Computer Engineer with a heart for traveling and writing. Born in Pasay City, Philippines, and raised in Melbourne, Australia, he is now based in the Philippines' City of Smiles, Bacolod...Read more

 Want to contribute as a Local Expert?
Explore Seattle
Looking for accommodation?
x
Good things are meant to be shared!
Back to top
Visited any of these places? Click this button to activate our "Add a Tip" feature to share your experience.